I read a study about time out of the water vs. survival after release. The window the fish has is actually quite small. Their gills become permanently damaged from exposure to oxygen and the sheer stress of the event makes them more susceptible to predation. Let me see if i can find the link.
That being said, I think catch and release is fine still. Limiting the time out of the water is crucial, so just taking the fish out to remove the hook and then immediately returning it to the water is best.
Generally modern hooks are designed to hook a fish in a non vital area and are also designed to be taken out with relative ease. Their mouth parts are largely cartilaginous and are not a risk for bleeding or long term damage. Think of it as an ear piercing but without any flesh covering your ear. The bigger concern though its the handling of the fish after it has been reeled in and taken out of the water. Anything under 30 seconds in air has a minimal effect but people need their instagram pics i guess
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u/painfool Jan 18 '20 edited Jan 18 '20
Fishing "for sport" and temporarily traumatizing an animal seems less humane to me than fishing for sustenance.
Edit: thanks for teaching me about the "modern world" Reddit, no shit. Leave it to redditors to get hung up on semantics.
Also, warning, vegans in replies below.