I'm curious about fishing and catch and release only policies in New York city.
I am wondering if catching and releasing the fish is actually a bad thing. Would catching and collecting the fish over time eventually reduce the pollution in the lake providing the removed fish be collected and disposed in some way that would collect the toxins and pollutiantss.
Catch and release may not be a bad thing in a body of water that gets intense pressure. On the other hand it may be a one of those warm and fuzzy things in NYC that seems like the right thing to do and not the best management of the BOW. Complete catch and release can be just as bad as no management whatsoever.
One thing many of us pond owners have found is that fish learn and get harder and harder to catch with Catch and Release.
I'm aware that fish do collect heavy metals and other toxins over time, but seriously doubt they would be effective in removing said metals and toxins. This is especially true if the metals and toxins keep entering the ecosystem.
