One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

January 20, 2025

Sharing is caring and now sharing can contribute towards conservation. Sharing the unwanted parts from your freshly caught fish is one of the easiest ways to help restore our inshore fish populations.

It’s simple. If we make better use of what we catch, we can catch fewer fish while still feeding our friends and families. If you or your mates aren’t fond of a tasty fish head – you’re truly missing out.

If fish heads aren’t your cup of tea, instead of throwing them overboard or in the bin we’ve come up with a solution – an app called Free Fish Heads. Where you can easily share unwanted fish heads and frames with people who value them.

Utilisation is something we can all be better at. Especially when considering something as treasured as a fish head.

Shockingly, we waste around 70% of the fish if we only consume the fillets. For centuries Māori and Pasifika communities have mastered the art of utilisation, using the whole fish, heads and frames to feed their families. Not letting a single bit of delicious and nutritious flesh go to waste.

Going fishing and indulging in fresh kai moana is what defines a Kiwi summer for a lot of us. Sadly it’s becoming a luxury. It costs a small fortune to purchase a whole snapper over the counter, meanwhile it’s exported across the ditch for less than $12 a kilo.

We see this inequity first hand every week through our initiative The Kai Ika Project – distributing fish heads and frames to the South Auckland community. Families who would’ve gone without a protein rich meal, can now access a free and nutritious food source.

The demand for this resource is increasing across the country and we can’t keep up. Hence why we have teamed up with New Zealand fishing icon, Matt Watson to recreate The Kai Ika Project right in your back pocket.

By listing your unwanted fish heads on the Free Fish Heads app, you could be gifting a hungry family a taste of summer.

For the Free Fish Heads app to be successful we don’t just need givers, but also takers. If you  are someone who values fish heads and frames, don’t be shy. We encourage you to sign up to the Free Fish Heads App where you can then accept offers for unwanted kai moana available in your area.

We acknowledge Free Fish Heads won’t solve the food security crisis or fix New Zealand’s poor management of our fisheries, but it’s a step in the right direction. Free Fish Heads is about the community coming together united by our love of fish.

So whether you’re trying to reduce waste, if you want to gift someone the feed of their summer or contribute towards restoring our fisheries, download the Free Fish Heads app. It’s a great place to start.