06 Feb 1936 - SWORDFISH http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/rendition/nla.news-article99565336.t...

Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881 - 1940), Thursday 6 February 1936, page 5

SWORDFISH : R.S.P.C.A. ATTITUDE ZANE GREY'S SPORT SYDNEY, Thursday: Although the
R.S.P.C.A. is definitely against playing a sword-fish for W. G. Cocks, admitted to-day that it woud be
extremly diffi cult to enforce any laws making the sport illegal. He added that he agreed with most of the
statements stamping the sport as cruel and callous. However, there was at present no law to prevent it. In
any circumstances the law would not apply beyond the three-mile limit where a great deal of the big game
fishing occurred. EARLIER STATEMENT The question whether big game fish-ing involves wanton
cruelty will be considered by the council of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at
its next meeting states an earlier message. The secretary of the society (Mr. S. A. Lord), stated yesterday
that since the big game fishing season on teh south coast began some weeks ago he had received
numerous letters and telephone calls from members asking whether the society did not consider it
necessary to take steps to prevent unnecessary torture of swordfish, particularly as they were not regarded
as edible fish and were discarded after being killed. FISHERMEN'S VIEWS Big game fishermen at
Bermagui interviewed last night, expressed amasement at the question of wanton cruelty being raised.
They maintained that the fish were given more than an even chance of escape and that being cold-blooded
animals, they did not suffer any severe pain. Comparatively light tackle was used and an angler was likely
to hook a swordfish weighing anything from 200 to 100 lb on a line with a break-ing strain of only 78lb.
Expert hand-ling was essential. If the fish was to be landed. If a strain of more than 78lb was placed on
the line it would break. The difficulty of hooking swordfish was indicated by the large percentage that
escaped after strik-ing. Referring to the suggestion that the fishermen did not run any risk of inhjury while
angling for swordfish, members of a party from Victoria in-stanced an experience of that day. Their
launch had broken down, they said, and they were swept by huge seas to within 10 feet of the rocks at
Montague Island before the defect was remedied. They had no shelter when fishing off the south coalst,
and ran grave risks of mishap or even drowning every time they went out. Swordfish were known to
charge boats, and this was an added risk.

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