"Alright, Xiao Li, you go first." Li Xiaopeng nodded excitedly and courteously stepped aside to let Xiao Li take his turn.
"Uh, Mr. Lin Yang, do you mean to release this big fish?"
Upon hearing Lin Yang’s words, Xiao Li was somewhat baffled, as the dogfish, regardless of size, were not protected species. This one was large and rare, yet Lin Yang was preparing to let it go.
"Yes, let it go. Let’s take a photo together."
"Okay then."
Although Xiao Li couldn’t understand, he still crouched and moved forward a few steps, lifted the fish for a photo as Lin Yang suggested, and quickly returned to his position at the helm.
After Li Xiaopeng and Yue’er had sequentially taken photos with the big fish, Lin Yang directly picked up the fish, squatted down, slowly opened the fish controller, held the fish’s tail for a few seconds, and then let go. The sizable dogfish, which had been difficult to catch, quickly disappeared beneath the surface of the water.
"Alright, the release is complete. That series of actions just now really tired me out. Let’s rest for a while." He put away his gear and then sat down on the cabin floor.
Xiao Li wisely fetched a bottle of Yibao and handed it to Lin Yang, asking curiously, "Lin Yang, I have a question that I can’t figure out, may I ask while you’re resting?"
Lin Yang responded with a hearty smile, "What’s the question? Don’t be so formal."
"Well, considering that the dogfish, as large as it was, must be extremely rare in Dongting Lake, we caught many fish earlier, some we ate, some used as bait; it seemed you didn’t have any regrets. Why, then, did you so easily release this largest and most valuable one?" Xiao Li spilled out the questions that puzzled him.
It’s no wonder he asked this; Lin Yang had always struck him as a professional angler whose catch was his prey, except where prohibited by law, he hadn’t seen Lin Yang show much mercy.
Seeing this scene naturally made a huge impression on him.
"Uh, is that what you wanted to ask?"
"Yes, I’m quite curious. I am preparing my graduation thesis, and I feel like your actions must have deeper reasons. Maybe if I explore this point, the main theme of my thesis could be enhanced!"
"Well, before I answer your question, let me first ask you one. What do you think the fishing community looks like in society today?" Lin Yang did not respond directly but instead posed a counter-question.
"Uh, I suppose that anglers are generally people with money and leisure, without much stress in life. To the average person, isn’t fishing just an outdoor leisure activity?"
"Right, your summary is quite accurate. Given your understanding, my answer should be easy to comprehend. For most anglers, fishing has moved beyond the primary level of livelihood and sustenance, and has become more of an adult recreation and leisure activity; bluntly put, it’s for fun."
"Since it’s for fun, the handling of the catch doesn’t involve much utilitarianism anymore. Nowadays, none of us lack a piece of meat to eat, and as far as I know, many anglers don’t even eat fish. More ambitious anglers expend significant resources, manpower, and effort to fish just for the thrill of addressing and solving problems, to wrestle with nature and fish. You saw how exhilarating it was when I hooked the fish. This excitement is like running or exercising, maybe even more addicting."
"In this context, these pleasures are the most precious wealth. By comparison, the value of the catch becomes secondary. Once you’ve experienced that thrilling moment, the value of the fish doesn’t matter much anymore, which makes releasing the hard-earned catch back into the water understandable. As for why I would willingly release such a rare large dogfish, it starts with a protective mindset. Large, precious fish species are rare in nature, and now that I’ve experienced what I wanted, why not let it go? Additionally, from a genetic perspective, the reason these big fish grow is due to nature’s process of natural selection."
"Fish, like humans, have different temperaments and natures; some are bolder, others more cautious and careful. The bold ones are eliminated by predators, leaving the cautious ones behind. From the perspective of species survival, these genes are of higher quality. Now, by catching and releasing, I allow these precious genetic samples to continue. For instance, it’s easy to find a four or five-pound dogfish; I can catch one in a few minutes. So why bother eating a 30-pound dogfish? Do you understand what I’m saying now?"
Lin Yang explained non-stop to Xiao Li, while Li Xiaopeng and Yue’er listened, blinking non-stop, their minds boggled.
Truth be told, he also felt somewhat reluctant to just let it go; such a large dogfish was indeed rare. If it had been elsewhere, Lin Yang might have sold it for some money, but here in this protected area of Dongting Lake where other vehicles could not enter, their only options were to eat it or release it.
As mentioned before, such a large dogfish isn’t much tastier than the smaller ones; releasing it was better than eating it.
Xiao Li was stunned for a while before he nodded and replied, "Uh, I see, so that’s the reason. It’s really different from what I initially thought. I’ve learned something."