Ikipik

An important part of fishing today is releasing fish and only taking home what you need for a feed. Even so, recreational anglers harvest millions of finfish each year. Anglers can improve the welfare of fish in many ways, not only by observing best practice fishing methods, but by protecting and restoring fish habitat and water quality (see ozfish.org.au for more details), by obeying fisheries regulations, and of course by dispatching their fish quickly and humanely using the ikijime method of brain destruction, a method scientifically proven to minimise stress for the fish while also maximising its eating qualities.

For more details and interactive learning tools that reveal the brain location for a wide range of fish species in Australia and around the world – please use the iki jime Fish Finder Search Bar at the top of this page. Enter your region (Australia, New Zealand, North America, South America, Europe, Asia or Africa), and state or province first, then select the water type (freshwater, estuary or offshore) and then select the appropriate fish group. Select the fish you want from the dropdown list and hit “Go Fish”.

Whether you’re out on the water or before you go out, take the time to learn the following four tips for humane dispatch of finfish and improve not only your fishing skills, but the eating qualities of your catch.