Not to worry! He was releasing them into a mesh bag held open by a diver so they can use the same fish on next weeks show!
... but seriously, if he was doing that.... it was very irresponsible! I know the reason he did it was so as not to have footage of a bleeding fish. He needs to go back to catching Bluegills and practice his hook removal skills!
Whenever most people look down into the mouth of a deeply hooked fish they think "OMG"! how am I gonna get that hook out??? Especially if the fish has teeth, but it's actually very easy. Lay the fish down on it's side and open up the gills with one hand, this will give a much better view of the hook and is a much shorter reach for the hook. With practice, this method is very effective and the fish can be released with minimal hook damage and blood loss.
Most big fish you see dead on the water or looking very sickly these days are victims of either poor hook removal skills or ingested tackle that has blocked the feeding or digestive tract... some can't be helped (bite and break offs), but some can.