New study identifies best practice for the humane dispatch of sharks
As animal welfare becomes an increasingly high profile issue affecting all fishing sectors, new research has been undertaken to assess and improve welfare of finfish captured by the commercial and recreational fishing sectors and to develop improved ways of dispatching that result in the lowest levels of stress, while maximising the quality and shelf life of the resulting fish product.
FRDC Project 2022-028 Development of resources and equipment to enable best practice in the humane dispatch of sharks caught by commercial fishers in the NT recently finished.
The learnings are shared through resources such as the www.ikijime.com website and ‘Ikijime Tool’ phone applications.
The research project filled this information gap by working with commercial fishers in the Northern Territory to develop practical, safe and effective best-practice methods for quickly and humanely dispatching sharks by brain destruction.
The fieldwork collected anatomical information on brain location for 15 species of sharks, while also evaluating a range of dispatch methods
The outcomes from this research included development of a draft code of practice for the commercial fishing industry in the NT, which could be adapted for broader use.