Humanely killing fish

[revs57]

The Iki jimi spot is like a temple - there is a soft spot that is located just behind the eyes between the lateral line and the top of the head, it is pretty hard to miss, results are instant, then cut their throat and whack them in the slurry - you'll get the best quality fillets every time. Aparantely fish have an enzyme that caues the flesh to detiorate very quickly if not killed, bled out and chilled almost immediately. The only fish i don't bleed are whiting and flathead - I've never seen blood on the lateral line in those species. As for anything else, Iki Jimi spike it, bleed it out in the slurrey - the results are amazing

cheers

Rhys

[gunna]

I wonder what is the difference between the icky jimmy thing and just a poke with a fillet knife to the same spot?

Not a good idea to 'poke' with fillet knife. Blade is too flexible and you also run the risk of your hand slipping down onto the blade. In my opinion.

[mik01]

I wonder what is the difference between the icky jimmy thing and just a poke with a fillet knife to the same spot?

I do this - use the fillet knife - works a treat.
should get a quantity of clotted blood come out (maybe brain?) and its all over.

I have also simply used the ice slurry - you hear the fish do a couple of jerks and kicks in the esky but they very quickly 'go to sleep'.

I prefer the ice slurry, as I don't have to 'kill' the fish but who knows what is best? everyone has their own method and its what you are comfortable with I guess.

I guess when you look at abbatoirs, they kill with their own version of a 'brain spike' - a bolt bullet to the head, then drain the blood, cut it up and straight to the chiller. its the most humane and keeps the meat in the best condition possible.

therefore the fishing equivalent would be IkeJime

[rhycebullimore]

fillet knifes i have seen snap and if you slip very quick end to what should have been a good days fishing.

[TLewis]

I agree about fillet knives. I have bent the tip of my fillet knife trying to hit the brain of bream.

I reckon a sharpened screwdriver or a small ice pick would do the trick.

With Iki Jime it seems you kill first then ice slurry... what about the reverse of that and kill the fish after it's metabolism has been slowed down? I wonder if the fish suffer major stress as it suffers asphyxiation in the ice slurry.

I wrestle with the ethics of all this because I'm the one in control of this animals destiny. I wonder why it doesn't concern me too much when I pop down to the butcher and buy some steak or chicken? A bit of hypocracy going on here maybe.

Out of sight, out of mind I think. Still, I really want to do the best by the animal.

Tony

[rhycebullimore]

i don't know about you, but personally if i had to choose, i would rather a bullet to the temple,rather than having my throat cut or dying from asphyxiation any day of the week hands down.

[Braddles]

My friend who is an exotic species vet at Highgate Hill here in Brissy maintains an ice slurry. It induces a hypothermic coma. Freezing to death is painless, and some literature refers to a sense of euphoria prior to loss of conciousness. (a mountain climber's toes will freeze and they wont even know, its the DEFROST that is painful).

As temp decreases, basal metabolic rate slows, and sleep is induced. The fish is relaxed at all times, and goes into a deep sleep from which they never wake.

Therefore - an ice slurry is the most humane method of killing fish, that is not subject to error, like beating a fish in the head, cutting its throat and bleeding it to death or other methods described.

The brain spike literature is from the manufacturer - so question its validity... If you do get the pons / medulla (brain stem) - you will kill the fish, but I dont have an MRI on my boat , so I cant be sure I am not poking say the cerebellum proper, and merely inducing a severe head injury... .... All a bit hit and miss (pardon the pun) for me.

[For Steve]

Mmmmmm... the ice slurry idea does make sense. Especially if you're unsure of the ike jimi location for a particular species.

On the fishing knife idea - I have used this in the past but since buying a stainless steel iki jimi tool it's much easier. It slides in smoothly, doesn't bend and is easy to aim. Just a better tool for the job IMO.

Regards
Brad

[2manylures]

Bloody Barbarians.

It's the VET for me!

[wilcara]

Ha ha

I am surprised though, I thought when this thread started that anyone proposing humane treatment of fish would have been proverbially "tarred and feathered"!

I'm very pleased to see so many people at least treating them with the respect they deserve, and not one ridicule.

Except. of course, for 2manylures who has enough money to take a vet fishing with him every time.

[2manylures]

Ha ha

I am surprised though, I thought when this thread started that anyone proposing humane treatment of fish would have been proverbially "tarred and feathered"!

I'm very pleased to see so many people at least treating them with the respect they deserve, and not one ridicule.

Except. of course, for 2manylures who has enough money to take a vet fishing with him every time.

Thanx cobba!

In all seriousness, I don't kill fish for the table, only bleeders for obvious reasons.

Having said that does anyone really think that after X amount of time {drag & fish weight} being dragged around with a hook in the gob that a fish would worry too much about how it was actually put out of it's misery.

The other side to the humane story.

[mangomick]

maybe its time to find another sport or hobby.
next you'll want to carefully wash them and have them face towards mecca

[Nic]

The fact that the Japanese invented brain spiking for tuna, to produce the best sashimi possible, gives the practice extra weight in my book. They're very particular about the quality of the flesh, which can fetch a lot of $$ if it's top quality, so I figure they must be on to something.

We have a stainless iki jime spike and it's really easy to use, you just line the eye up with the false gill plate.

Spiking is so very quick, I can't help feeling it must be better than cutting a fish's throat while it's still alive. We spike and bleed all our reefies and the flesh comes out very white, better than if you put them in a slurry without bleeding them first.

[KGW3]

Good to hear there are some Human's among to cruel dogs that seem to be around... A lot of anglers just throw the fish in the bucket and let if flap around for 20 minutes. When I decide to keep one or two.. I just kill it them at the beach with a sharp knife.. Still makes me feel bad though.. That's why I release 95% of what I catch. I find it hard to "spike" flathead as they have a ver hard skull. I find if you turn them over and cut deeply across the whole thoat, they die quickly..
Unfortunately. we are a meat eating animals... So there is a natural tendancy to need meat or fish in our diets.. You can't save the world from cruelty and also be healthy... Unless you become a Vegan.

[2manylures]

FAIRDINKUM, This is the biggest load of hypocracy & bullshit I've heard/seen in a bloody long time.

I dislike cruelty also BUT, if ya feel that bloody bad about it DON'T GO FISHING as the CATCHING is FAR WORSE than the KILLING.

Join the greenies &/or animal liberation army and they'll educate ya about all the other things in your everyday life that inadvertantly associates you with various forms of cruelty.

YOU GOTTA BE GAGGIN

PS: How many of you use live baits of any description?