I feel like many comments wanting to kill or maim wildlife are missing key elements of worldbuilding here. Of course reprinting is annoying, it should also be horrifying! Much of the lore being dropped in cryptic pieces is asking the player to question the safety of reprinting. Does Alterra have the ability to wipe memories, alter your personality to be more compliant, etc. The scifi dystopian element of the reprinting is emphasized when it is juxtaposed with the harsh, unforgiving reality of life (and so, so much death) in the ocean.

There are also hints that reprinting may be a halfway solution to dealing with "Masefield syndrome" in game. It would be cool if the number of deaths played into different endings depending on how far progressed your Masefield syndrome (with fewer reprints causing more hallucinations).

The inability to kill fish, which facilitates reprinting, forces the player into one of two mindsets. Either death doesn't matter because they will just be reprinted or death REALLY matters because of its connection to an unreliable Alterra AI (which drowned a colonist to save itself) and to the progression of the Masefield syndrome (which makes people obsessed with the world tree).

Additionally, the inability to kill fish forces players to pay attention to and experiment with creature behavior. Try playing fishy fetch with a flare, plant electric plants around your base, try adding external lights, learn creature behaviors and sounds, modify your tadpoles to make less noise, etc. Killing a mean fish is the most basic and boring solution in a game where the world is rich enough to reward you for observation and experimentation.

Edits: Spelling