Post‐release survival of recreationally caught snapper, <i>Pagrus auratus</i>, in Port Phillip Bay, south‐eastern Australia

Abstract

Abstract Snapper, Pagrus auratus (Forester), is an important recreational species in marine waters of Victoria, Australia. This study estimated survival for compulsorily released undersized P. auratus by holding fish in cages and tanks for 3 days. In all, 620 P. auratus caught by angling were assessed for post‐release survival and 200 additional fish were used as controls. The survival rate was greater for shallow‐hooked (97%) than deep‐hooked (48%) P. auratus . Post‐mortems showed that hooking injuries to the throat and/or gill area caused most deaths, while piercing of the heart also caused mortalities. Removing deeply ingested hooks decreased survival. To estimate survival of P. auratus across the Victorian fishery, this study’s results should be combined with estimates of shallow‐hooking rates in the fishery. Shallow‐hooking rate estimates would quantify the impact of the low survival rate found for deep‐hooked fish.