If you want to get a good discussion going with a group of anglers, just bring up the subject of the survival rate of fish hooked-and-released in the recreational fishery; opinions will vary from none of them to all and everywhere in between.
The fact is, however, that release mortality rates vary considerably depending on the type of gear used, the location of the fishery, and sometimes, the species. Numerous studies, many carried out here in British Columbia, have provided actual survival rates for caught-and-released fish from the recreational fishery.