NSW Fisheries chief scientist Steve Kennelly said the $430,000 project was being driven in part by a growing wish among recreational anglers to be kind to the fish and to conduct themselves in an ethical manner.

NSW Fisheries senior research scientist Matt Broadhurst said the atmosphere among the anglers was very positive. “It was a collaborative exercise between scientists and anglers,” Dr Broadhurst said. “It’s a win-win situation because we learn more about what the anglers do, and we can provide them with advice on how better to handle the fish.” NSW Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald said the fish would be classified by the various methods of capture, such as bait versus lure and long shanked hooks versus circle hooks.

NO one knows how much trauma a fish feels as it flaps around at the bottom of a boat after being caught.

And no one knows how many undersized fish survive when the hooks are wrenched out of their mouths and they are returned to thesea.

Yesterday, more than 200 recreational fishermen on 95 boats participated in a fishing competition in Botany Bay aimed at answering some of these questions.

The fish they caught were measured and tagged and then released into a fish cage, where their survival rates are being monitored.

The fish also will have the cortizol levels in their blood measured to determine their levels of stress.

NSW Fisheries chief scientist Steve Kennelly said the $430,000 project was being driven in part by a growing wish among recreational anglers to be kind to the fish and to conduct themselves in an ethical manner.

“It is a sport and people want to look after their sport,” he said. “People want to know how to catch and release them while causing minimum harm.” While most fishermen will remove the hook and return the fish, particularly if it is undersize, nobody knows how many of the released fish survive. Initial results show the answer is about 90 per cent.

He said it was believed anglers who used wet cloths when holding the fish and pliers to remove the hooks were increasing thesurvival rates and causing the fish less stress.

Fish caught on lines may in fact show less stress than those caught in nets, because the nets immobilise their gills and drown them.

NSW Fisheries senior research scientist Matt Broadhurst said the atmosphere among the anglers was very positive. “It was a collaborative exercise between scientists and anglers,” Dr Broadhurst said. “It’s a win-win situation because we learn more about what the anglers do, and we can provide them with advice on how better to handle the fish.” NSW Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald said the fish would be classified by the various methods of capture, such as bait versus lure and long shanked hooks versus circle hooks.

The fish would be monitored for one week, samples taken to test their stress levels and then all would be released back into Botany Bay.

“The research is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the recreational fishing industry is sustainable because it is so vital to theeconomic future of many NSW communities,” he said.