Ikijime (also known as ikejime or brain spiking), is a Japanese term denoting "live killing". Scientists have found that brain spiking is the fastest and most humane way to kill fish.
A website, www.ikijime.com has been developed with support from Australian Animal Welfare Strategy to demonstrate the iki jime method in popular species of fish being captured by recreational fishers.
The website allows you to select for water type (fresh, estuary or offshore) and enter a common fish species. It then provides a photo of the fish visible from full colour to x-ray, showing exactly where to insert the spike.
The website also contains a very informative video on the iki jime technique, including what can be used as a spike and four key tips to improve not only your fishing skills, but the eating qualities of your catch.
Development of the ikijime.com database was assisted by funding from the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy.
The welfare of fish taken by recreational fishers is likely to further improve following the release of a new phone app which helps anglers dispatch fish humanely by the iki jime method of brain destruction.
However, app developer and fish health specialist Dr Ben Diggles notes that “Fish brains are small and vary in location between species groups, which in the past has been a barrier to the widespread uptake of the ikijime method”. Dr Diggles hopes that a new app called "Ikijime Tool", which is available for both I-phone and Android devices, will change all that by providing anglers with access to diagrams and x-rays of the brain location of over 80 species of fish from 33 of the fish families most commonly encountered by anglers throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Asia/Pacific region.
“We developed 3 versions of the app to cater for all types of anglers”, Dr Diggles said. The free “lite” version has limited online access to the fish database, while paying customers can download other versions of Ikijime Tool that have unlimited access to the online database, and “extreme” field versions that function even when anglers are in remote locations without phone or internet service.
Direct links to the apps are below:
Apple ITunes appstore
Ikijime Tool Lite
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ikijime-tool-lite/id704317893?mt=8
Ikijime Tool
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ikijime-tool/id704308194?mt=8
Ikijime Tool extreme
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ikijime-tool-extreme/id704317983?mt=8
Google Play
Ikijime Tool Lite
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ikijimetoollite
Ikijime Tool
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ikijimetool
Ikijime Tool extreme
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ikijimetoolextreme
Dr Diggles has further information on his facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ikijime-Tools/147286988815224.
The information and imagery contained in this website is set out as a general outline only. The information contained in this site has been carefully compiled but a range of views are available on issues of animal welfare.
