How to get discarded bycatch?

[777]

I have very recently started a fish collection and would love to obtain deep sea specimens. I hear that some people get discarded fish from trawlers, but i'm not sure where the discarded fish end up going exactly. I have searched the internet for a while and came out with no answers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[kevinkk]

It probably depends where you live. If I was going to pursue that interest, I'd go to the local wharf and find a fisherperson.
Or maybe a marine museum/center. Being near the ocean is going to help.

[exoticimports]

Most bycatch get dumped overboard.

First, you have to find a ship/ fleet that does deep sea trawling.

I'd put together a photo book of stuff you want, and a bucket with safe preservative, and find a captain that's willing to throw stuff in the bucket.

Keep in mind that bycatch is measured by the ton, so you can't say "hold it all for me."


Chuck

[wingedwishes]

In St Petersburg Florida I ran a successful pet store. I went to a local wholesale seafood place who bought the shrimp from the shrimpers. I met some shrimpers and gave them a list of things I wanted along with buckets and battery air pumps. Afterwards, I had all kinds of neat things for aquarists.

If you are near temperate/tropical waters ad want to collect from shore, let me know and I'll give you my tricks.

Cheers
Tyson

[foxxdoc]

I had saltwater tanks. I went to the shrimp boats and live bait stores. they always had something mixed in with their catches.

TOM

[777]

Thank you all for the information, this helps a lot! I will show you my collection when it is big enough. I am making molds of my fish and am going to make very detailed replicas of them while including data and pieces of the real fishes to provide DNA. I choose to make replicas because they are more durable than the real thing. After the molding process, i'll use the rest of the fish to eat (depending on species and how fresh it is), use as fishing bait, etc.

I am starting out collecting at a nearby creek and the Trinity River. I will only get specimens from hook and line fishing or cast nets unless they only live in the very deep ocean, which would of course require me to find a deep sea trawler to get them. 

Here is a website that shows the amazing fish you can obtain from trawlers.

abyssalworld.weebly.com/

[kevinkk]

Trinity River? In Calif, or Texas? I know Trinity in Cali is a bit of a drive to the ocean.

When I was in Naples- Italy, we went to a fish market, they had live octopus, I had saltwater at home, and thought, those
octopuses are pretty cheap. Not as easy to bring back as Absinthe and Cuban cigars.

[777]

Nov 10, 2020 14:00:58 GMT -8 kevinkk said:

Trinity River? In Calif, or Texas?

I go to the Trinity River in Texas. I've only had enough time to go there and throw my cast net a few times, i've got some nice gizzard shad. I'll go there some other time and bring my canoe.