When anglers reel in a fish, many will hold it up briefly for a photo before releasing it back into the water. This raises the question – does briefly holding a fish out of water hurt it?
Quick Answer
Yes, holding a fish out of water can potentially harm it, especially if done incorrectly or for too long. The key considerations are:
- A fish’s body is designed for life underwater. Out of water, the gills can collapse and suffocate.
- Gravity and handling puts pressure on fish organs not designed to support the fish’s weight.
- The fish’s protective slime coating can wear off from touching hands or surfaces.
- Air exposure and handling causes stress that can interfere with the fish’s recovery.
However, briefly holding a fish for a photo can be okay if done correctly. The goal should be minimizing air time and handling. Have a plan to support the fish’s weight, wet hands, and release immediately. Any longer than 30 seconds can be harmful.
How Does Air Exposure Harm Fish?
Fish have bodies that are anatomically designed to live in water. When held out of water, several physiological problems can occur:
Collapsed Gills
A fish breathes underwater by passing oxygenated water over gills that extract the oxygen. Out of water, the gills can collapse and stick together, preventing oxygen intake. This is similar to a human trying to breathe without air.
Organ Damage from Gravity
On land, fish organs like the heart and liver can get crushed under the fish’s own weight without the buoyancy of water. Handling that squeezes or bends the fish adds more unnatural pressure.
Loss of Protective Slime
Fish skin is covered by a protective mucus layer that prevents infection and disease. Handling fish removes this slime coating, exposing them to dermal infections.
Stress Response
Any air exposure is highly stressful for fish. The physiological stress response diverts energy and interferes with bodily processes like osmoregulation, respiration, digestion, and immunity after release.
Duration of Air Exposure Matters
The severity of harm is directly related to how long a fish is held out of water. Studies measuring mortality rates have found:
| Air Exposure Time | Mortality Rate |
|---|---|
| Less than 30 seconds | Low mortality |
| 2 minutes | 50% mortality |
| 5 minutes | 100% mortality |
As little as 30 seconds begins impairing a fish’s physiology, while just a few minutes is often fatal. The gills can fully collapse within as little as 1-2 minutes without water.
Tips for Safely Holding Fish for Photos
While any air exposure poses risks, a few important practices can reduce harm:
- Use wet hands or a wet rag to hold the fish.
- Support the fish’s weight at the head and belly.
- Keep the fish horizontal, not vertical.
- Take photos quickly, ideally less than 30 seconds.
- Release the fish quickly into deep water.
- Avoid removing fish from water in hot weather.
Following these best practices will minimize the risks. However, they do not eliminate all harm. When possible, take photos with the fish still in the water or use alternate catch-and-release methods.
Conclusion
Handling fish out of water for photos can potentially harm them due to lack of buoyancy support, collapsed gills, loss of protective slime, and physiological stress. However, briefly holding a fish for less than 30 seconds is less likely to cause mortality if done properly with wet hands and horizontal support of weight. Following best practices can reduce harm, but eliminating air exposure entirely is the only way to fully protect fish.