Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 744 is my conversation with Nick Haddad of Return 'Em Right, the program leading the fight against catch-and-release mortality from barotrauma in the Gulf of Mexico. Nick explains what barotrauma actually is, why a snapper or grouper hauled up from 200 feet can swim off and still die, how a weighted descending device recompresses the swim bladder and reverses the injury, and how anglers can get one of those devices for free.
Listen now: Megaphone · Spotify · YouTube.
Nick Haddad is the Sustainable Fisheries Communications Manager for Return 'Em Right, a program working to improve reef fish survival in the Gulf of Mexico. His work focuses on equipping anglers with the knowledge and gear to release reef fish successfully and reduce catch-and-release mortality caused by barotrauma.
Barotrauma is the injury caused when a fish is brought up too fast from deep water. A fish caught at around 200 feet goes from roughly six atmospheres of pressure to one atmosphere at the surface, which causes the gas in its swim bladder to expand. That leads to bulging eyes, an inverted stomach, and internal damage you cannot see. Many fish die from it even if they appear to swim away.
A descending device is a weighted tool that holds the fish and is sent back down on your fishing line. As the fish returns to depth, the gas in its swim bladder recompresses, which reverses many of the injuries that looked severe at the surface. It requires no special training and dramatically improves survival rates compared to a standard surface release.
Return 'Em Right distributes free descending devices to anglers. Nick explains how to request one through the program and how fishing clubs and charter captains also help get devices into anglers' hands. The goal is to remove cost as a barrier so more fish survive release.
No. Nick describes the program's broader vision, including outreach to commercial operations where discard mortality happens at scale, work with partners and fishing organizations, and ongoing education so descending devices become as common on a boat as a fishing rod.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 744 with Nick Haddad is available on Megaphone, Spotify, YouTube, and the Tom Rowland Podcast feed. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
I wanted Nick on the show because I have spent years fishing deep water and I have seen exactly what he is talking about. You bring a snapper or grouper up from 150 or 200 feet, its eyes are bulging and its stomach is coming out of its mouth, and even when you release it you know something is wrong. For a long time I assumed catch and release was enough. Nick makes the case that without getting those fish back down to depth, a lot of them are dying anyway, and he has a simple fix. I wanted every offshore angler to hear it.
Press play in the player above to hear it.
Nick walks through the hidden mortality problem most anglers never see. A fish can swim off looking fine and still be mortally injured from the pressure change on the way up. He gets specific about the depths where barotrauma becomes serious and why a clean-looking release is not the same as a successful one. Hear him explain it in the episode.
The solution sounds almost too easy. Nick breaks down the science of why returning a fish to depth recompresses the swim bladder gas and undoes injuries that looked fatal at the surface. He describes how fast you need to act and how far down the fish needs to go. Listen to that section of the conversation.
Return 'Em Right is giving these devices away, and Nick lays out how to actually get one in your hands. He explains the program's distribution through its website, fishing clubs, and charter captains, and why removing the cost barrier is central to the mission. Press play in the YouTube player above.
Nick shares where the program is headed, from commercial fishing outreach to partnerships and education aimed at making descending devices standard equipment. It is an ambitious plan with real conservation stakes. Worth hearing in full.
Listen to the full conversation: Megaphone · Spotify · YouTube.
This one hit home for me because conservation on the water is not abstract when you have personally watched fish struggle at the surface. Nick is not asking anyone to stop fishing. He is asking us to be a little more thoughtful and to use a tool that actually works.
The fact that Return 'Em Right gives the devices away removes the last excuse not to have one on the boat. If you fish offshore or target reef species, this is a no-brainer.
Press play in the player above, or grab Episode 744 on Megaphone or Spotify.
Nick Haddad · Return 'Em Right · Gulf of Mexico · Tom Rowland (host)
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Nick Haddad is the Sustainable Fisheries Communications Manager for Return 'Em Right, a program that is a leading voice for tackling catch-and-release mortality due to barotrauma in the Gulf of Mexico. The program's mission is to improve reef fish survival by equipping anglers with the knowledge and gear to release reef fish confidently and successfully, including the free distribution of descending devices and broad education on how pressure injuries affect deep-water species.
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