Editing Angling (section)

=== Minimum landing size ===
{{main|Minimum landing size}}
The minimum landing size (MLS) is the smallest [[fish measurement]] at which it is legal for the fisherman to keep a captured fish. The MLS depends on the species of fish, and allowed sizes also vary around the world, as they are legal definitions which are defined by the local regulatory authority.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.fishres.2004.05.011 |title=A modelling approach for assessing short-term catch losses as a consequence of a mesh size increase |date=2004 |last1=Tschernij |first1=Vesa |last2=Suuronen |first2=Petri |last3=Jounela |first3=Pekka |journal=Fisheries Research |volume=69 |issue=3 |pages=399–406 |bibcode=2004FishR..69..399T }}</ref>

The idea behind this limitation is that only the older, more mature adult fish get taken, leaving growing [[juvenile fish|juvenile]]s behind to continue breeding and propagating their species. There is some criticism of this legal requirement, however, as it applies [[artificial selection|artificial]] [[selection pressure]] to the fish population (see [[Fisheries-induced evolution]]) unless the anglers voluntarily practise [[catch and release]] indiscriminate of sizes. As larger fish (whose survival has been more successful so far) get taken out of the population, the genes for larger size are reduced or removed from the [[gene pool]], while fish that mature at a smaller size survive longer to continue breeding, and the average size of fish stock shrinks over time. This has led to a collapse in the amount of catchable fish in some fisheries.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.nature.com/articles/428899a | doi=10.1038/428899a | title=The cod that got away | date=2004 | last1=Hutchings | first1=Jeffrey A. | journal=Nature | volume=428 | issue=6986 | pages=899–900 | url-access=subscription }}</ref>