Chinaman Fish In Wa

[Tybo]

We just did some posters for Tackle Land and noticed that the Mandurah one is promoting catching Chinaman, and shows a girl proudly showing a dead one back at camp.

So I decided to have a look and apparently Chinaman in WA are a regulated fish and even have a bag limit. I know lots of people around the world eat them, along with red bass, mostly in South Pacific countries, but even when I was in PNG we were told NOT to eat them.

Even Fishes of Australia states they contain ciguatera. Should we maybe let the people of WA know?

[Do$tylz]

I remember reading somewhere that they haven't been found to contain ciguatera on the west coast so its OK to eat them there.

[Angus]

51 minutes ago, Do$tylz said:

I remember reading somewhere that they haven't been found to contain ciguatera on the west coast so its OK to eat them there.

I have heard the same thing.

[Tybo]

1 hour ago, Do$tylz said:

I remember reading somewhere that they haven't been found to contain ciguatera on the west coast so its OK to eat them there.

Really? Well that makes sense. I thought maybe they might be just blissfully ignorant.

[Angus]

I think it has to do with whatever algae they eat to get being able to carry the issue not being present there but being present in QLD. Anyway I have heard many times that red bass and chinamen are eaten without concern in most places outside the Great Barrier Reef.

[Daryl McPhee]

Following on from what others have said, the ciguatera risk is different for different species in different areas. For example, coral trout, big eye trevally, amberjack, coronation trout and even Moses Perch!! 

I remember when I did a fish survey at the markets in Western Samoa and paddletail were in abundance, but was not considered a ciguatera risk.