Botany Bay Octopus (Safe to eat?)

[TobyTheRat]

Hi there fishos!

 

I’m new here and been wanting to learn fishing lately, so far have only caught squid octopus and barely a bonito (someone handed me the rod)

Fished around the typical spots in Botany Bay and honestly wasn’t expecting to catch anything, the squid I ended up eating as I’ve seen plenty of YouTubers who I believe eat it and from what I’ve read they should be safe to eat as their lifespan is only about a year or so.

However when I caught 2 Octopuses one night when I honestly was just there to learn to catch some yellowtail (heard they can be used to catch jewfish?) from a fisho I met at the docks. I hesitated to eat them once I got home and gave them away instead as I read something about the pollutants they put in the water years ago and didn’t want to risk it (stuff like agent orange?)

The fisho there helping me already dispatched the octopi for me so didn’t want for that to go to waste, therefore asked family friends if anyone wanted them and found someone who would willingly take them and had no problems with it.

My question is, are the octopus from Botany Bay okay to eat? What’s everyone’s opinion, from what I’ve read and heard so far seems like fishos are split 50/50 whether stuff from Botany Bay is okay. Should I just let them go next time?

I’ve tried searching for recent catches of octopus and don’t really see much reports of people fishing for them so I’m unsure at this point, but I do love me some Japanese takoyaki or Korean spicy boiled octopus and would’ve love to try cooking those.

Here is a photo of the octopuses + some yellowtails that my mate put in the bag which I have no idea what to do with I’m pretty sure they are meant to be “live” bait.

Any advice or opinions would be appreciated as I am really torn as Botany Bay is one of the closest spots I can fish in.

 

I used a squid jig to catch it then saw another, some guy end of the wharf caught a huge one too

 

[frankS]

Yes ok to eat if that's your thing. I have caught dozens of the bloody things and just let them go . They are a very common pest as far as I m concerned.

I have been eating fish caught from the bay since I was 9 years old, 77 years old now and still kicking and apart from breathing difficulties pretty healthy.

Frank

[TobyTheRat]

Oh wow that helps a bit, thank you! 

[Little_Flatty]

Interesting 🤔. I'd only encountered warnings on Sydney Harbour fish, but it turns out that Botany Bay and the Lower Georges have advice from the DPI as well: Botany-Bay-fishing-and-dietary-advice.pdf (nsw.gov.au)

Seems like the problem is PFAS from fire fighting foam. Running the numbers in my head, it seems that this advice is even more restrictive than the harbour guidelines.

No advice on Octopus and squid. Interestingly, they also said that no guidelines were required for bream and whiting, amongst other things.

 

[TobyTheRat]

Yep that’s what I read @Little_Flatty 5 years ago roughly, so wonder if that’s still up to date, don’t have a link to where it said agent orange but saw it online sometime ago? Possibly a YouTube comment can’t remember.

[Little_Flatty]

33 minutes ago, TobyTheRat said:

Yep that’s what I read @Little_Flatty 5 years ago roughly, so wonder if that’s still up to date, don’t have a link to where it said agent orange but saw it online sometime ago? Possibly a YouTube comment can’t remember.

I think the agent orange reference refers to the harbour. They used to manufacture it on the shores of Homebush bay I believe.