Barbless or Not?
If you search internet, the latest findings are quite simple: when people have a hook set which is barbed, they land the fish quicker. Without a barb, it takes more time and sometimes patience (which many time leads to increased fish mortality as they get too played out) to get your catch in. With any law, there is often an unintended consequence. This is why all the latest studies show no statistical difference in fish death between barbless and barbed hooks. I really don't personally care as I have fished barbless for years with salmon, but my two cents is this is just another tax on fisherman and has nothing to do with protecting our fishery. Imagine a province where it is legal to sell drugs but illegal to use them? Makes no sense but this is what we have in Alberta. Why not mandate that the stores selling fishing equipment only sell barbless? Because it cuts into F&W profits.
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