Since the release of the "Ten-Year Fishing Ban on the Yangtze River" document, the issue of recreational fishing has sparked heated discussions among anglers across the country: some believe that traditional fishing is the essence of recreational fishing, while others think that lure fishing has minimal catch and does not pollute the environment. Some older anglers feel that using a surf rod is already recreational...

In short, there is a lack of consensus on the concept of "recreational fishing". No matter what standpoint one takes, other anglers may disagree: why say that lure fishing does not pollute the environment when treble hooks can still snag fish? Why say that pole fishing is recreational when it was originally designed for competition? Why say that traditional fishing is acceptable when using live bait is not allowed...?

In fact, as early as the press conference held by the "Yangtze River Basin Fishery Administration Office", a relatively clear explanation of what constitutes "recreational fishing" was provided. However, no related documents have been issued, nor has there been a specific explanation; only some restrictions on prohibited fishing gear and methods have been made. However, there may be discrepancies in actual law enforcement: some places allow double hooks by default while others do not, some places permit single hooks on surf rods while others do not, and some places consider lure fishing illegal while others encourage it...

Recently, relevant staff from the Chongqing Agricultural and Rural Committee provided a more detailed interpretation of this issue, and it can be said that the vast majority of ordinary anglers recognize these three points (with a small number of those who rely on fishing for a living strongly opposing). Let's take a look at whether this classification is scientifically valid and what it means for us anglers.

The first point refers to fishing without damaging fishery resources.

Many anglers may wonder: how can fishing damage fishery resources? It's those who use electricity or nets that damage fishery resources! Which angler is so powerful that their fishing could damage fishery resources? Even the hundreds of top fishing masters in China cannot achieve that! Most people think this way because their experiences limit their perspectives: they have simply never seen anyone engage in commercial-style fishing!

To be honest, top fishing masters can do it, but they choose not to and cannot do it! As the saying goes, amateurs cannot compete with professionals, and professionals cannot compete with those who fish for a living, who will use any means necessary, including underhanded methods!

Take the "Loach Party", which has been like a street rat in recent years. When it first emerged, it was quite popular, and in Sichuan and several reservoirs, the fish species like the Chinese perch and the sweetfish were on the brink of extinction due to the loach fishing. (Sichuan anglers hate the Loach Party the most, and it is also the region with the strictest management and harshest penalties against them). Even the surviving populations of Chinese perch may take about a decade to recover.

The Loach Party has thoroughly damaged the local fishery resources: for example, in the hometown of the author, it used to be possible to catch Chinese perch in the Li River using lures, although not many, enough to eat. But after the Loach Party came through, you can forget about catching fish there. These loach fishers also move around: coming from neighboring counties, fishing here today and there tomorrow, making it difficult to catch and manage them, living off this.

The second point refers to fishing activities being for leisure and entertainment.

This point is somewhat vague and does not involve specific regulations and standards, as each person's purpose is known only to themselves, making it hard for others to understand. This can lead to a situation where: if I think you are not fishing for leisure, then it is not leisure, which may cause some anglers to panic.

From previous documents, this point can be interpreted as "one rod, one line, one hook", meaning that if you can achieve this, it can be classified as recreational fishing. However, there are no detailed regulations on the quantity of bait or ground bait, so you can still use a lot of bait; being able to catch a lot with one rod, one hook, and one line is also your skill.

The third point is that fishing gear, methods, and catches comply with regulations.

Under the principle of one rod, one line, one hook, there are actually not many options for fishing gear, and in some places, even those with reels are not allowed, making lure fishing, surf fishing, and shore fishing impossible. As for the double hooks that anglers are accustomed to using, the official explanation is currently vague, but it is informally accepted. From the recent law enforcement situations encountered by the author, as long as you are using a hand rod, law enforcement personnel generally will not ask to check your hooks (perhaps management is relatively lax here; otherwise, the Loach Party would not be so rampant).

The fourth point refers to the catches from fishing not being used for trade or profit.

Now, even those who secretly set nets in the Yangtze River Basin rarely sell fish, fearing fines if caught. Moreover, most anglers do not even have enough fish to eat themselves, at most giving some to relatives, friends, and neighbors. Of course, there are times when they catch a lot, but more anglers now choose to release fish and only take a few home to eat. Because giving fish away can be more troublesome: you have to deliver them and prepare them...

This point effectively blocks the path for those who engage in commercial-style fishing; if you cannot sell your fish, you will not continue. If you quietly fish without being discovered, that’s fine, but once discovered, both the commercial fishers and the buyers will face severe penalties. From this year's fishery law enforcement situation, the most serious case of commercial-style fishing (the Loach Party) resulted in a fine of over 6,800 yuan, six months of detention, and the release of 20,000 yuan worth of fish fry.

Currently, commercial-style fishing is also quite competitive: in the past, you could casually catch hundreds or even thousands of pounds, and even fish that weighed less than a pound were not wanted (too low in price), but now even small Chinese perch weighing two or three taels are not spared. In the past, they would accept any loach, but now they can only use small loaches; even if they catch a mix of sizes, many people still cannot break even with a few hundred yuan worth of loaches.