Killing billfish
Submitted by Yewiefish85 on Tue, 2011-03-08 10:53
Hi guys, don't want to start arguments here but was wondering if anybody knows what becomes of the carcass of large ("Grander") marlin that have been killed and weighed?, do they get eaten?, used for crab bait? or just dumped? also large sharks? again, don't want to start arguments about killing billfish but am just curious
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Depends largely on the area
Depends largely on the area they are caught in, I would think. In Hawaii, most gamefishing boats sell anything they keep as far as I can understand. For some places like Mexico, I find it hard to imagine it wouldnt be completely utilised. Same with fish in some of the pacific islands. Not sure about other places. I suspect for once offs they're eaten, but it makes you wonder about the big non-tag billfish tournaments where they have dozens of them?
As for sharks, I suspect they just get dumped in most places :S (I wonder if anyone can confirm about that tiger shark recently)
crasny1
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Was that the dampier Classic one??
Neels
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hlokk
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I meant the one at the ammo
I meant the one at the ammo jetty or woodies or wherever it was. There was a rumour that it was just dumped over the side (after attempting to remove the jaws) but I wasnt sure if it was confirmed or not. Would be interesting to know about ones in comps too.
Its one thing to take in a fish that couldnt be revived and do the best you can with utilising it, but another to kill a fish without being able to (or willing to) utilise it. As far as I understand, marlin are quite quick growing, especially compared to demersals like dhufish, so as long as they're not threatened with the current bag limits, then if you're taking one and utilising it, then there cant really be anything too wrong with it (objectively).
Some people say its just the same as taking a dhuie, but i'm sure people would also kick up a stink if say a 20kg dhuie was kept at a prize then binned without actually using it. So, in a lot of cases, I dont think its hypocritical to complain about killing billfish by someone who takes dhuies because at the end of the day theres a difference IMO if the fish is fully used compared to killed and wasted.
Would be interesting to know exactly what happens after a lot of comps. Hopefully someone will be able to shed some light. At least with marlin, theres an overwhelming trend towards to tagging rather than keeping them. Just gotta wait until other comps catch up (the fishwrecked one is a great way to do it!).
Brucesta
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I was in Coral Bay one day
I was in Coral Bay one day and word got out that a 200lb fish couldn't be revived so it was brought back in and then there was a comp for how many spring rolls it'd make so i'm guessing in that instatce the small black marlin was eaten and not wasted. 1000lbs i have no idea, can't imagine they'd taste nice at that size
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crasny1
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I think from memory
Only good for the Bad neighbour or at a stretch your cat!!!
Taste pretty dry and flaky. Also as a top predator Mercury comes into the equation, and you dont want Xs Hg in the system.
Neels
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hlokk
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Having 10kg of dhuie is
Having 10kg of dhuie is certainly going to be better for you than 10kg of marlin. I would imagine on a 100kg fish you would get somewhere between 50-60kg of meat at a minimum? Thats a lot of meat, and it'd have to be shared around small amounts for a lot of people rather than large amounts for a few I would imagine? (obviously you can freeze it to last a while).
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
I imagine some would end up
I imagine some would end up like some big Samsons i have seen caught at Game Fishing Comps down south.
In the bin, or at the local landfill.
Sad but true.
crasny1
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Hlokk
The big tiger up here was caught in the classic, and karked it in the battle. So the crew had no choice but to bring it in. I am sure it ended up dumped because no-one would eat it.
I am sure some other locals have more info.
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
deepwater
Posts: 1921
Date Joined: 09/05/07
Killing billfish
it think hlokk hit the nait on the head i depends on where you are,i know people up here in Exxy that get one or 2 a year and eat then {smoke them i think }only small ones tho 15/25 kg
not sure on the sharks tho ,i would gues the dump or back over the side the next day !!!!
jeff
hlokk
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Jeff, I think if people are
Jeff, I think if people are doing that, its quite acceptable to me. If you deliberately take one, but you actually eat it, then I dont have any problems with that myself (as long as its safe amount re mercury, but i'm sure the little ones arent as much of a problem). If you accidentally kill one, then I guess you can only do the best you can.
Neels, I that case, it wasnt really their choice to kill it. Completely different scenario with the one down here where as far as I understand, they hacked it up, then heaved it off the jetty, rather than attempting to release it (same goes with a few ray reports). Even heaving it off the jetty with no other support would have been better, as long as they werent trying to kill it (somewhat understandable not wading in the water and swimming it off, lol).
I think someone on here has it on their signature: "If you're not going to eat it, put it back where you got it".
crasny1
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No and I ppersonally didnt mind that story
with the tiger, but some folk still went nuts as is their right. Thats just bloody sad about the woody one. Killing for the sake off it is exactly that - Killing. And please dont go down the tree hugger/greeny pathway, its far from where I am.
Neels
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Paul G
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My first died after the fight
My first died after the fight but we feed the caravan park with it and it was as good as most the fish we caught on the trip.
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Tony Halliday
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just watch Swords on Foxtel
just watch Swords on Foxtel Discovery and you can see the market for Swordfish and Marlin on the dinner table at USA Eateries and Europe etc.
so eating fish is good, but when you can tag and release, thats better.
Waste for trophy sake is not on in my books.
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tailor marc
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The sailfish i hooked back in
The sailfish i hooked back in the 90's was totally stuffed by the time we got it close. Back then though no one did or knew about C&R and didnt bother anyone.
Looking back on the pics i bloody with i could of set it free unharmed.
We did eat the lot, didnt taste to good but we didnt want it to go to waste
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cityboy
Posts: 80
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billfish
never had the priv to get a bill yet but can say in our comps all sharks are turned into nice fish bites by catcher or by someone (ME) willing to eat them ;-) P/S you take it you should eat it.
........enjoy the day lets go fishing........
cuthbad
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up to about what size sharks?
up to about what size sharks, not worried about mercury content etc?
is this rockingham club comps?
tommyqueenfish
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i just recently bought alot
i just recently bought alot of old modern fishing mags for $1 and in an old one (will post year and month later) There is an artical where if you accidentally kill the fish in the exitement people fiberglass them for about $100-$110, it looks pretty cool, If I ever catch a 1 and a half meter marlin I might fiberglass it
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mako magic
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at $100-$110 to mould it, i
at $100-$110 to mould it, i weould be thinking the edition is 1960's or something LOL, but yeah atleast if its killed it doesnt go to wate, ive eaten marlin to 140kg and tastes superb, would personally prefer that than dhuie to be honest
hlokk
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Date Joined: 04/04/08
Was it a black? I hear
Was it a black? I hear they're the better tasting species. Makes you wonder how they would taste if they were properly bled and slurried instead of being on the deck or dragged behind the boat for a few hours. Not really an easy thing to do unless you have a 2m+ esky and 10 bags of ice though :p.
thesupervisor
Posts: 1136
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hey matt the rules say the
hey matt the rules say the fillets need to e 300mm
i guess you just prep as per a tuna ?
so i would be filleting at sea asap and get it on ice would also keep some of the belly for bait
ive decided if and when i ever get one if its under 60kg or so im eating it
getting the bottom line final answer from a bunch of blokes that use false names and put smiley faces at the end of paragraphs is not the best place in the world to get the information you seek.
tommyqueenfish
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1992 i think
1992 i think
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mako magic
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I've had black and striped
I've had black and striped matt but mostly have been blacks , the striped was very nice too
Goatch
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I have no
issue with eating a Billfish other than the heavy metal issue with large ones , I would do everything I could to get a big girl to swim away happy and alive , smaller ones are heaps sweeter too I think .
With all the Bills we've caught in Exy over the years we've never killed 1 on C-Wirthy or MaDingee , not because we would'nt just because it hasn't happened yet.
Just one more cast , honest !!!
allrounder
Posts: 1853
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Good luck this year mate
it is a whole different kettle of fish with the environmental changes we have had.I think it will come down to who thinks outside the box the fastest.
So tell me have you got your info from years on the water or hours on the internet?