Humane Handling of Caught Fish
How to handle fish once you get them home.
This is Passport to Texas
Like to fish? Then you should know this Saturday, June second, is Free Fishing Day in Texas.
People don’t need a fishing license to fish on that first Saturday in June.
Great news, right? Former Texas Parks and Wildlife aquatic training specialist, Caleb Harris, says when you reel in a fish you intend to keep, there is a humane way to dispatch your catch before it becomes dinner.
Most people say that the kindest way to care for a fish that you want to keep [for dinner] is to put it on ice as fast as possible.
The cold temperature, says Harris, causes the fish’s bodily functions to slow down…way down.
The ice will anesthetize it; it’ll be virtually painless at that cold temperature; the fish will get cold and will slowly pass. So, yeah. If you have a boat, and you have the ability to bring an ice chest, you know—catch the fish—if you intend to keep it, make sure it’s a legal size, and put it right on ice.
When you get the fish home, you’ll want to immediately filet it and either cook it up right away, or freeze it.
Find a video on how to filet fish, and a link to information on the best way to freeze fish at passporttotexas.org.
The Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.
For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti
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