Data and code for: Catch-and-release is on the rise, but large fish remain vulnerable

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 datasets revealing whether
C&R practices differ among species and change over time. We
analysed over one million caught fish (2011–2024) across 39 species and 1
286 Swedish inland fisheries, reported via the online licence 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, European perch, zander, European grayling, brown
trout, and Arctic char). Our findings indicate that recreational fisheries
are shifting towards lower exploitation rates, but also highlights a
size-dependent concern regarding the harvest of long individuals that are
critical for recruitment and ecosystem functioning, are harvested more
frequently. 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.