Bowfishing shoot and release: High short-term mortality of nongame fishes and its management implications

ObjectiveAlthough bowfishing is legal in all 50 states in the USA, the practice of releasing shot fish is only legal in 8 states. An argument favoring this practice has been that survival of fish after shoot-and-release fishing is high. Bowfishing mortality trials were conducted in 2021-2022 in Lake Texoma, Oklahoma, to quantify shoot-and-release mortality and characterize the mortality via the location of the wound associated with the release of fish shot by bowfishing.MethodsA total of 240 nongame fish were shot by experienced bowfishers with conventional bowfishing equipment and held in convalescent pools, with control fish captured by electrofishing to document short-term mortality up to 5 days.ResultOverall mortality of bowfished fish was 87% versus 0% for control fish. Fish shot in critical areas (head, internal organs, or spine; 78% of total) suffered 96% mortality, whereas fish shot in noncritical areas (dorsal musculature, tail, or fins) experienced 52% mortality. In addition, 13.7% of fish shot were not successfully retrieved. Shot fish were generally older (mean = 19.4 years, range = 3-54) and contained more females (62%) than control fish (mean = 12.5 years, range = 2-39; 37% female), providing evidence that bowfishing can remove individuals of great recruitment value. The shoot-and-release mortality rates in this study, for fish shot in both critical and noncritical areas, exceeded mortality from a wide range of angler catch and release in other studies.ConclusionThe high mortality rate associated with shoot and release observed in this study and as practiced by recreational bowfisheries renders shoot and release inconsistent with scientifically regulated and sustainable bowfisheries for native nongame species. These results provide evidence that the bow and arrow, when aimed at animals, is a weapon that is intended to kill. Bowfishing should realistically be managed as a 100% consumptive (i.e., kill) pursuit in which shoot and release is prohibited and nonretrieval of shot fish is accounted for. Bowfishing is increasing in popularity and is legal in all states in the USA. Based on this short-term study, fish shot with bow and arrow experience high mortality when released. Therefore, bowfishing should be managed as a consumptive pursuit and releasing shot fish should be prohibited.Impact statement