Catch-and-release is on the rise, but large fish remain vulnerable

Abstract Catch and release (C&R) is widely promoted to reduce harvest mortality and support sustainable recreational fisheries. However, understanding its ecological, social, and management implications remains limited by the lack of large-scale, long-term data sets revealing whether C&R practices differ among species and change over time. We analyzed over 1 million caught fish (2011–2024) across 39 species and 1,286 Swedish inland fisheries, reported via the online license platform iFiske AB. The prevalence of C&R increased from ∼53% to 71% during 2011–2024, though trajectories and magnitudes differed among species. Size-specific analyses showed that longer individuals were released less frequently than shorter conspecifics for four of the six main target species (Northern Pike Esox lucius, European Perch Perca fluviatilis, Zander Sander lucioperca, European Grayling Thymallus thymallus, Brown Trout Salmo trutta, and Arctic Char Salvelinus alpinus). Overall, our findings indicate that recreational fisheries are shifting towards lower exploitation rates. Nevertheless, the lower release rates of large individuals, critical for recruitment and ecosystem functioning, highlight an important demographic and management concern. These insights are essential for assessing the sustainability of recreational fishing and for guiding management strategies that balance harvest opportunities with long-term population viability, while emphasising angler education to ensure responsible release practices.