High-tech gear an increasing threat to fish

Ken Ferguson

Recent advancements in sport-fishing technology might entice anglers to open their wallets, but widespread adoption of high-tech gear could pose serious threats to populations of commonly targeted marine and freshwater fish, warn the authors of a new synthesis (Rev Fish Biol Fisher 2021; doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09643-1).

Drones, futuristic echo sounders, electronic lures, composite rods, and bioengineered scents are just a few of the many innovations now available to recreational anglers that aid in locating, luring, and landing fish; even the humble hook has been modernized with new designs and materials. “These technologies can be used in ways that increase the efficiency of anglers, which may elevate the potential for overexploitation or release mortality”, says Steven Cooke, a fish ecologist at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) and primary author of the paper. “Essentially, they have the potential to make all fish findable and catchable, and the incremental effect of these advances will start to add up.”

Although sophisticated equipment can also have practical applications in fisheries research and monitoring, development of science-based management strategies to address the potential impacts of evolving technologies tends to lag far behind the spread of newfangled fishing gear. “Managers are always playing catch up, given limited resources and the range of issues and conflicts that require their attention”, notes Cooke. “Fishing tech moves quickly and is initially embraced by fishing professionals, who are sponsored by the manufacturers of the tech, and then the masses quickly follow.”

In light of the extensive variety of innovations, effective regulation would most likely need to consist of both top-down (such as federal or state restrictions on drone use) and bottom-up (fishing tournament organizers banning the use of certain types of equipment, for instance) approaches to ensure that sport fishing remains sustainable even as catch efficiency improves.

“Our main goal was to alert fisheries managers to the emerging technologies and how they are being embraced by anglers”, Cooke explains. “The idea is to get managers and the angling community to think proactively about what these advancements mean and what to do about it, as it is up to the angling community – and society more broadly – to make decisions about when technology has crossed a line that we don’t want to cross.”

Recreational fishing gear has come a long way from its modest origins.

T Cornell/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

中文翻译：

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派遣

高科技设备对鱼类的威胁越来越大

肯·弗格森

一项新合成的作者警告说，运动钓鱼技术的最新进展可能会吸引垂钓者打开钱包，但高科技装备的广泛采用可能会对共同目标的海洋和淡水鱼类种群构成严重威胁（Rev Fish Biol Fisher 2021 ; doi.org/10.1007/s11160-021-09643-1)。

无人机、未来派回声测深仪、电子诱饵、复合钓竿和生物工程气味只是休闲垂钓者现在可以使用的众多创新中的一小部分，这些创新有助于定位、引诱和降落鱼类；即使是不起眼的挂钩也采用了新的设计和材料进行了现代化改造。“这些技术可以用来提高垂钓者的效率，这可能会增加过度捕捞或释放死亡率的可能性，”卡尔顿大学（加拿大渥太华）的鱼类生态学家、该论文的主要作者史蒂文库克说。“从本质上讲，它们有可能使所有鱼类都可以找到和捕获，并且这些进步的增量效应将开始累积。”

虽然先进的设备也可以在渔业研究和监测中得到实际应用，但为解决不断发展的技术的潜在影响而制定的以科学为基础的管理战略往往远远落后于新型渔具的普及。“鉴于资源有限以及需要他们注意的问题和冲突的范围，管理人员总是在追赶，”库克指出。“捕鱼技术发展迅速，最初受到由技术制造商赞助的捕鱼专业人士的欢迎，然后大众迅速跟进。”

鉴于创新种类繁多，有效的监管很可能需要包括自上而下（例如联邦或州对无人机使用的限制）和自下而上（钓鱼比赛组织者禁止使用某些类型的设备，例如）确保运动钓鱼保持可持续性的方法，即使捕捞效率提高。

“我们的主要目标是提醒渔业管理人员注意新兴技术以及垂钓者如何接受这些技术”，Cooke 解释说。“这个想法是让管理人员和钓鱼社区积极思考这些进步意味着什么以及如何处理它，因为这取决于钓鱼社区 - 以及更广泛的社会 - 决定技术何时越过界限我们不想穿越。”

休闲渔具已经从其朴素的起源走了很长一段路。

T康奈尔/维基共享资源（CC BY-SA 4.0）