A Guide to Eco-Friendly Fishing - World Environment Day

World Environment Day is on the 5th June and the theme for 2022 is #OnlyOneEarth which calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet. As part of helping restore ecosystems, the official World Environment Day organisation encourages people to do anything from rewilding our gardens to cleaning up rivers and coasts, which we know we anglers could also benefit from and help with!

World Environment Day makes us anglers consider just how much we appreciate the wildlife and nature around us when fishing. We, here at Angling Direct love nature in all its forms, and we think the changes in seasons can be seen at their best near the waterside.  You can never get tired of the beautiful countryside and the creatures that inhabit it. Anglers derive such enjoyment and stress relief from their surroundings that catching a fish is occasionally thought of as a bonus!

Why is Fishing Good for the Environment

Not only do anglers benefit from spending time at the bankside. Angling provides an opportunity for people to become advocates for the environment while being out there and enjoying themselves. There are numerous ways in which recreational angling participation generates positive impacts on the environment.

Anglers are helping by looking after the aquatic ecosystems. As the ‘eyes and ears’ of waterways, many anglers take great pride in being the first to report any events or negative environmental impacts on fresh and saltwater habitats. Those that fish or are part of angling clubs are also usually involved in monitoring the health of wildlife and invertebrates,  such as participating in fish count events, working with the  Environment  Agency and the Riverfly Partnership to carry out ‘health checks’  on the  Rivers and Lakes as part of the nationwide Riverfly Partnership Angler Monitoring Initiative or participate in [aquatic] surveys. These surveys and monitoring take part in various forms of water management for the benefit of both themselves and the wider environment. Not only do anglers get a sense of personal achievement from carrying out this sort of voluntary work but, as this work is usually carried out in the local area, this benefits the local community as well.

Unfortunately, not all angling is practised in an environmentally responsible way and there is so still so much the fishing community can easily do to help cut down on environmental impacts. In the spirit of World Environment Day, we, here at Angling Direct have decided to put together a guide to help do our bit.
 

Top Tips for Eco-Friendly Fishing

1) Follow Local Byelaws and Fishery Rules

The widespread endorsement and application of catch and release principles by anglers in wild fisheries help to protect livestock. You can further protect fish by following your local bylaws from on .GOV or research the rules of the fishery you plan to use when angling. Often you will find fisheries outline the bait, rig presentation, hooks and more that is banned from the water to protect the welfare and give all anglers a great session of fishing.
When practising eco-friendly fishing such as catch and release, in addition to choosing barbless circle hooks, keep your catch wet and limit the time the fish stays out of the water to increase the chance of survival.

With fish stocks being finite, there are sensible minimum landing sizes, restricted commercial quotas for commercials, bag limits for recreational fishing, and even closed seasons for certain fish and disciplines. Some disciplines such as Sea angling have a slightly different approach as they must make an informed decision about whether to keep a fish for the table or release the catch safely back to the water. Give Fish a Chance is a voluntary guideline for anglers that states the minimal landing sizes for frequently caught sea fish species.

2) Report Poaching and Pollution of Aquatic Wildlife

Since 2015 there are some Water Protection Zones in the UK but there are still many canals and rivers affected by farming and other agricultural disposals causing major damage to fish populations. All anglers can do is notify local Stewards of the water they are fishing from and support Angling Trust, Defra and Fish Legal in their pushing for government discussions of food products and waste that directly affects surrounding wildlife.

As well as reporting any pollution of the nature surrounding the water’s edge, anglers can also work together with organisations such as Angling Trust to face the problem of poaching and over-abstraction or any other issue on a river, still water or canal, etc. Reports of poaching and pollution are important as it helps local and in some cases national issues that impact the environment to be resolved.

3) Cleaning up Litter After a Day’s Fishing

Many recreational anglers are cleaning up litter, not only after themselves but by joining anglers clubs and angling-related organisations in scheduled events of litter removal from waterways and surrounding land. Anglers are growing more conscious of the adverse publicity linked to fishing, cleaning up after themselves with fishing line, unused bait and their own packed lunch. If you change your mentality to leaving the fishing area cleaner than what you found it, it will help the marine ecosystem improve.

4) Improving Recycling Habits

When collecting up your rubbish from a day at the bankside, go one step further and spare a thought of how exactly you will dispose of it. With an old, used fishing line you can save it up and take it to your local Angling Direct store to pop into our line recycling bins.

Read more on How to Recycle Your Fishing Line, here.

Whether you are a freshwater or sea angler, if you find that one of your fishing nets has a huge hole that is somewhat irreparable, consider recycling this too as many items such as clothing, footwear and homeware, even sunglasses can be made out of it!

5) Choosing Environment-Friendly Fishing Gear

Making changes to what angling products you use can help reduce the negative impact on the environment.  One way of achieving this is by switching to reusable, fish-friendly bait such as artificial sweetcorn or lures. Anglers can also opt for a biodegradable monofilament fishing line that breaks down faster yet still has the same performance characteristics as the regular line. Using lead products can be dangerous to fish so consider changing the friendlier materials such as steel, tungsten or tin.

Eco-friendly angling also concerns your choice of hooks. By choosing circle hooks instead of J-hooks you can minimize internal damage, especially when practising catch and release. It is also recommended to look for rigs made of materials like glass beads, to pick knotless nets and when you’re picking out other gear like waders or tackle boxes, look for those made from recycled materials.
 

6) Stop using Plastic Bags when Shopping for Tackle

Angling Direct stores have been plastic carrier bag free since October 2018, being replaced by biodegradable paper bags and hessian bags for life, at a cost of 10p – the paper bags are a small price to pay for the welfare of the fish we love to catch. You can even order environment-friendly Hessian bags from Angling Direct online for future purchases.

7) Consider Plastic-free or Conscious Brands

After discussions with Korda, Angling Direct teamed up with the great fishing supplier to try to reduce the plastic waste on the items that comes through the AD warehouse. By transporting products in tote boxes, Korda is now saving 672m of tape each month, which is as tall as 16,800 Korda Tackle Boxes! Minimising the transit packaging waste is just the start, as we hope more will join to reduce the use of plastic in transits and packaging.

Read more on the Korda Initiative here.  

 
8) Avoid Contamination and Aquatic Hitchhikers

Preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species starts with a cooperative effort by all persons and agencies involved with recreational activities such as anglers.
The general clean, drain, dry, dispose procedure can be used when washing mats, nets, tackle and other fishing equipment. The first step is to clean off visible aquatic plants, animals, and mud from fish care gear and fishing equipment including waders, footwear, ropes, anchors, bait traps, dip nets, downrigger cables, fishing lines, and field gear before leaving water access. It is also a good idea to scrub off any visible material on footwear with a stiff brush. 

If you are using your own fishing boat, remember to clean and rinse boat hulls with high pressure or hot water when possible and rinse the interior compartments of fishing boats with low pressure, hot water when finished with. Then drain the boat motor, bilge, bladder tanks, livewell, portable bait containers and other water-containing devices before leaving water access. When keeping live bait, drain the bait container and replace it with spring or dechlorinated tap water.
Many organisms can survive in standing water so remember to dry everything for at least five days or at least wipe with a towel before reuse, especially when moving between waters.

Finally, the additional step of disposal is also recommended to avoid contaminating waters. By correctly disposing of unwanted bait, worms, and fish parts rather than dumping them into other waters. Together with the three steps of Clean, Drain and Dry greatly minimizes the risk of spreading Aquatic Hitchhikers into new locations. 

9) Teaching Other Anglers and Youth

Getting young anglers involved in such events mentioned above helps to teach the next generation to respect and understand the environment and wildlife where they fish and join environmental projects that benefit the local community. Also sharing volunteering opportunities with friends and family of your local fishery can help.
 

10) Support Charities and Organisations Fight Pollution

Supporting fisheries and related charities and organisations can really make a difference as a collective. Funds help organise events and the resources needed to clean rivers, re-stock waters and tackle poaching and pollution issues! You can help by simply remembering to buy a rod licence before you fish. The small price of a rod licence goes directly back into the Environment Agency’s efforts meaning we are all supporting each other in achieving great quality waters, fishing and the continuance of environmental improvements.

We, here at Team AD also try to do our bit when it comes to waste. Not only have we introduced reusable bags and fishing line recycling bins to our stores but we have also teamed up with Angling Trust to help in their Anglers Against Pollution campaign. If you wish to help with the Angling Trust Pollution campaign, read more here.

Read more on our partnership with Angling Trust, here.
 
We hope these tips can help all of us to work together in protecting the biodiversity of the UK. Whether it's freshwater or saltwater fishing, keep this guide in mind for every trip you take to the water’s edge.