Is catch and release fishing permitted? I've heard different opinions on this matter. Whats the official halacha?
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1Why wOuld it be forbidden?– Baal Shemot TovotCommented Apr 9, 2012 at 1:26
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3@Vram Maybe tzaar baalei chayim? There's a noda' beyehuda on the topic I need to track down.– Double AA ♦Commented Apr 9, 2012 at 1:56
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1@DoubleAA, the NB permits (hunting) because of tzaar baalei chaim since it has human purpose, but calls it achzarios and bad for the midos.– YDKCommented Apr 9, 2012 at 3:54
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2possible duplicate of Tzar Balay Chaim for Fish– simchastorahCommented Apr 11, 2012 at 0:09
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1Hello oriole4008, (a slightly belated, yet warm) welcome to Judaism.SE, and thank you for this excellent question! I hope to see you around the site!– HodofHodCommented Apr 17, 2012 at 0:52
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3 Answers
There are a number of opinions that state that catch and release is forbidden halachically on account of צער בעלי חיים - causing the animal pain.
For example, according to the Rav Menashe Klein, Zt"l - Mishneh Halachot - Choshen Mishpat - Chelek 12, Siman 432, it is asur (forbidden) to fish for sport if the fish will not be used for food, and even if the fish is released and survives, hooking the fish's mouth is asur because it inflicts tza'ar (pain):
The following internet sources also maintain that catch and release is forbidden:
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Toras EMES 613, welcome to Judaism.SE, and thanks very much for these sources! I look forward to seeing you around.– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Apr 11, 2012 at 3:56
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I added an extra resource. Interesting halacha. I saw a youtube video showing a boat catching and releasing bonito and grouper in FL. Groupers are huge tough fish and you need a huge hook to catch them. You could clearly see the fish's mouth was slightly punctured by the hook as they released it. There's a reason why the fish fight hard!– DanFCommented May 10, 2017 at 16:17
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1Similarly, R. Eliezer Melamed forbids it ph.yhb.org.il/17-15-06– yakzoCommented Aug 2, 2018 at 1:46
Rav Moshe Feinstein has a great responsa in which he says that if it gives you pleasure you may hunt. Fish are generally considered to be lower life forms in that we grant fish fewer halakhic protections (for example eiver min ha'hai does not apply to fish). Though Rav Moshe does say in his responsa that it is not something that he thins is great to do it is not assur. Based on that I would say that in the case of fishing where the fish is not permanently hurt and that fish are generally afforded fewer protections it would certainly be permissible.
My sense is that Rav Moshe would not feel that C&R fishing would be considered unadvisable as he says hunting mammals is.
שו"ת אגרות משה חושן משפט חלק ב סימן מז
כי כל דבר שהוא לצורך האדם ליכא איסור צער בע"ח =בעלי חיים= דהא התירה התורה שחיטה ולא רק לאכילת ישראל אלא אף לאכילת נכרים מותר לשחוט, ואף לכבוד דאדם בעלמא
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4@oriole4008 Please remember that this website does not provide a substitute to qualified rabbinic advice, and you should check with your local rabbi before acting on anything you see here.– Double AA ♦Commented Apr 9, 2012 at 4:09
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3In the teshuvah of Rav Moshe that you quote, Rav Moshe is NOT saying that hunting is permissible for pleasure. Look at the teshuvah - it is talking about killing PESTS, not hunting. Furthermore, לכבוד האדם does not mean "for pleasure". It means that you are permitted to kill pests even if they are not posing a danger, so long as they are a nuisance to people. Additionally, Rav Moshe advises people to kill pests by setting traps, rather than directly so they won't be imbued with a spirit of cruelty. Commented Apr 10, 2012 at 19:05
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2Setting aside the specific question of "catch and release" of fish, it's unwarranted to infer that Rav Moshe permitted killing animals in general for sport or pleasure. The concept of לצורך האדם refers to a tangible benefit, which is why you need an additional source (from פריקה) to teach you about לכבוד האדם. Pleasure is not a tangible human benefit, and לכבוד האדם, within the context of the teshuvah, refers to the removal of a nuisance. Commented Apr 10, 2012 at 22:48
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2LeTzorech Ha'Adam must refer to adding pleasure of some sort and lechvod h'adam the prevention of some pain. This is the case because the example R Moshe uses is about adding pleasure ie shechita for nochrim as aposed to avoiding some pain to a person. Either way it is clear that R Moshe is against hunting even if he did not say assur. Commented Apr 10, 2012 at 23:20
HaRav Yitzchak Yosef Shelit"a holds it is asur to fish simply for pleasure. If I remember correctly, it is because of Saar Bale Hayim
