COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



Catch & Release 



If you aren't a fan of fishing 

 tournaments, you may believe that a fish 

 caught in one of these contests is going 

 to end up dead. That's not necessarily 

 so. As freshwater bass tournaments have 

 proven, catch-and-release formats can 

 be satisfying for fishers and successful 

 for sponsors. Now Jim Bahen, a Sea 

 Grant marine extension agent in 

 Wilmington, would like to see more 

 organizers of saltwater fishing events 

 move away from "kill tournaments" 

 and give catch and release a try. 



Bahen is concerned because kill 

 tournaments require participants to bring 

 in fish over a minimum size so that the 

 biggest fish are caught and killed. In 

 many species, such as billfish and king 

 mackerel, the largest fish are the 

 females, the breeding stock. By 

 removing these individuals from the 

 population, the breeding potential is 

 reduced. In the long term, this could hurt 

 the species — and fishing. 



Some saltwater tournaments 

 already incorporate catch-and-release 

 approaches. According to Bahen, 

 tournament operators have four options: 



• Official observers ride with fishers 

 on their boats and count the number 

 of fish caught and released. 



• Fishers put fish in a well onboard and 



keep them alive until the boat returns 

 to the dock. There, officials 

 measure both the biggest fish 

 caught and the total weight 

 of all fish caught. After 

 weighing, the fish are 

 set free. 



• Fishers carry disposable 

 cameras on the boat and hook, 

 tag, photograph and release fish. 

 At the end of the day, officials 

 develop the film and record the 

 number of fish tagged. 



• In surf fishing tournaments, fishers 

 bring their catch alive to a weigh-in 

 station and then set the fish free. 



Bahen stresses that catch-and- 

 release tournaments are attractive to 

 fishers in two ways: They can partici- 

 pate with a competitive spirit, and they 

 can feel good about preserving a 

 resource. 



"We're working on the old attitude 

 of 'catch all I can today and don't worry 

 about tomorrow,'" Bahen says. "We 

 want to leave the fish biting at the end of 

 the day — that leaves me feeling 

 satisfied." 



If you would like to talk about 

 catch-and-release techniques, contact 

 Bahen at 910/256-2083, ext. 212. □ 



— D.D. 



A Meal Fit for a Crab? 



^^at pleases the palate of a blue crab? Researchers hope the answer to that 

 question will help crabbers and poultry producers alike. 



In a recent study by North Carolina Sea Grant and NC State University's poultry 

 science department, crabs were about as likely to choose an experimental bait made 

 of fermented poultry as they were to select the usual menhaden bait. 



That finding could be significant on two fronts, says Sea Grant marine extension 

 agent Bob Hines. Crabbers have few sources of traditional bait, and the price of 

 menhaden has risen 55 percent in the last three years. At the same time, poultry 

 producers face an increasing challenge in disposing of dead birds. A flock of 1 0,000 

 turkeys, for instance, may account for 4.6 tons of carcasses in an 1 8-week cycle. 



The experimental bait will be studied more fully in a Sea Grant-funded project. □ 



— D.S.B. 



First Aid First 



Usually, a bad sunburn is the 

 worst experience you have at the beach 

 or on a boat. But be aware of other 

 dangers. You or your companions may 

 be injured, suffer heatstroke or be stung 

 by a marine organism. 



The key is to be prepared. Pack a 

 clearly marked first-aid kit sturdy 

 enough to withstand the salty environ- 

 ment. Essential items include: 



• adhesive bandages 



• an athletic bandage 



• first-aid adhesive tape 



• a vinegar solution or isopropyl alcohol 



• meat tenderizer to apply in a paste on 

 jellyfish stings 



• hydrogen peroxide 



• pain relievers 



• antihistamines 



• a first-aid manual. 



Do not move an injured person 

 unless absolutely necessary. And if 

 you're aboard a boat during an emer- 

 gency, contact the U.S. Coast Guard on 

 channel 1 6 (VHF) or 21 82 kHz (HF). □ 



— D.S.B. 



COASTWATCH 5 



