Conservationists are reminding the public of the importance of responsible fishing, after a social media personality killed and ate a blue groper. It’s a controversial act which is illegal in many parts of the country, but it remains lawful in Western Australia where the video was filmed.
In the footage shared online, a fisherman describes why spearfishing for gropers is contentious. He then shoots and kills a western blue groper, found specifically in WA and in Australia’s south, which he later fries and turns into a sandwich.
“A blue groper this size is around 15 years old, which explains when you do this, it’s a little bit controversial,” he said in the video, spearing the fish. “On the flip side … you’ll be left with the tastiest 15-year-old sandwich you’ve ever had.”
Reacting to the footage, Nicola Beynon, head of campaigns at Humane Society International Australia, told Yahoo it is nothing “short of a tragedy”.
The WA fisherman turned the groper into a fish sandwich, despite the species’ vulnerable status. Source: TikTok/jaidens.adventures
Fisher’s ‘tragic’ video sparks warning
Western Australia’s Senior Fisheries Management Officer Maddison Watt told Yahoo anglers in the state are limited to one catch per day when it comes to blue gropers, meaning that seemingly, the fisher acted in accordance with the law.
“Western blue groper is found between the mid-west of WA to the western half of Victoria. Western blue groper is a separate species to the easter blue groper, which does not occur in WA,” she told Yahoo.
“Fishing for western blue groper is restricted in a few ways, including: For recreational fishers — a minimum size limit (50cm), a daily bag limit of one, closed season and areas in some places.”
Weighing in on the matter, Nicola Beynon, head of campaigns at Humane Society International Australia, condemned the video arguing that “turning a beautiful 15-year old blue groper” into a “battered fish for a bread and butter sandwich” is nothing “short of a tragedy”.
Speaking to Yahoo, Beynon said fishing for gropers is illegal in several regions in Australia for a number of reasons. “Spearfishing blue gropers is illegal in many parts of the country, including certain places and times in Western Australia, and for good reason,” she said.
“Blue gropers are a long-lived, slow growing species that live in small local groups that can be easily fished out and take decades to recover. It is incredibly sad to see one killed for the pleasure and social media bragging rights of one irresponsible fisher.”
Why are blue gropers considered vulnerable in Australia?
Both eastern and western blue gropers are considered vulnerable in Australia due to various environmental and human-induced pressures. Overfishing, particularly through spearfishing, has historically been a significant threat to both species.
Eastern blue gropers were once heavily targeted because of their large size and relatively docile behaviour, leading to severe population declines. Regulatory measures, such as bans on spearfishing and strict bag limits in NSW, have helped protect them, but they remain at risk from recreational fishing and habitat degradation. The NSW Department of Primary Industries implemented a ban on March 1 this year on any type of fishing for the Eastern Blue Groper as a 12-month trial to protect the species.
Western blue gropers, found in temperate waters off Western Australia and South Australia, face similar challenges. While less is known about their population trends compared to their eastern counterparts, their slow growth and long lifespan make them particularly vulnerable to overfishing.
Efforts to monitor and regulate fishing practices, as well as to protect key habitats, are crucial for the conservation of both eastern and western blue gropers, marine experts say.
According to Watt, western blue groper populations in the state were considered “low risk” in 2016, with an updated report on the species to be filed in 2025. She said while older gropers, such as the 15-year-old in the video are important for reproductive cycles, they’re also susceptible to disease.
“Western blue groper is known to change sex from female to male and live up to 71 years, with late onset sexual maturity [around 17 years],” she said.
“Larger, older fish may contribute more to reproductive potential of a population, but western blue groper is susceptible to barotrauma, so fishers are encouraged to retain any legal-sized fish they catch to avoid releasing fish that may die later, and stop fishing once they’ve reached their bag limit or got enough for a feed.
“Fishing restrictions to limit overall catch are in place to ensure fishing pressure on the population is at sustainable levels.”
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