Is Ray (common, String, Etc.) Protect Species?

[jamesyjf]

Went to Kiama yesterday and a friend of mine caught a ray. I couldn't identify which kind of ray it was --- em, actually I have no idea how to identify ray anyway.

We didn't realise it's a ray until my friend managed to bring the fish close to the surface. The ray was about 1m in diameter, black on top, white underneath and, of cause with a long tail.

Then a lady from a local shop came over - we fished from land - and said ray was proctected, we must release it. We told her we would as we had no intention to keep it. But we were not sure if ray was really proctected or not. My friend was a bit reluctent to release the ray right away, it's largest fish he ever caught, and he was enjoying playing with it. Then the lady said we must cut the line right now, and we were committing animal cruelty. She said she would ring the ranger right away if we didn't do what she said. So we cut the line while more and more people came around to watch what's happening.

Well, as said, we had no intention to keep the ray and we didn't really do anything perticularly cruel except playing with the ray for around 5 minutes. We were pretty sure we didn't see ray on the protection list, but anyway, we had no objection to release it. Well, some guy in the mass told us people did catch ray from the same spot from time to time, which surprised us.

So, besides we were still not sure why the lady picked us, we want to make sure if ray is proctected, and if playing with fish is committing animal cruelty?

[xtosea]

You can keep them, that lady was just being a busy body!!!!

They are ok to eat if cooked right.

[jamesyjf]

You can keep them, that lady was just being a busy body!!!!

They are ok to eat if cooked right.

ah, thanks! you know, we were quite embarrssed in the end when the lady was quite upset and around 10 people looked at us.

anyway, in fact, there was not way we counld lift the fish out of the water. my friend's line is round 15 pounds, I think the ray would break it easily if we tried pull it out of water. The ray was not struggling very hard, it's kind of very slow moving. It's not really a good sporting fish, just the shear mass makes it really heavy.

[flatty hunter626]

yer mate with people like that its best just to ignore them.....

[brickman]

what if it was a manta ray shorly there protected

did it have a huge mouth with 2 things on the under side off the mouth

they look like a huge bat from above

gary

[jamesyjf]

what if it was a manta ray shorly there protected

did it have a huge mouth with 2 things on the under side off the mouth

they look like a huge bat from above

gary

Yeah I know what you are talking about. I am quite sure it was not a manta ray, but I will keep this in mind next time. Thanks!

[brickman]

i've never kept a ray and after the erwin thing i keep them well clear and cut them off

but i would love to know how they taste just be carfull off that tail it whips around at lightning pace

let us know how you cook it and what it is like

cherrs gary

[Hodgey]

Many moons ago (roughly 20 years) I caught and ate a sting ray. It was a winter's night and I was fishing from the bank at Mudjimba Beach (outside Coolum in QLD). I decided I needed a feed of fish to absorb some of the 3litres of port I had consumed during the night. This made for some very interesting knife work, I can assure you.

First, I removed the barb then I skinned both the flaps using a similar method that Ceph uses on his flathead. That completed, I then filleted the flesh from the plates of cartilage (bloody fiddly by lamplight). I then fried it on a BBQ and (from memory) it was bloody delicious!

I'm a lot older and wiser now Rays are a VERY rare catch on plastics or poppers, but I would definitely let them go as too much hard work

Hodgey