Welcome to the FishCare Charter Partner programme! Our mission is to build strong partnerships between FishCare-LegaSea and charter operators who share our love and commitment to preserving the health of our fisheries and marine environments through responsible practices.

At the heart of our programme are shared values aimed at minimising negative impacts on our marine ecosystems while also promoting sustainable fishing practices. We believe in leading by example and inspiring others to follow suit.

Here’s a glimpse of our code of conduct:

  1. Act with Integrity:
    • We actively discourage and take action against any illegal behaviour.
  2. Focus on Experiences:
    • Our focus is on providing memorable experiences rather than solely on catching limits.
  3. Voluntary Constraints:
    • We encourage voluntary constraints such as limiting the catch of certain species and practising responsible harvesting. Some examples include:
      • Limiting one kingfish per angler.
      • Avoiding scallop dredging.
      • Keeping legal-sized fish that are unlikely to survive if released.
  4. Environmentally Friendly Techniques:
    • We promote fishing techniques that minimise damage to the seabed and result in a higher rate of fish survival, including:
      • Using sea anchors or trolling motors.
      • Drift fishing with jigs, biodegradable soft baits, and sliders.
  5. Best Handling Practices:
    • We advocate for the best handling and release methods to ensure the well-being of harvested fish. This includes:
      • Using circle hooks.
      • Jigging.
      • Avoiding double or treble hooks.
      • Using rubber mesh landing nets.
      • Avoid handling fish with towels when releasing them.
  6. Respect for Harvested Fish:
    • We treat harvested fish with the utmost respect by:
      • Iki harvesting.
      • Chilling harvested fish quickly and keeping them whole in a salt ice slurry.
      • Sharing unwanted heads and frames with our community.
  7. Encouraging Environmental Awareness:
    • We encourage others to minimise their impact on the marine environment by:
      • Explaining the need to care for our marine environment.
      • Taking care of seabirds and marine mammals.
      • Highlighting the positive impact of small changes on our marine environment.
      • Reinforcing the consequences of not caring for our fisheries.

As partners in this initiative, we ask people to follow these voluntary guidelines to the best of their ability and to continually strive for excellence in our fishing practices. We understand that these principles may not always align perfectly with every fishing circumstance, but we commit to doing what is right for the health of our fisheries.

Together, as advocates for best practices, we recognise the importance of preserving our oceans, marine life, and fisheries for future generations. Let’s work hand in hand to be guardians of our precious marine environments.

Feel free to use this code of conduct to foster responsible fishing practices among your partners and community.

Current Charter Code of Conduct partners