Fishing is an ancient practice that dates back to at least the beginning of the UpperPaleolithic period about 40,000 years ago.[4]Isotopic analysis of the remains ofTianyuan man, a 40,000-year-old modern human from eastern Asia, has shown that he regularly consumed freshwater fish.[5][6]Archaeology features such asshell middens,[7] discarded fish bones, andcave paintings show thatseafood was important for survival and consumed in significant quantities. Fishing in Africa is evident very early on in human history.Neanderthals were fishing by about 200,000 BC.[8] People could have developed basketry for fish traps, using spinning and early forms ofknitting to make fishing nets[8] able to catch more fish.[9]
During this period, most people lived ahunter-gatherer lifestyle and were, of necessity, constantly on the move. However, where there are early examples of permanent settlements (though not necessarily permanently occupied) such as those atLepenski Vir, they are almost always associated with fishing as a major source of food.
The Britishdogger was a very early type of sailingtrawler from the 17th century, but the modern fishing trawler was developed in the 19th century, at the English fishing port ofBrixham. By the early 19th century, the fishers at Brixham needed to expand their fishing area further than ever before due to the ongoing depletion of stocks that was occurring in theoverfished waters ofSouth Devon. TheBrixham trawler that evolved there was of a sleek build and had a tallgaff rig, which gave the vessel sufficient speed to make long-distance trips out to the fishing grounds in the ocean. They were also sufficiently robust to be able to tow large trawls in deep water. The great trawling fleet that built up at Brixham earned the village the title of 'Mother of Deep-Sea Fisheries'.[10]
This revolutionary design made large-scale trawling in the ocean possible for the first time, resulting in a massive migration of fishers from the ports in the south of England, to villages further north, such asScarborough,Hull,Grimsby,Harwich andYarmouth, that were points of access to the large fishing grounds in theAtlantic Ocean.[10]
The small village ofGrimsby grew to become the largest fishing port in the world[11] by the mid 19th century. AnAct of Parliament was first obtained in 1796, which authorised the construction of new quays and dredging of the Haven to make it deeper.[12] It was only in 1846, with the tremendous expansion in thefishing industry, that theGrimsby Dock Company was formed. The foundation stone for the Royal Dock was laid byAlbert thePrince consort in 1849. The dock covered 25 acres (10 ha) and was formally opened byQueen Victoria in 1854 as the first modern fishing port.
The elegantBrixham trawler spread across the world, influencing fishing fleets everywhere.[13] By the end of the 19th century, there were over 3,000 fishing trawlers in commission in Britain, with almost 1,000 at Grimsby. These trawlers were sold to fishers around Europe, including from theNetherlands andScandinavia. Twelve trawlers went on to form the nucleus of the German fishing fleet.[14]
The earliest steam-powered fishing boats first appeared in the 1870s and used thetrawl system of fishing as well as lines and drift nets. These were large boats, usually 80–90 feet (24–27 m) in length with a beam of around 20 feet (6 m). They weighed 40–50 tons and travelled at 9–11 knots (17–20 km/h; 10–13 mph). David Allen designed and made the earliest purpose-built fishing vessels inLeith, Scotland in March 1875, when he converted a drifter to steam power. In 1877, he built the firstscrew propelledsteam trawler in the world.[15]
Steam trawlers were introduced atGrimsby andHull in the 1880s. In 1890 it was estimated that there were 20,000 men on the North Sea. The steam drifter was not used in the herring fishery until 1897. The last sailing fishing trawler was built in 1925 in Grimsby. Trawler designs adapted as the way they were powered changed from sail to coal-fired steam byWorld War I todiesel andturbines by the end ofWorld War II.
In 1931, the first powered drum was created by Laurie Jarelainen. The drum was a circular device that was set to the side of the boat and would draw in the nets. SinceWorld War II,radio navigation aids andfish finders have been widely used. The first trawlers fished over the side, rather than over thestern. The first purpose-built stern trawler wasFairtry built in 1953 atAberdeen, Scotland. The ship was much larger than any other trawlers then in operation and inaugurated the era of the 'super trawler'. As the ship pulled its nets over the stern, it could lift out a much greater haul of up to 60 tons.[16] The ship served as a basis for the expansion of 'super trawlers' around the world in the following decades.[16]
The early evolution of fishing as recreation is not clear. For example, there is anecdotal evidence forfly fishing in Japan. However, fly fishing was likely to have been a means of survival, rather than recreation. The earliest English essay on recreational fishing was published in 1496, byDame Juliana Berners, the prioress of the BenedictineSopwell Nunnery. The essay was titledTreatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle,[17] and included detailed information on fishing waters, the construction ofrods and lines, and the use of natural baits and artificial flies.[18]
Recreational fishing took a great leap forward after theEnglish Civil War, where a newly found interest in the activity left its mark on the many books and treatises that were written on the subject at the time.Leonard Mascall in 1589 wroteA booke of Fishing with Hooke and Line along with many others he produced in his life on game and wildlife in England at the time.The Compleat Angler was written byIzaak Walton in 1653 (although Walton continued to add to it for a quarter of a century) and described the fishing in theDerbyshireWye. It was a celebration of the art and spirit of fishing in prose and verse. A second part to the book was added by Walton's friendCharles Cotton.[19]
Charles Kirby designed an improved fishing hook in 1655 that remains relatively unchanged to this day. He went on to invent the Kirby bend, a distinctive hook with an offset point, still commonly used today.[20]
Trading card of the Ustonson company, an early firm specialising in fishing equipment, and holder of aroyal warrant from the 1760s.
The 18th century was mainly an era of consolidation of the techniques developed in the previous century. Running rings began to appear along the fishing rods, which gave anglers greater control over the cast line. The rods themselves were also becoming increasingly sophisticated and specialised for different roles. Jointed rods became common from the middle of the century andbamboo came to be used for the top section of the rod, giving it much greater strength and flexibility.
The industry also became commercialised – rods and tackle were sold at thehaberdashers store. After theGreat Fire of London in 1666, artisans moved toRedditch which became a centre of production of fishing-related products from the 1730s. Onesimus Ustonson established his shop in 1761, and his establishment remained a market leader for the next century. He received aroyal warrant from three successive monarchs starting with KingGeorge IV.[21] He also invented themultiplying winch. The commercialization of the industry came at a time of expanded interest in fishing as a recreational hobby for members of thearistocracy.[22]
The impact of theIndustrial Revolution was first felt in the manufacture of fly lines. Instead of anglers twisting their lines – a laborious and time-consuming process – the new textile spinning machines allowed for a variety of tapered lines to be easily manufactured and marketed.
British fly fishing continued to develop in the 19th century, with the emergence of fly fishing clubs, along with the appearance of several books on the subject of fly tying and fly fishing techniques.
By the mid to late 19th century, expandingleisure opportunities for the middle and lower classes began to have an effect on fly fishing, which steadily grew in mass appeal. The expansion of the railway network in Britain allowed the less affluent for the first time to take weekend trips to the seaside or rivers for fishing. Richerhobbyists ventured further abroad.[23] The large rivers ofNorway replete with large stocks ofsalmon began to attract fishers from England in large numbers in the middle of the century –Jones's guide to Norway, and salmon-fisher's pocket companion, published in 1848, was written by Frederic Tolfrey and was a popular guide to the country.[23]
'Nottingham' and 'Scarborough' reel designs.
Modern reel design had begun in England during the latter part of the 18th century, and the predominant model in use was known as the 'Nottingham reel'. The reel was a wide drum that spooled out freely and was ideal for allowing the bait to drift a long way out with the current. Geared multiplying reels never successfully caught on in Britain, but had more success in the United States, whereGeorge Snyder ofKentucky modified similar models into his bait-casting reel, the first American-made design in 1810.[24]
The material used for the rod itself changed from the heavy woods native to England to lighter and more elastic varieties imported from abroad, especially from South America and theWest Indies.Bamboo rods became the generally favoured option from the mid-19th century, and several strips of the material were cut from the cane, milled into shape, and then glued together to form the light, strong, hexagonal rods with a solid core that were superior to anything that preceded them.George Cotton and his predecessors fished their flies with long rods, and light lines allowing the wind to do most of the work of getting the fly to the fish.[25]
Fishing became a popular recreational activity in the 19th century. Print fromCurrier and Ives.
Tackle design began to improve in the 1880s. The introduction of new woods to the manufacture of fly rods made it possible to cast flies into the wind on silk lines, instead ofhorse hair. These lines allowed for a much greater casting distance. However, these early fly lines proved troublesome as they had to be coated with various dressings to make them float and needed to be taken off the reel and dried every four hours or so to prevent them from becoming waterlogged. Another negative consequence was that it became easy for the much longer line to get into a tangle – this was called a 'tangle' in Britain, and a 'backlash' in the US. This problem spurred the invention of the regulator to evenly spool the line out and prevent tangling.[25]
The American, Charles F. Orvis, designed and distributed a novel reel and fly design in 1874, described by reel historian Jim Brown as the "benchmark of American reel design," and the first fully modern fly reel.[26][27]
Albert Illingworth, 1st Baron Illingworth a textiles magnate, patented the modern form of fixed-spool spinning reel in 1905. When casting Illingworth's reel design, the line was drawn off the leading edge of the spool but was restrained and rewound by a line pickup, a device which orbits around the stationary spool. Because the line did not have to pull against a rotating spool, much lighter lures could be cast than with conventional reels.[25]
The development of inexpensivefiberglass rods, synthetic fly lines, and monofilament leaders in the early 1950s revived the popularity of fly fishing.
A man casting a lure and spinning the reel inKanagawa,Japan.
There are many fishing techniques and tactics for catching fish. The term can also be applied to methods for catching otheraquatic animals such asmolluscs (shellfish,squid, octopus) and edible marineinvertebrates.
Recreational,commercial andartisanal fishers use different techniques, and also, sometimes, the same techniques. Recreational fishers fish for pleasure, sport, or to provide food for themselves, while commercial fishers fish for profit. Artisanal fishers use traditional, low-tech methods, for survival in third-world countries, and as a cultural heritage in other countries. Usually, recreational fishers use angling methods and commercial fishers use netting methods. A modern development is to fish with the assistance of adrone.[28]
Why a fish bites a baited hook or lure involves several factors related to the sensory physiology, behaviour, feeding ecology, and biology of the fish as well as the environment and characteristics of the bait/hook/lure.[29] There is an intricate link between various fishing techniques and knowledge about the fish and their behaviour includingmigration,foraging andhabitat. The effective use of fishing techniques often depends on this additional knowledge.[30] Some fishers followfishing folklores which claim that fish feeding patterns are influenced by the position of the sun and the moon.
Tackle that is attached to the end of a fishing line is collectively calledterminal tackle. These include hooks, sinkers, floats, leader lines,swivels, split rings, and any wires, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners and clevises used to attach spinner blades to fishing lures. People also tend to use dead or livebait fish as another form ofbait.
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used incommercial,artisanal, andrecreational fishing.
According to theFAO, in 2004 there were four million commercial fishing vessels.[31] About 1.3 million of these are decked vessels with enclosed areas. Nearly all of these decked vessels are mechanised, and 40,000 of them are over 100 tons. At the other extreme, two-thirds (1.8 million) of theundecked boats are traditional craft of various types, powered only by sail and oars.[31] These boats are used byartisan fishers.
It is difficult to estimate how manyrecreational fishing boats there are, although the number is high. The term is fluid since some recreational boats may also be used for fishing from time to time. Unlike most commercial fishing vessels, recreational fishing boats are often not dedicated just to fishing. Just about anything that will stay afloat can be called a recreational fishing boat, so long as afisher periodically climbs aboard with the intent to catch a fish. Fish are caught for recreational purposes from boats which range fromdugout canoes,float tubes,kayaks,rafts, stand up paddleboards,pontoon boats and smalldinghies torunabouts,cabin cruisers and cruising yachts to large, hi-tech and luxuriousbig game rigs.[32] Larger boats, purpose-built with recreational fishing in mind, usually have large, opencockpits at thestern, designed for convenient fishing.
Recreational and sport fishing refer to fishing primarily forpleasure or competition. Recreational fishing has conventions, rules, licensing restrictions and laws that limit how fish may be caught; typically, these prohibit the use of nets and the catching of fish with hooks not in the mouth. The most common form of recreational fishing is done with arod,reel,line,hooks and any one of a wide range ofbaits orlures such asartificial flies. The practice of catching or attempting to catch fish with a hook is generally known asangling. In angling, it is sometimes expected or required that fish be returned to the water (catch and release). Recreational or sport fishermen may log their catches or participate in fishing competitions.
The estimated global number of recreational fishers varies from 220 million to a maximum number of 700 million fishers globally,[33] which is thought to be double the number of individuals working as commercial fishers. In the United States alone it was estimated that 50.1 million people engaged in fishing activities in bothsaltwater andfreshwater environments.[34]
Big-game fishing is fishing from boats to catch large open-water species such asswordfish,tuna,sharks, andmarlin. Sportfishing (sometimes game fishing) is recreational fishing where the primary reward is the challenge of finding and catching the fish rather than theculinary or financial value of the fish's flesh. Fish sought after includetarpon,sailfish,mackerel,grouper and many others.
The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking, culturing, processing, preserving, storing, transporting, marketing or selling fish or fish products. It is defined by theFAO as includingrecreational,subsistence andcommercial fishing, and the harvesting,processing, andmarketing sectors.[35] The commercial activity is aimed at the delivery of fish and otherseafood products for human consumption or use asraw material in other industrial processes. In 2022 24% of fishers and fish farmers and 62% of workers in post-harvest sector were women.[36]
There are three principal industry sectors:[note 1]
Thecommercial sector comprises enterprises and individuals associated with wild-catch or aquaculture resources and the various transformations of those resources into products for sale.
Thetraditional sector comprises enterprises and individuals associated with fisheries resources from which aboriginal people derive products following their traditions.
Therecreational sector comprises enterprises and individuals associated with the purpose of recreation, sport or sustenance with fisheries resources from which products are derived that are not for sale.
Commercial fishing is the capture of fish for commercial purposes. Those who practice it must often pursue fish far from the land under adverse conditions. Commercial fishermen harvest a wide range of aquatic species, fromtuna,cod andsalmon toshrimp,krill,lobster,clams,squid andcrab, in variousfisheries for these species. Commercial fishing methods have become very efficient using large nets and sea-going processing factories.Individual fishing quotas and international treaties seek to control the species and quantities caught.
A commercial fishing enterprise may vary from one person with a small boat with hand-casting nets or a few pot traps, to a huge fleet oftrawlers processing tons of fish every day.
According to theFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the total worldcapture fisheries production in 2000 was 86 million tons (FAO 2002). The top producing countries were, in order, the People's Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan), Peru, Japan, the United States, Chile, Indonesia, Russia, India, Thailand, Norway, and Iceland. Those countries accounted for more than half of the world's production; China alone accounted for a third of the world's production. Of that production, over 90% was marine and less than 10% was inland.
A small number of species support the majority of the world's fisheries. Some of these species areherring,cod,sardine,anchovy,tuna,flounder,mullet,squid,shrimp,salmon, crab,lobster,oyster andscallops. All except these last four provided a worldwide catch of well over amilliontonnes in 1999, withherring andsardines together providing a catch of over 22 million metric tons in 1999. Many other species as well are fished in smaller numbers.
Fish farming is the principal form ofaquaculture, while other methods may fall undermariculture. It involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releasesjuvenile fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species' natural population is generally referred to as afish hatchery. Fish species raised by fish farms includesalmon,carp,tilapia,catfish,white seabass andtrout.
Increased demands onwild fisheries bycommercial fishing has caused widespreadoverfishing. Fish farming offers an alternative solution to the increasing market demand for fish.
Fish and fish products areconsumed as food all over the world. With otherseafoods, it provides the world's prime source of high-qualityprotein: 14–16 percent of the animal protein consumed worldwide. Over one billion people rely on fish as their primary source of animal protein.[38]
Fisheries management draws onfisheries science to find ways to protectfishery resources so sustainable exploitation is possible. Modern fisheries management is often referred to as a governmental system of management rules based on defined objectives and a mix of management means to implement the rules, which are put in place by a system ofmonitoring control and surveillance.
Conservation issues are part ofmarine conservation, and are addressed infisheries science programs. There is a growing gap between how many fish are available to be caught and humanity's desire to catch them, a problem that gets worse as theworld population grows.
Similar to otherenvironmental issues, there can be conflict between the fishermen who depend on fishing for their livelihoods andfishery scientists who realise that if future fish populations are to besustainable then some fisheries must limit fishing or cease operations.
Historically, some doubted that fish could experience pain. Laboratory experiments have shown that fish do react to painful stimuli (e.g., injections ofbee venom) in a similar way to mammals.[39][40] This is controversial and has been disputed.[further explanation needed][41] The expansion offish farming as well as animal welfare concerns in society has led to research into more humane and faster ways of killing fish.[42]
In large-scale operations like fish farms, stunning fish with electricity or putting them into water saturated withnitrogen so that they cannot breathe, results in death more rapidly than just taking them out of the water. Forsport fishing, it is recommended that fish be killed soon after catching them by hitting them on the head followed bybleeding out or by stabbing the brain with a sharp object[43] (calledpithing orike jime in Japanese). Some believe it is not cruel if you release the catch back to where it was caught however a study in 2018 states that the hook damages an important part of the feeding mechanism by which the fish sucks in food, ignoring the issue of pain.[44]
When fishing there are high chances of catching other marine wildlife in a fishing net. There are over 100 different fishing regulations on paper for reducing thisbycatch.[45]
Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear includes netting, mono/multifilament lines, hooks, ropes, floats, buoys, sinkers, anchors, metallic materials and fish aggregating devices (FADs) made of non-biodegradable materials such asconcrete,metal andpolymers. It has been estimated that global fishing gear losses each year include 5.7% of all fishing nets, 8.6% of all traps and 29% of all lines used. Abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) can have serious impacts on marine organisms through entanglement and ingestion.[46] The potential for fishing gear to become ALDFG depends on a number of factors including:
Environmental factors are mostly related to seafloor topography and obstructions, although tides, currents, waves, winds, and interaction with wildlife are also important.
Operational losses and operator errors can occur even during normal fishing operations.
Problems such as inadequate fisheries management and regulations that do not include adequate controls can hamper collection of ALDFG (e.g. there may be poor access to collection facilities).
Gear loss resulting from conflicts primarily occurs (intentionally or unintentionally) in areas with high concentrations of fishing activities, leading to gear being towed away, fouled, sabotaged or vandalized. Passive and unattended gear such as pots, set gillnets and traps are particularly prone to conflict damage. In the Arctic, conflicts are the most common reason for lost gear.[46]
Some locations may be regarded as fishing destinations, which anglers visit on vacation or for competitions. The economic impact of fishing by visitors may be a significant, or even primary driver of tourism revenue for some destinations.
A "fishing expedition" is a situation where an interviewer implies they know more than they do to trick their target into divulging more information than they wish to reveal. Other examples of fishing terms that carry a negative connotation are: "fishing for compliments", "to be fooledhook, line and sinker" (to be fooled beyond merely "taking the bait"), and the internet scam ofphishing, in which a third party will duplicate a website where the user would put sensitive information (such as bank codes).
Fishing has had an effect on major religions,[48] including Christianity,[49][50]Hinduism, and the variousnew age[51] religions. Jesus was said to participate in fishing excursions, and a number of themiracles and many parables and stories reported in the Bible involve fish or fishing. Since theApostlePeter[52] was a fisherman, the Catholic Church has adopted the use of thefishermans ring into the Pope's traditionalvestments.
^Alfaro Giner, Carmen (2010)."Fishing nets in the ancient world: the historical and archaeological evidence".Ancient nets and fishing gear: Proceedings of the international workshop on Nets and fishing gear in classical antiquity: A first approach: Cádiz, November 15–17, 2007. - ( Monographs of the Sagena project; 2):55–81.
^abc"fishing".Encyclopedia Britannica. July 2023.Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved21 June 2022.
^Brown, Jim.A Treasury of Reels: The Fishing Reel Collection of The American Museum of Fly Fishing. Manchester, Vermont: The American Museum of Fly Fishing, 1990.
^Schullery, Paul.The Orvis Story: 150 Years of an American Sporting Tradition. Manchester, Vermont, The Orvis Company, Inc., 2006
^Lennox, Robert J; Alós, Josep; Arlinghaus, Robert; Horodysky, Andrij; Klefoth, Thomas; Monk, Christopher T; Cooke, Steven J (2017). "What makes fish vulnerable to capture by hooks? A conceptual framework and a review of key determinants".Fish and Fisheries.18 (5):986–1010.Bibcode:2017AqFF...18..986L.doi:10.1111/faf.12219.ISSN1467-2979.
^Davie, PS; Kopf, RK (August 2006). "Physiology, behaviour and welfare of fish during recreational fishing and after release".New Zealand Veterinary Journal.54 (4):161–172.doi:10.1080/00480169.2006.36690.PMID16915337.S2CID1636511.
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