People - particularly party boat mates - who fillet fish alive

[Bottomfeeder]

I posted this on my local fishing forum, and I got flamed for it, so I decided I'll post in somewhere where people actually care about fish, good ol' MFK

I notice this on every party boat I go on. They clean, gut, and fillet the fish alive, then toss the carcass aside, which sometimes is STILL breathing. I don't get why it's so hard to keep a little hammer by the fillet tables, and use it to "put out" the fish before they fillet it. It's like an extra 3 seconds added to the process. My friend carries a PVC pipe with an 8oz lead weight jammed in the end for such a purpose, to instantly "put out" fish he catches. Supposedly it tastes better, since when fish struggle to death, they build up lactic acid fermentation in their body.

But I just think that gutting and filleting a fish that is still obviously alive is just downright cruel.

Opinions?

(Note: Keep if civil. It did not stay civil when I posted it on the local fishing forum. There is no reason to turn this into a flamefest. I think this has potential to be a great discussion. Unfortunetaly, it also has potential to be a great flamewar, but let's not.)

 

[Danzig86]

i saw a terrible thing on a doco about japanese culture and fish, a live snapper, filleted and still breathing on a plate, no iki jimi that time.....

 

[Chefken]

As chef I torn on this one.....The Lobster debate has always been the frontline here....Do you break them down while still kicking or dispatch with a clean knife strike between the eyes?? i am also a fisherman. I would always try and keep the fish alive as long as possible.....for trout anyway. if i had a large Striped Bass I would wack it to protect myself!!

 

[Bottomfeeder]

Just a little update, the thread on the local fishing forum turned ugly, and someone told me to join PETA. How does one jump from not wanting to see a living creature butchered alive to being in PETA, an organization of attention flooring terrorists? I fish, I keep my pets, and I feed them live food. I eat meat.

 

[dcorreia]

It's my opinion that people who own party boats are 1 of either 2 things...

1. They are alcoholics....
2. They are retarded.....

Why else would you buy a party/pontoon boat? If you don't believe me, next time you go to a lake watch what type of people you see on a party boat and chances are they will fit into one of those 2 categories. And to answer your questions, I think most human beings would feel bad about cutting a live fish open unless they are drunk or retarded.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

It's my opinion that people who own party boats are 1 of either 2 things...

1. They are alcoholics....
2. They are retarded.....

Why else would you buy a party/pontoon boat? If you don't believe me, next time you go to a lake watch what type of people you see on a party boat and chances are they will fit into one of those 2 categories. And to answer your questions, I think most human beings would feel bad about cutting a live fish open unless they are drunk or retarded.

Party boats in saltwater are a big deal though. Most are over 100 feet, and they need to be very heavily lisenced to take the public out fishing on it.

And apparently, most NY fishermen are retarded, or at least drunk. I still cant believe I got laughed at on the fishing forum for suggesting that we be civil and not chop up live animals.

 

[Oddball]

It's my opinion that people who own party boats are 1 of either 2 things...

1. They are alcoholics....
2. They are retarded.....

Why else would you buy a party/pontoon boat? If you don't believe me, next time you go to a lake watch what type of people you see on a party boat and chances are they will fit into one of those 2 categories. And to answer your questions, I think most human beings would feel bad about cutting a live fish open unless they are drunk or retarded.

Not that kind of party boat. The OP is referring to the large multi-client charter vessels that take the public out on 1/2 day and full day fishing trips for targeted (advertised) species. They usually provide tackle (or rent it), bait, lure-rigging services, and fish cleaning/filleting services (either by fish number, weight, or by tips only).

 

[StripeGirl]

I keep lots of fish and love them but they are my pets.

When i go fishing salt water i like to keep my catch as i love to eat fish as well as cook it.I am also a chef.

I am not sure bashing a fish in the head is humane?I usually don't fillet my fish until i get home so they are dead but watching fish on the shoreline taking its last breath
could be hard for some.

its also a pain in the butt trying to remove fish scales from everywhere when your beating each fish in the head.

 

[dcorreia]

Not that kind of party boat. The OP is referring to the large multi-client charter vessels that take the public out on 1/2 day and full day fishing trips for targeted (advertised) species. They usually provide tackle (or rent it), bait, lure-rigging services, and fish cleaning/filleting services (either by fish number, weight, or by tips only).


My bad.

 

[JoeTurner14]

I keep lots of fish and love them but they are my pets.

When i go fishing salt water i like to keep my catch as i love to eat fish as well as cook it.I am also a chef.

I am not sure bashing a fish in the head is humane?I usually don't fillet my fish until i get home so they are dead but watching fish on the shoreline taking its last breath
could be hard for some.

its also a pain in the butt trying to remove fish scales from everywhere when your beating each fish in the head.

'Bashing' a fish on the head is actually one of the most humane ways to dispatch a fish, as 9 times out of 10 it will cause sever trauma to the brain and skull and spin/spinal cord, hence resulting in a pretty rapid death. Another way favoured by anglers for smaller fish is to actually insert a finger into the mouth and place the thumb on the top of the fishes head. A sharp push down with the thumb and pulling up with the finger results in the snapping of the spine and spinal cord, causing instant paraylsis. From thereon, death would theoretically be painless.

Also, I do hope you use some sort of dispatch method rather than letting the fish suffocate?