If you have decided to take up fishing during the COVID-19 pandemic, here is what you should look out for your health and safety

There are quite a few types of poisonous fish surrounding the Maltese islands. The most common types are the scorpionfish/ rockfish and the weever fish, both of which have spines on their back and fins, which should be handled carefully. 

Silver cheeked toadfish. Photo: Gianluca Cardona

If you go fishing along a rocky coast, then you are more likely to catch a scorpionfish, while if you tend to fish in sandy areas such as a beach, you might catch a weever fish.

There are many types of scorpionfish and weever fish around but they all resemble the fish in the accompanying photos.

Another fish of concern is the lionfish. It has only been recorded once by the University of Malta Conservation Biology Research Group (CBRG-UOM) and BICREF. However, lionfish are continously spreading in the Mediterranean Sea, so we may see them again in our waters. 

The silver-cheeked toadfish is another example. This pufferfish is also an alien species which, although it doesn’t have any spines, its flesh is highly toxic due to the presence of tetrotodxin and can be lethal if consumed. 

The venom of poisonous fish, such as the ones mentioned above, can be detrimental to the human body in various ways.

Initially, it can cause local tissue damage via the process of inflammation, that characteristically causes deep pain, redness, a stinging sensation as well as swelling at the area of venom transmission.

However, this process has the potential to spread to a whole arm or leg, by time. Moreover, a sensation of numbness or irritation usually follows for a few days.

Thus, it is important to take all the following immediate steps when one comes into direct contact with the venom of a poisonous fish:

• Take the exposed person to a safe and secure place.

• Immerse the wound for 30 to 60 minutes in clean water, as warm as the poisoned person can tolerate. Repeat as necessary to control the pain.

• Use sterile tweezers to remove any fish spines, dirt or other foreign bodies within the wound.

• Irrigate the wound with isotonic saline.

• Do not apply any measures to close the wound, as this will instigate further spread of the infection.

• Always seek the attention of a medical doctor after such an incident to be able to have a clinical examination that excludes any potential serious complications, such as cardiac arrythmias or breathing difficulties that might require further medical care.

A weever fish. photo: Anna Degiorgio

It is wise and responsible to always have a first aid kit handy

When fishing, one must also be aware of the types of hooks and lures used.

Many types are available on the market, however, the hard bait lures with treble hooks may cause the most self-inflicted injuries. 

One example is when the angler is working the lure and the fish strikes when it is just under the feet, shortly before leaving the water.

Here, if not careful, the lure may fly in your face, risking an injury. It is also very important to grip the fish tightly when unhooking the lure to avoid hooking your hand. Such injuries can be very painful.

It is, therefore, important to wear protective hand and footwear during fishing activities.

One should wear sturdy closed shoes, whereas flip flops should never be used. Many good  fishing sites are found in areas where the rocks are uneven and sometimes pretty sharp. It is very easy to slip when not wearing good shoes. 

Another recommendation is to use fishing gloves. These will come in useful, especially when using braided line and your lure gets stuck to the seabed and you need to pull the line. 

A booster tetanus injection is recommended to be taken when one accidently injures himself with any type of fishing gear, or even animal bites, especially if the last tetanus booster dose was taken over 10 years ago. This is the only preventive measure there is available against this type of micro-organism. 

It is easy to get injured with a hook.

Extra care is to be taken if the wound is deep and has come into contact with dirty or rusty foreign objects that could potentially lead the way for the clostridium tetani neurotoxin to enter the body via the bloodstream.

If this happens, this neurotoxin will interfere with the nerves that control muscle movement. Thus, the exposed person goes on to develop an infection that can cause severe muscle spasms or serious breathing difficulties, which can ultimately be fatal.

It is widely known that sufferers of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cancer and immunodeficiency disorders, as well as transplantees, smokers and pregnant women, and all those people taking certain regular medications, such as oral steroids/biological drugs, are more prone to infections than other members of the public.

Thus, more caution should be taken by these specific individuals to prevent any potential complications by seeking medical assistance as early as possible, whenever this is indicated.

It is wise and responsible to always have a first aid kit handy.

A basic first aid kit, which can be purchased from any local pharmacy or a medical supplies store, should include the following: adhesive tape, anaesthetic spray, sterile gauze pads, ace bandages, multiple-sized adhesive bandages, triangular bandages, surgical gloves, CPR pocket masks, ice packs, multiple-sized safety pins and plasters, scissors, tweezers, eye dressings, alcohol pads, isotonic saline or distilled water.

Some first aid kits may also include common over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol, antihistamines, antiseptic creams, aloe vera gel, antiemetics, antidiarrheals and anti-inflammatory topical gels. 

Moreover, it is important to keep a list of all emergency contact numbers that may prove useful at times of trauma.

A scorpionfish.

One should always keep in mind that there are a variety of first aid kits available, whch may either be basic or advanced. Their contents are not set in stone, in the sense that what you require totally depends on your first aid training, as well as how far you are from getting professional medical help.

If you are a medically-oriented person, some other basic medical equipment such as a thermometer, sPo2 meter, sphygmomanometer  and a stethoscope could always prove useful, especially if you are heading on a long fishing boat trip, which is generally kilometres away from the Maltese shores.

Sandra Agius Darmanin is a marine biologist while Georgiana Farrugia Bonnici is a diagnostic radiographer and medical doctor. They can be followed on their respective Facebook pages www.facebook.com/SeaLifeScience and www.facebook.com/be.heart.healthy.

The article is dedicated to Farrugia Bonnici’s late father, Charlie, who was a skilled fisherman.

Any sightings of the featured species should be submitted online through the following link to support ongoing conservation research: http:// bicref.org/notices-to-mariners / or by contacting Sandra Agius Darmanin on sandra.agius@um.edu.mt.