TABLE 1.  Sport fishing catch and release instructions as regulated in the various Canadian jurisdictions
TABLE 2.  Sport fishing methods as regulated in the various Canadian jurisdictions
TABLE 3.  Sport fishing tackle as regulated in the various Canadian jurisdictions
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INTRODUCTION

In 1996 a report entitled "Report and Summary of the Sport Fishing Regulations in Canada with Specific Reference to Humane Considerations" was presented to appropriate sport fishing regulatory authorities across Canada. It brought to their attention the regulations that mandate the unnecessary infliction of pain and stress on fish and recommended ways to improve regulations.

The primary objective of this report is to document current sport fishing regulations across Canada and to examine whether they have changed according to the recommendations that were made in the 1996 report.

Regulations and recommendations published by regulatory authorities in the typical 1998/99 Angler's Guide were compared and analyzed. As before, this analysis is based upon those regulations and recommendations as they are conveyed to the angler rather than upon the official wording of relations as proclaimed under the authorizing Act. This report follows the format of the first section of the 1996 report. Fishing method and tackle regulations were compared with regards to their potential impact on pain and stress on fish.

Regulations pertaining to catch and release fishing and catch and retain fishing were analyzed separately. Catch and release comparisons focused on the instructions on how to release a fish section provided in each fishing guide. Whereas in the 1996 report the Federal Government jurisdiction included both British Columbia Tidal Waters and the Newfoundland region, I have chosen to separate them in this report.
 

CATCH AND RELEASE

All sport fishing guides, include instructions on proper handling of fish for catch and release fishing with the goal of increasing the chances of survival of released fish. As in 1996, the instructions differ in detail (Table 1) with Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia Tidal Waters (BC Tidal Waters) providing slightly more information. While Quebec had detailed instruction in 1996. they no longer do.

Barbless Hooks

Probably the most prominent change since 1996 is the attention that barbless hooks have received. The issue of using barbless hooks has been addressed in all fishing guides. Barbless hooks are still mandatory for all sport fishing in Manitoba. The statement that an angler may keep barbed hooks in their tackle box but not use them still remains in the text. For catch and release fishing, barbless hooks are now mandatory in Saskatchewan (no barbed hooks permitted in tack box), while they are recommended in all other provinces, except Alberta. Alberta cites that current scientific studies have not been able to demonstrate a significant difference in the effects of barbed versus barbless hooks on fish mortality and thus leave it up to the angler to dec ide. All other fishing guides report that use of barbless hooks increases the chances of survival of released fish because they are easy to remove and thus reduce handling time and/or injury to the fish.

Some fishing guides made reference to scientific studies or included detailed results from studies done on the effectiveness of barbless hooks. Prince Edward Island cites that "it is well documented that the use of barbed hooks greatly reduces the survival rates of any trout an angler wishes to release."1  They cite mortality rates ranging from 3.8% for flies to 8.4% for barbless baited hooks, to 31.4% for barbed baited hooks. Whether these studies were conducted under laboratory conditions or in a natural setting was not indicated. The Yukon suggests that barbless hooks are of less value when used with natural bait because they may end up deep in the gullet where hooks are difficult to remove. Saskatchewan is considering implementing mandatory barbless hook use province-wide for the 2000/01 season. To help in their decision, they proposed to study barbed versus barbless hook use on catch and release success in 1998 and to thoroughly review other studies on the subject. They encourage comments from the public on this issue. The Mountain District National Parks is also considering mandating the use of barbless hooks and are seeking comments from the public. BC Tidal Waters provide the most detailed results of hooking mortality studies on salmonids conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and other agencies. It appears that the size of salmon influences mortality, where smaller salmon are more vulnerable to barbed and large hooks. To remove the bias of conducting these studies under laboratory conditions, they used volunteer anglers, from novice to pro, to catch the fish, and then measured morality rates after placing 4iem in holding tanks or net pens for 24 hours or more. Data from tagging programs was also analyzed and indicated high survival rates. Due to the vulnerability of smaller fish, they felt that identifying and developing catch and release technologies and practices is a priority and further studies are currently in progress. Manitoba cites that the use of barbless hooks since 1990 has become a key ingredient to their conservation program.

Overall, it appears that all the jurisdictions have focused some effort on evaluating the effectiveness of reducing mortality of released fish by using barbless hooks. From the studies they have cited or from comments they have made, the results are not conclusive or cannot be generalized to all fish species or sizes of fish. All jurisdictions could benefit from a comprehensive summary of all studies on the issue of barbless hooks completed to date. BC Tidal Waters and Saskatchewan seem to be moving in the right direction.

Size of Tackle

In addition to the problems discussed with using barbless hooks, the size of the tackle was mentioned by three provinces. By matching the tackle to the fish, the number of incidental catches or the time to land the fish can be reduced. Manitoba suggests that anglers should match the tackle to the fish they are frying to catch because light tackle often results in a longer time to land the fish which increases stress levels and mortality. BC Tidal Waters recommends using large lures or artificial bait to reduce the incidental catch of undersized fish. Newfoundland suggests the leader tip should be large enough to bring in large salmon quickly or small enough to break large fish off. Presumably the latter fish would still retain the hook. The Yukon stresses the importance of matching the size of the hook to the size of the fish one wants to catch, where big hooks will more likely injure smaller fish.

Bait

Due to the risk of the hook becoming deeply embedded in the gut from swallowing organic bait, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island discourage the use of bait for catch and release fishing. Prince Edward Island cites that "worm-baited hooks penetrate vital areas in 50% of all trout caught compare to less than 10% for flies and lures."2 (The Advantages of Using Barbless Hooks and Tips on Releasing Fish).

Injured Fish

Five jurisdictions have made advances towards not releasing injured fish. Where no jurisdictions made this suggestion before, now Saskatchewan and Parks Canada recommend including seriously injured or dead fish as part of the angler's daily limit. The Yukon advises that anglers stop fishing for a species after they have caught and kept the limit for that species, limiting anglers live release totals to 10 fish per species per day. Unfortunately, the Yukon guide also suggests that anglers keep bleeding or injured fish, only if they are legal (allowable size, species, or capture method). Prince Edward Island, as before, also suggests that a fish that is damaged or bleeding should be added to the creel and not released. Manitoba also suggests leaving part of the creel limit open for injured fish. For Atlantic salmon, New Brunswick has catch and release limits during certain times of the season and fishing must stop after the daily bag limit is reached. They also suggest keeping injured fish as long as they are legal. Newfoundland also stipulates that fishing for salmon must stop when retention and catch-and-release limits have been reached. British Columbia, Ontario and Manitoba suggest keeping injured fish as long as they are legal. As in 1996, Quebec requires that anglers release illegal catches whether dead or alive. In general, all fishing guides, except the ones mentioned above, say that illegal fish, such as those hooked by a part of the body other than the mouth, must be thrown back.

Embedded Hooks

When a hook becomes embedded deep or is difficult to remove, all provinces except the North West Territories (where no recommendations are made) still recommend cutting the line and leaving the hook in place. BC Tidal Waters and Quebec cite that the hook will dissolve on its own and British Columbia cites that by cutting the leader one can improve the chances of survival of the released fish. In fact, Prince Edward Island cites that cutting the leader triples the chances of survival and that the hook will dissolve or work its way loose, passing harmlessly through the fish. Besides Prince Edward Island, no mention was made of studies that have monitored survival rates of these fish.

Playing Fish

All fishing guides except Prince Edward Island, the Yukon and the North West Territories emphasize the importance of playing the fish quickly and not exhausting it.

Handling Fish

All fishing guides stress the importance of keeping fish in water when handling them. If the fish must be removed, for example if it is too large for the hook to be removed under water (BC Tidal Waters) then most recommend being quick and using a soft or knot free net. No guide discourages taking photographs of the fish except that Newfoundland recommends keeping the fish under water to take its picture.

All fishing guides except Prince Edward Island and BC Tidal Waters caution anglers to avoid touching the gills or eyes of the fish. Pri nce Edward Island, BC Tidal Waters and Quebec are the only guides that do not caution against squeezing the fish.

All fishing guides, except Prince Edward Island, recommend taking as much time as needed to help revive the fish when it is ready to be released. Tips include holding the fish in a normal swimming position while moving it slowly back and forth so water runs through its gills. The Quebec guide still states that fishing quotas do not include fish that are immediately "thrown" back, but the guide requires that when illegal fish are caught they "must be immediately returned dead or alive, taking care not to injure it, if still alive."3 All fishing guides require that all fish must be released in a manner that causes the least harm to the fish.

The Yukon, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland recommend measuring fish to estimate weight so that the fish can be kept in water.

In 1996 Saskatchewan advised that walleye caught in deep waters should not be released due to their inability to adjust to water pressure. Now they advise that when catching fish from deep water, they should be raised slowly to allow fish to adjust to pressure changes but if they cannot be revived they must be counted as part of the catch. Manitoba recommends that fish, such as walleye, showing signs of the "bends" should be retained.

Nova Scotia stresses the importance of releasing fish quickly in warmer waters. Warmer waters can increase stress and respiratory difficulties in fish because their metabolic rates are higher and the activity of bacteria and viruses is increased. Newfoundland goes further by advising that catch and release fishing should cease when water temperatures go above 18 C.

Overall, most issues related to the humane treatment of fish are addressed in the catch and release recommendations of the fishing guides. This is because the handling of fish influences their future survival rate and hence the future fish resource. The ethics of causing of pain and stress are rarely addressed.
 

CATCH AND RETAIN FISHING

Live Bait

In this section live bait is divided into live non-fish bait (e.g., earth worms, maggots, aquatic insects, frogs and salamanders) and live fish bait (e.g., suckers, sticklebacks, minnows, darters) because regulations often pertain to one or the other. Live non-fish bait is permitted in all jurisdictions (Table 2). I assumed that if there was no mention of the use of bait in the fishing guides then it is not regulated. The same jurisdictions as in 1996 (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and BC Tidal Waters) have no restrictions on the use of any form of live bait. Live non-fish bait is permitted by all other provinces or jurisdictions but only in some areas of British Columbia, Alberta and Parks Canada.

On the other hand, live fish bait is prohibited in North West Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Parks Canada and in some areas of the Yukon, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. In most cases, it appears the restrictions on live bait and in particular live fish bait are related to the risks of introducing new species or disease to a body of water, and not related to reducing pain and stress of the bait animal itself. For example, Saskatchewan cites that "introduced fish species can upset the ecological balance of waterbodies and destroy recreational fisheries."4 To prevent the spread of undesirable fish and fish disease, they prohibit the moving of live fish or eggs, using live fish as bait and importing live fish.

Fish Hooks

A requirement for barbless hooks is the most common hook restriction mentioned in the fishing guides (Table 3). Manitoba is the only province for which barbless hooks are mandatory for all fishing. As discussed previously, barbless hooks are recommended for catch and release fishing in virtually all other jurisdictions. For retention fishing, the Yukon, British Columbia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Parks Canada require barbless hooks in some areas or for some species. As in 1996, British Columbia requires the use of barbless hooks in most streams throughout the province (5 regions out of 8). Alberta no longer requires the use of barbless hooks in any circumstance and New Brunswick only recommends barbless hooks for catch and release fishing. Whereas Nova Scotia had no regulations on barbless hooks in 1996, it now recommends there use for catch and release fishing.

The Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have now been joined by Quebec and Newfoundland in including an illustration on how to remove barbs from a normal hook. The Yukon, Alberta, Manitoba and Parks Canada provide written descriptions on how to remove barbs.

All jurisdictions except the Yukon and BC Tidal Waters, include the maximum number of hooks that can be attached to a line varying from one to four. More than four hooks can be used to catch smelt in Quebec. BC Tidal Waters says that it is illegal to "use, on a line, gear designed to catch more than one fish at a time"5 and single hooks (one hook with a single point) are required in some areas of the Yukon.

Parks Canada requires that only single hooks be used. The Yukon advises that treble hooks are more difficult to remove than single hooks6. Alberta and Quebec are the only provinces that specify three as the maximum number of points allowed.

Fishing Lines

With the exception of Newfoundland and BC Tidal Waters, almost all jurisdictions restrict anglers to one line when fishing in open water (Table 3). This is the same as in 1996, except that New Brunswick now has a one line restriction, which it didn't before. British Columbia allows two lines if there is only one person in a boat. For ice fishing, the number of lines permitted range from one to ten, with Quebec still having the highest limit.

As in 1996, five provinces stipulate a maximum distance that an angler may stray from their line, ranging from 50 to 60 m. In the remaining jurisdictions, except British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, a distance was not given but some statement was included that said that it was illegal to leave a line unattended.

Gaff Hooks

All forms of gaff hooks are prohibited by New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Nova Scotia and Alberta (Table 2). This is a new requirement for Alberta. Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec only prohibit the use of spring loaded gaffs, while Quebec prohibits all gaffs only for salmon. Saskatchewan and BC Tidal Waters permit the use of gaff hooks to land fish. Gaff hooks were not mentioned (and hence appear to be allowed) in the remaining jurisdictions, resulting in gaff hooks being permitted in half of the jurisdictions, similar to 1996.

Snagging and Jigging

The practice of catching a fish by any body part other than the mouth (which is known as snagging or jigging), is prohibited in all Canadian waters. Unlike in 1996, Quebec includes a prohibition on snagging but it follows that statement by saying "it is prohibited to keep fish caught intentionally while angling by a part of the body other than the mouth."7 This suggests that one can intentionally snag a fish but one cannot keep it. Perhaps these contradictory statements are a result of poor translation. The fishing guides of British Columbia and Parks Canada, unlike the other guides, do not directly say that it is illegal to snag fish but they do not include snagging within their list of acceptable fishing methods. In fact Parks Canada says that one can only use "one rod and line" which does not necessarily exclude snagging.

Spear Fishing

Spear fishing is prohibited by the Yukon, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Parks Canada (Table 2). New Brunswick prohibits the use of spears to land a fish caught by angling, and prohibits the possession of a jigging device or spear in inland waters. Quebec also no longer prohibits spear fishing but allows it in some areas or for some species only. The remaining jurisdictions permit spear fishing in some areas or for some species.

Bow and Arrow

Bow and arrow regulations remain much the same as in 1996. The Yukon, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, BC Tidal Waters and Parks Canada prohibit the taking of fish with any form of bow and arrow (Table 2). Once again, the wording is not entirely clear for British Columbia, BC Tidal Waters, Newfoundland and Parks Canada because bow and arrow fishing is not listed in their acceptable methods. The Northwest Territories and Prince Edward Island neither permit nor prohibit bow and arrow fishing. All other jurisdictions permit bow and arrow fishing in some areas or for some species only.

Saskatchewan still remains the only province that prohibits the release of fish captured by both spear and bow and arrow fishing.

Cross-bows are prohibited by most provinces except, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Ontario and Prince Edward Island, where they are neither prohibited nor permitted. Quebec appears to be the only province that explicitly permits cross-bows in some areas or for some species only.

Snares and Other Methods

All jurisdictions prohibit the use of snares, explosives, firearms, chumming, clubs, poisons, etc. as means of catching fish.

Net Fishing

The 1998 regulations concerning nets are similar to those in 1996. Most jurisdictions permit the use of nets when landing fish but not to catch them. Dip nets are usually permitted to catch ciscoes, suckers and bait fish.

Killing Fish

As in 1996, no fishing guide has any advice on how to kill a fish once it is landed. BC Tidal Waters suggests, as before, that you "kill it immediately so that it retains its flavour and freshness"8 and Manitoba goes further to say that you should "kill the fish quickly and humanely."9 Saskatchewan and New Brunswick suggest making the decision to keep a fish right away and if you decide to keep it, then kill it immediately.

Stringers and Holding or Transporting Live Fish

Stringers or culling fish (where fish are held until a preferred fish is caught) are prohibited in the Yukon, Alberta and Manitoba (Table 2). Saskatchewan discourages the practice of stringers. Holding live fish is prohibited in British Columbia and Newfoundland. Many provinces, such as British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland prohibit the transport of live fish, presumably to reduce the risk of fish being transferred into other bodies of water rather than to reduce stress to the fish. Ontario prohibits the transfer but not the transport of live fish and Parks Canada also prohibits the transfer of live fish but says nothing about holding or transporting live fish.
 

LEAD SINKERS

In 1996 no jurisdictions prohibited the use of lead sinkers and jigs. However, these have now have been prohibited by Parks Canada since 1997 (Table 3). In addition, Parks Canada also prohibits the possession of any lead sinkers while fishing. Lead sinkers and jigs have also been prohibited in one area in the Yukon and they are discouraged by Ontario and Nova Scotia.
 

POLLUTION

As in 1996, a few guides comment on the importance of not polluting fishing areas. Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Parks Canada briefly mention the importance of keeping fishing areas clean. Manitoba mentions that littering is regulated under the Clean Environment Act which is enforced by Natural Resource Officers.
 

FISHING TOURNAMENTS

Fishing tournaments are briefly mentioned in a few fishing guides. The Yukon, Alberta and Manitoba all require a permit to hold a fishing tournament. These must be obtained from the appropriate authorities which may provide more details about regulations than the fishing guides do. Alberta encourages organizers to practice fish conservation measures as part of the rules and ethics of the event. Saskatchewan is considering implementing a licensing system in 1999 because they are aware of the impacts that tournaments can have on the fish resource. They would use licenses to minimize impacts, provide information on the number and locations of events and assist in gathering fishery information. In Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, fishing is encouraged through free "fishing weekends" where people can fish for free without a license, except when fishing for salmon. Nova Scotia stipulates that all general fishing regulations apply during a fishing tournament, even though anglers do not need to purchase a license.
 

U-FISH OPERATIONS

Artificially stocked ponds, where one can fish for a fee, are oniy mentioned in the Nova Scotia fishing guide. In Nova Scotia, no fishing license is required in legally constructed U-Fish ponds, and season or bag limits do not apply. New Brunswick required licenses in their 1996 guide but does not mention U-Fish operations in 1998. As before, "it follows that none of the normal safeguards, restrictions, regulations or recommendations apply to the paying customer at these facilities."10
 

JUVENILE FISHING

All jurisdictions allow youth (18 or 16 years old and under) to fish without a lic ense or free. Exceptions are for salmon and sturgeon. In a few provinces they must be accompanied by an adult.

Ontario was the only province that provided a guide on fishing with children (Ministry of Natural Resources 1997). The Ontario guide covers topics from how to make fishing interesting and fun, creating a fishing kit, fishing techniques, safety and fishing ethics. Unfortunately any of the shortcomings in the general Ontario fishing regulations are transferred to the guidelines for fishing with children. Some suggestions do not promote an ethic of respect for nature. For example, they suggest making some barbless hooks because even if you lose a few fish the hooks will be easier to remove from the fish and also from clothing. There is no mention of the advantages of reducing injury in fish by using barbless hooks. To their credit they do suggest referring to the catch and release tips in the Ontario fishing summary. They introduce the controversy over using live bait versus artificial lures but continue by demonstrating how to hook up worms and minnows. They also suggest that it may be cheaper to buy live bait because more costly lures often get snagged and lost. The ethics section is quite insightful because it emphasizes the importance of conserving the resource for future generations, as well as respecting all living things, especially those that may be killed for eating. They promote instilling this attitude by modeling this behaviour as a caring adult.
 

ETHICS

The inclusion of some discourse on ethics has not changed much since 1996. Only five out of the 14 jurisdictions have a section in their guides on ethics. As before, the main ethical considerations that are discussed are usually related to protecting and conserving the natural, cultural and historical values.

Guides focus on respecting fellow anglers, keeping the environment clean, following the regulations in order to ensure fish resources for future generations. Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island suggest anglers should cooperate with and be courteous to all resource users, including other anglers, swimmers, boaters and property owners.

The same guides also encourage respect for the environment and suggest keeping rivers, lakes and shores clean. Prince Edward Island encourages anglers to be cautious of using fires in order to prevent any damaging forest fires.

As with many fishing regulations, angling ethics focus largely on conservation. Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick provide statements about the importance of following regulations to protect the fish resource for other anglers and for future generations.

In four fishing guides; the topic of angling ethics is linked to handling fish for catch and release fishing. The Yukon specifically includes a section called "Guidelines for ethical live-release fishing." As in 1996 The Yukon also touches on ethics in the section entitled "Recreational Fishing. A First Nation View,"11 which emphasizes the importance of respecting the animal, taking only what one needs and using everything is captured. In addition, the Department of Renewable Resources in the Yukon offers a course called the Hunter Education and Ethics Development Program (HEED). This course covers, catch and release fishing, responsible behaviour and ecology. Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick suggest learning techniques of handling fish to ensure their survival if released. Manitoba is the only jurisdiction that points out that anglers must handle fish appropriately, whether they will be killed or released. The ethics discussion is embedded under the heading of "Keeping Fish to Eat" and "Handling Your Catch." They suggest that a "measure of concern for the resource is reflected by the respect we show it and by the way we handle our catch."12 This is followed by recommendations of killing fish quickly and humanely, not using stringers, keeping badly injured fish in the angler's daily bag limit and tips on catch and release fishing.

New Brunswick and Manitoba are the only two jurisdictions that include a statement on treating fish in a humane manner. No statements were included about reducing stress or pain in fish.
 

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to the 1996 report, relatively few changes have been made to the fishing regulations except in the areas of catch and release fishing and the use of barbless hooks. The following sections are based on the recommendations section in the 1996 report. Each recommendation will be addressed with respect to whether or not improvements have been made.

Catch and Release

As angling pressures increase and fishing technologies improve, catch and release fishing is becoming a more prominent strategy for conserving fish resources. For catch and release fishing to be effective, the fish must survive after being released. Therefore, all sport fishing guides include tips on releasing fish appropriately. Because of the goal of sustainability of fish stocks, the tips are geared towards ensuring that fish survive so that they or their offspring can be caught again and not necessarily towards humane treatment of fish.

The most obvious change since 1996 was the attention focused on barbless hooks. All jurisdictions addressed the issue of whether barbless hooks helped reduce mortality of released fish. No new jurisdiction has made barbless hooks mandatory but several are considering it and every jurisdiction has some areas or species where barbless hooks are mandatory. It appears that there is some confusion about the effectiveness of using barbless hooks; with conclusive studies most jurisdictions seem willing to move towards making their use mandatory.

It is not mandatory in any jurisdiction to kill and keep any fish that has been deeply hooked, is bleeding, or which has been hooked through any part of the body other than the mouth. Since 1996, more jurisdictions are recommending that injured fish should be killed and included in the angler's daily limit. Unfortunately, in some cases this recommendation is conditional upon the injured fish being a legal catch.

In many instances, humane treatment and conserving fish resources may require similar measures, benefiting both goals. However, in the instance of injured fish, these two goals result in conflicting measures. From a humane perspective, injured fish should be killed immediately and included in the catch limit regardless of whether they are legal or not. From a conservation perspective, this is a risky strategy that may encourage the catching of illegal fish because anglers will be permitted to keep illegal catches without the regulating authorities knowing exactly how they were caught. For example, fish could be intentionally snagged. Perhaps mandating catch and release limits would help reduce the number of fish that could be injured.

Parks Canada is the only jurisdiction that requires the use of single hooks. Several jurisdictions discuss the problems of treble hooks, but they are not banned.

Live Bait

Some form of live bait is permitted in all jurisdictions. Live non-fish bait are permitted everywhere. Five jurisdictions prohibit the use of live fish bait and five others prohibit it in some areas or for some species.

Once again regulations that apply to live bait usually focus on the goal of conservation. No jurisdictions appear to consider the pain caused to live fish when used as bait. Any bait restriction, particularly for live fish bait, are attempts to reduce the risk of introducing species or diseases into new water bodies.

Fish Hooks

See the discussion on barbless hooks above in the catch and release section. 

Fishing Lines

Almost all jurisdictions restrict fishing to one line except in ice fishing, and require that the lines be closely attended.

Gaff Hooks

Some form of gaff hooks are still permitted in half the jurisdictions.

Snagging or Jigging

Snagging or jigging is prohibited in all jurisdictions but the regulations are not always clear about acceptable fishing methods.

Spear Fishing

Spear fishing is still permitted in five provinces and two new provinces permit it in some areas.

Bow and Arrow

Bow and arrow fishing is prohibited in six jurisdictions and permitted in most others. The regulations are not always clear about whether bow and arrow fishing is an acceptable method.

Net Fishing

Net fishing is still banned as a means of taking fish other than to help in landing. Dip nets are permitted to catch some species.

Killing Fish

There is still no advice on how to humanely kill fish other than to kill them immediately. Stringers or holding tanks are permitted in some jurisdictions. The holding or transporting of live fish is prohibited in six jurisdictions. As with bait restrictions, particularly for live fish bait, restrictions are attempts at reducing the risk of introducing species or diseases into new water bodies. In this case, conservation goals will further humane treatment goals. Prohibiting the use of live bait or the transportation of live fish will indirectly reduce suffering.

Lead Sinkers

The use of lead sinkers or jigs has received some attention from several jurisdictions. The biggest improvement is in Parks Canada where they are now banned. Commercial fishing tackle stores could be encouraged to stock and promote the sale of lead-free tackle.

Pollution

Eight jurisdictions mention that anglers should keep their environment clean.

Fishing Tournaments

Fishing tournaments are neither promoted nor discouraged by the different jurisdictions. Several provinces require permits to hold tournaments.

U-Fish Operations

One province mentioned that no permit is required to fish at a legally constructed U-fish operation. Since they are not mentioned in any other fishing guides it is unclear what the regulations are.

Juvenile Fishing

Ontario was the only province that published a guide specifically about fishing with children. Some effort was made to encourage respect for living creatures, but some of the suggestions about fishing methods lacked a commitment to this ethic. No other jurisdiction mentioned the importance of teaching children how to fish humanely.

Ethics

Virtually no improvement has been made with regards to the ethics statements that are included in several fishing guides. Some statements about treating fish humanely have been made but in general, they still focus on conservation and fishing etiquette.
 

REFERENCES

1998 Alberta Guide to Sportfishing Regulations. Natural Resources Service, Alberta Environmental Protection. Government of Alberta.

Saskatchewan Angler's Guide 1998-99. Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management. Government of Saskatchewan.

1998 Angling Summary New Brunswick. Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy. Government of New Brunswick.

1998 Angling, Summary of Regulations Nova Scotia. Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Government of Nova Scotia.

Angler's Guide 1998. Newfoundland and Labrador. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Government of Canada.

Angling Regulations Summary Riding Mountain National Park 1998. Canadian Heritage Parks Canada. Government of Canada.

Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada 1996. A Report and Summary on Sport Fishing Regulations in Canada with Specific Reference to Humane Considerations. Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, Vancouver, BC.

British Columbia Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide 1998/1999. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Government of Canada.

Fishing Regulations Summary Mountain National Parks in Alberta & British Columbia April 1, 1998 - March 31, 1999. Canadian Heritage Parks Canada. Government of Canada.

Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 1998-1999. Ministry of the Environment, Government of British Columbia.

Manitoba 1998 Angler's Guide. Ministry of Natural Resources. Government of Manitoba.

Northwest Territories Sport Fishing Guide April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999. Department of Renewable Resources. Government of Northwest Territories.

Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary 1998. Ministry of Natural Resources. Government of Ontario.

Prince Edward Island 1998 Fishing Summary. Department of Fisheries and Environment. Government of Prince Edward Island.

Sport Fishing Reg ulations Summary 1998-99. Yukon Department of Renewable Resources. Government of the Yukon.

Sportfishing in Quebec. Main Regulations April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999. Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Faune. Gouvemement du Québec.

Take a Kid Fishing. How to have Fun and Catch Something, Too 1998. Ministry of Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Branch Ontario. Government of Ontario.
 

NOTES:

1. The Advantages of Using Barbless Hooks and Tips on Releasing Fish. Prince Edward Island 1998 Fishing Summary. Department of Fisheries and Environment. Government of Prince Edward Island.
   
   
2. Advantages of Using Barbless Hooks and Tips on Releasing Fish. Prince Edward Island 1998 Fishing Summary. Department of Fisheries and Environment. Government of Prince Edward Island.
   
   
3. Returning Fish to Water. Sportfishing in Quebec. Main regulations April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999. Miistère de l'Environnement et de la Faune. Gouvemement du Québec.
   
   
4. Don't Transport Live Fish. Saskatchewan Fishery Regulations. Saskatchewan Angler's Guide 1998-99. Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management. Government of Saskatchewan.
   
   
5. BC Tidal Waters, General Restrictions. British Columbia Tidal Waters Sport Fishing guide 1998/1999. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Government of Canada.
   
   
6. Releasing the Spawners without Injuries. Sport Fishing Regulation Summary 1998-99. Yukon Department of Fisheries and Environment. Government of the Yukon.
   
   
7. Prohibitions. Returning Fish to Water. Sportfishing in Quebec. Main regulations April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999. Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Faune. Gouvernement du Québec.
   
   
8. Catch Tips. British Columbia Tidal Waters Sport Fishing guide 1998/1999. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Government of Canada.
   
   
9. Keeping Fish to Eat. Manitoba 1998 Angler's Guide. Ministry of Natural Resources. Government of Manitoba.
   
   
10. Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada. 1996. A Report and Summary on Sport Fishing Regulations in Canada with Specific Reference to Humane Considerations. Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, Vancouver, BC.
    
    
11. Recreational Fishing. A First Nation View. Sport Fishing Regulations Summary 1998-99. Yukon Department of Renewable Resources. Government of the Yukon.
    
    
12. Keeping Fish to Eat. Manitoba 1998 Angler's Guide. Ministry of Natural resources. Government of Manitoba.

s (2000) 34, 386-398 (Accepted 25 April 2000)

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