Recreational Vs. Commercial Fishing

When most people think of fishing, they imagine someone sitting on the bank of a river with a pole in their hand. However, there is more to fishing than that. There are two types of fishing: recreational and commercial. Recreational fishing is done for pleasure, while commercial fishing is done to make a profit. In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between recreational and commercial fishing. We will also look at the legal limits on fish, and how techniques vary between recreational and commercial fishermen.

Recreational Fishing

Recreational fishing is an activity dedicated for enjoyment, and as such, is subject to different laws and regulations than commercial fishing. For example, recreational fishermen are typically only allowed to keep a certain number of fish per day. These regulations are put in place to maintain the delicate balance of our world’s fisheries. Overfishing can lead to terrible devastation in fish populations, which has overarching effects on the ecological balance of the oceans and rivers. While many people think that overfishing is strictly due to large trawlers hauling in boatloads of fish, this is not the case. Recreational fishing also has a severe impact on fish populations, which is why recreational fishermen in many states are required to have a license in order to fish. Licenses are important to ensure anglers know their responsibilities as custodians of the seas and practice proper fishing techniques.

In terms of actually catching fish, recreational fishermen typically use baited hooks and lures. The age old set up of rod, reel, line, and hook are a tried and true method of catching fish. Many techniques have developed over the years, but usually using this equipment. From fly fishing to kite fishing, new technologies have added a spin to the old line and lure, but the practice remains relatively similar.

Commercial Fishing

Commercial fishing is the taking of fish and other seafood to make a monetary profit. In most cases, commercial fishing involves catching fish in large quantities from the wild. It can be done from the shore or from a boat, and almost all the fish are sold to various vendors and markets. Commercial fishing is very important to the global economy and food security. Fish feed millions of people around the world, and commercial fishermen provide that important food source in droves.

Just like recreation fishing, commercial fishermen must have a commercial fishing license in order to fish in the United States. This license is more difficult to acquire than a recreational fishing license because the ramifications of overfishing are more prevalent when hauling in thousands of fish a day. These licenses are important because commercial fishermen need to understand the power they wield. The regulations on commercial fishing vary depending on the state in which you are fishing as well as the type of fish you are trying to catch. Again, these regulations are in place to keep fish populations sustainable. Hopefully, the oceans provide us with food for many more years to come.

There are many different commercial fishing techniques that fishermen use to catch fish. Some of these techniques include trawling, seining, gillnetting, longlining, and dredging. All these techniques pull up fish in mass quantities, unlike recreational fishing techniques.