Christine completed her undergraduate degree in environmental science at the Carleton University (Apr 2006). She finished her honour thesis in 06 while working with Dr. Steven Cooke. The details of her proposal can be reviewed below. Christine was the first graduate from the Cooke Lab.
Thesis Summary
Do catch-and-release guidelines from state and provincial fisheries agencies conform to scientifically-based best practices?
Many recreational anglers practice catch-and-release (C-&-R), where fish are returned to the water with the presumption that they will survive. However, not all fish survive and those that do often experience significant sublethal consequences. There is compelling scientific evidence that angler behaviour and gear choice can affect the success of C-&-R as a management and conservation strategy. Because anglers often look to government natural resource agencies for guidance on how to handle and release fish properly, there is a need to assess whether their outreach materials provide the necessary information on the subject. Therefore, we evaluated the on-line C-&-R guidelines, developed by state and provincial natural resource agencies across North America, to determine whether their guidelines were consistent with the best available scientific information. We found that there is immense variation in the depth and breadth of coverage among jurisdictions. Agency guidelines contradict one another in several areas including air exposure, hook type, and resuscitation. In many cases, the guidelines failed to provide sufficient direction to actually be of use to anglers or provide direction consistent with contemporary scientific literature. This analysis will assist in developing consistent outreach materials that promote sustainable recreational fisheries and that maintain the welfare status of individual fish.
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