WA six Month Fishing Closure

[Volvo]

Any truth in this or just scaremongering ??.
Also talk of only 4 scalable fish per Boat.
WTF is going on ??.

[disorderly]

Nah its true mate..

Their fisheries department are a disgrace and have totally dropped the ball on this in recent years..

and now Pro fishers get to take the majority of the fish while rec guys get totally screwed..They were asking for 9 months ban in some ridiculous scheme that goes till 2030...!!!!

Fancy Commercial guys being able to catch but you and I are criminals for trying to put a feed of fish on the table..

I would be absolutley filthy if I lived over there ..I personally wouldnt stand for it and would just poach what I needed anyway..

[Corry]

Is it a one off thing?
I'd be filthy if I lived there, too bad if you owned a boat or tackle shop.

[Noelm]

Any truth in this or just scaremongering ??.
Also talk of only 4 scalable fish per Boat.
WTF is going on ??.
Be a bit hard to catch 4 scalable fish, if you can't fish......I think maybe this is somewhat misinterpreted? Let's see if anyone can find a link to the relevant proposed restriction, maybe one if the WA members might see this?

[Noelm]

First google hit explains a possible 6 month ban on Snapper and Dhufish, as I expected, it's somewhat misrepresented.

[Noelm]

Reading the entire article, it seems it's only one month longer than their recreational body suggested, and only applies to a certain section of Coast, and not 6 months continuous, it's spread over month long periods....as far as I can gather from the submission.

[disorderly]

Be a bit hard to catch 4 scalable fish, if you can't fish......I think maybe this is somewhat misinterpreted? Let's see if anyone can find a link to the relevant proposed restriction, maybe one if the WA members might see this?

Its for Dhufish and snapper...but why even bother launching the reef boat to go out and catch 4 bream..and if you have 5 blokes on board 2 of them have to split a fish...one bream fillet each...::)

and why can pros go out and smash 240 tonnes of them and yet rec guys cant even bring a single one home for 6 months of the year..

wouldnt the best solution be to buy back all those commercial licences and let rec guys take that available 240 tonnes..?

Just google search mate..there is plenty of info on the net..

https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/wa-snapper-dhufish-fishing-ban-increased-to-six-months-20221206-p5c47k.html

[Noelm]

That's what I found (as per my previous posts) pros V recs is a never ending argument/debate and another issue entirely, the article clearly states the pro effort will be cut back considerably. If I understood the figures correctly, the rec "quota" is 115 tonnes, the pro quota is 240 tonnes, but their allowable fishing days have been cut considerably, it also reads that the pro quota is not achieved.

[Noelm]

Its for Dhufish and snapper...but why even bother launching the reef boat to go out and catch 4 bream..and if you have 5 blokes on board 2 of them have to split a fish...one bream fillet each...::)

and why can pros go out and smash 240 tonnes of them and yet rec guys cant even bring a single one home for 6 months of the year..

wouldnt the best solution be to buy back all those commercial licences and let rec guys take that available 240 tonnes..?

Just google search mate..there is plenty of info on the net..

https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/wa-snapper-dhufish-fishing-ban-increased-to-six-months-20221206-p5c47k.html
Not too sure where the Bream fit into it, or why the 5 fisherman are needed, you could go out on your own and catch 4 big Snapper or Dhufish just as easy and 5 people could catch 4 Bream. Let's be 100% clear here, I am not on either side, don't live in WA and knew nothing about it all until now, but, it seems there might be a bit of embellishing a proposed restriction to suit individuals.

[tunaticer]

So tired of the "mortally wounded" card being played and distorting the facts.
Grow up and be factual at least.

[Noelm]

So tired of the "mortally wounded" card being played and distorting the facts.
Grow up and be factual at least.
What does this mean?

[disorderly]

Not too sure where the Bream fit into it, or why the 5 fisherman are needed, you could go out on your own and catch 4 big Snapper or Dhufish just as easy and 5 people could catch 4 Bream. Let's be 100% clear here, I am not on either side, don't live in WA and knew nothing about it all until now, but, it seems there might be a bit of embellishing a proposed restriction to suit individuals.

I was just using an extreme example that the 4 fish is a total boat quota regardless of how many aboard....and for 6 months of the year you cant touch snapper or Dhu at all...and also when you state a "rec quota" or amount caught that also includes charter boats in that figure...

and going by the article the commercial catch has only been reduced by 12%..If I have made an incorrect statement I'm happy to stand corrected as some of the articles seem a little contradictory...

and yeah I alway will beleive that normal citizens should have priority over commercial blokes...I mean why have commercial guys been exporting snapper while locals arent even allowed to catch them..?

Hopefully reducing commercial fishing days will mean those fishers will want a payout to leave the industry rather then just try and smash the numbers over a reduced season..

[chris69]

Well the more people complain in QLD the more chances of these things happening here too as now they have WA to go by, that's how some government departments work these days,WA did it why cant we do it.

[Berger4]

Here you go guys. Currently in WA for 2 months over Xmas. I used to live here 10 years ago. It doesn't really say when it will end i.e how many years. Certainly been a hot topic. However I must say that the fish they are trying to protect are in short supply and something needed to be done. Agree they should also limit the commercial catch a bit more. Just glad I don't live here anymore.

Catch!




West Coast Demersal special edition






Changes announced to ensure demersal sustainability


http://i2.cmail20.com/ei/y/19/F44/0D3/174422/csfinal/Pinksnapper_1745908994-9aae794444d393eb.jpg

Following extensive industry and community consultation, new measures to protect the future of west coast demersal scalefish stocks, including iconic species such as pink snapper and dhufish, were announced this week.
The 20-year recovery plan is due to conclude in 2030.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) will monitor the impact of the new management changes on stocks and will finalise the next stock assessment at the end of next year.
The current two-month demersal closure will be extended by four months for recreational fishers in the West Coast Bioregion.
The closure period has been significantly reduced from the initial nine-month proposal, following consultation with recreational fishers.
The open seasons have been timed to allow people to catch these prized fish during all school holiday periods. Land-based demersal fishing will now be able to take place year-round.
Catching demersal scalefish from a boat will be prohibited from:


1 February to 31 March (inclusive);
1 August to the beginning of the September / October school holidays;
And end of the September / October school holidays to 15 December (inclusive).

Recovery will be supported by a range of new measures, including a boat limit of four demersal scalefish per vessel, expanded spawning protections and gear limits.
The commercial sector will have its total allowable catch halved. This will be achieved through a reduction in available fishing hours for the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery (line fishery). The number of days spent fishing will decreased to an average of 20 days a year for a commercial line boat. Allowing commercial fishers to operate across the year (outside of spawning closures) ensures there is a continued supply of fresh WA demersal fish to local markets.
Commercial fishing for demersal scalefish will remain closed across the Perth metropolitan coast, from Lancelin to south of Mandurah.
For charter operators, a quota system will be introduced with specific limits on the number of demersal scalefish that can be kept each year. This gives charter businesses the flexibility to allow fishing for a limited number of demersal scalefish all year round.
This announcement comes after the latest scientific stock assessment found that key species remained under severe threat. The changes being introduced balance the fishing experience with the action needed to protect these fish.
The impact of the management changes will be closely monitored by DPIRD, who will finalise the next stock assessment around the end of next year.



Read the media release (https://catch.cmail20.com/t/y-l-nijjiid-yhdrdunhu-r/)




Read the FAQ (https://catch.cmail20.com/t/y-l-nijjiid-yhdrdunhu-y/)








When do the changes come into effect?

Management changes for recreational fishers will come into effect from 1 February 2023.
It is important to understand current recreational rules (https://catch.cmail20.com/t/y-l-nijjiid-yhdrdunhu-j/) will remain in place when recreational fishing for demersal scalefish in the West Coast Bioregion reopens on 16 December 2022 through to 31 January 2023.
The implementation of management changes for the commercial sector and charter fishery will align with licence renewal periods. Changes for the commercial sector will come into effect on 1 January 2023, and for the charter sector on 1 July 2023.
The State Government will be undertaking an extensive education campaign to inform fishers and the wider community of the rule changes and how they are being introduced.



Management changes for recreational, charter and commercial fishers (https://catch.cmail20.com/t/y-l-nijjiid-yhdrdunhu-t/)











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Supporting measures to boost sustainability










The State Government is further boosting sustainability by investing $10 million to support and monitor the recovery of west coast demersal scalefish stocks.
Key initiatives to be funded include:


Voluntary buyback of commercial fishing entitlement in the wetline fishery
Enhanced monitoring and research, including digital reporting
Expanded juvenile pink snapper restocking program
Expanded State-wide Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) program
Support package for charter operators to diversify tourism experience
Expanded education and awareness program





Monitoring and stock assessment

DPIRD will monitor the impact of the new management changes on stock recovery, including continuing to monitor fishing mortality for all sectors annually. Another stock assessment will be undertaken at the end of 2023.





Read our FAQ (https://catch.cmail20.com/t/y-l-nijjiid-yhdrdunhu-i/)








Further information

fish.wa.gov.au/demersal (https://catch.cmail20.com/t/y-l-nijjiid-yhdrdunhu-d/)
wa.gov.au (https://catch.cmail20.com/t/y-l-nijjiid-yhdrdunhu-h/)
wcdemersal@dpird.wa.gov.au












Important disclaimer
The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it.
Copyright © State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), 2022.


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[Noelm]

So all the Christmas holidays will be open to fish.

[Volvo]

From what i hear (Hopegully Goss only ) QLD will not be spared either.
For better of for worse time will only tell ??.

[Noelm]

Maybe it's a case of short term pain for long term gain? Who knows for sure, the "loose" data they have to go on could/can be interpreted to suit any desired outcome, but that said, there is no real hard and fast data, except what pros put through legal markets, rec catches are a "best guess" black marketing exists in both sectors, but one things certain, we can't continue to just take.

[Dignity]

So all the Christmas holidays will be open to fish.

Same thing happened in Qld. Snapper and Pearl Perch closure was supposed to happen much earlier according to scientific research, late June to early July. But wait, this is holiday time here and followed by interstate school holidays. Now when the final dates were released after consultation with all the dates got moved to mid July to mid August. A case of tourist dollars vs scientific research, am I cynical, not at all.

[Lovey80]

You guys know from my posts that I’ve always advocated for a balance between commercial and recreational. I believe we are in a long term fight that attacks both sectors and the vegan greens will never stop their advocacy until all fishing is banned.

that said. If any stock is in such low status that major measures are required. Then the very first measure that must be implemented is he ban of exports. This comes from a personal opinion that all fish stocks are a shared resource for all Australians. I don’t want every single home out there fishing and commercial licences are there to supply other Australians who don’t fish, with a feed.

I’m sounding like I’m flogging a dead horse here but I’ll say it again. The inequity, real or perceived, between commercial and recreational fishers (in this instance) comes from drastically different management practices between the two sectors. Commercial have logbooks and a TAC. A perfectly reasonable management structure that works. Recreational don’t have the same reporting requirements. So must be managed in a different way. This leaves draconian measures open to recreationals as vegan leaning fisheries scientists get to put in vastly different management practices to achieve the same outcome.

Until recreational fishers not only accept but advocate for recreational catch cards (app based). Then we will always have shit management outcomes like this, and like I’ve been saying since the first RRFF debacle in QLD, we will have shit data going into shit models used by mathematicians who wouldn’t have the first clue as to how many fish are out there.

[Noelm]

Yep, fully agree, the "ban the pros" side are not on the right track, the paranoid recreational angler is also not helping by not providing, or supporting some reliable method to measure catch rates, it's not easy to "manage" a natural resource that is almost entirely a take/harvest situation. Exports are another side to this, you can't blame anyone for sending product offshore when there is a high priced demand/country waiting for it, doesn't make it right, but........the whole thing has many sides, and all those sides are starting to crumble.

[Volvo]

Guess we all have the answer for this problemo no matter which platform one reads or posts to??.
For me a big part of the problem is to first stop trying to feed the rest of the World with what lives and grows naturualy in our back yard.
Want to sell offshore or try feed the rest of the world , some which have such a huge population n pallete then Farm the feckers n sell as much as you want , not rape n pillage becuase you have a licence to do so!!..
As for keeping an onboard dairy or whatever you wish to call it for Rec Fisho's ?? , "Yeah go tell it on the Mountain " , can see that happening with glee n enthusiasim!!..
Whatever info is passed on can be interpreted to suit the interpreter ..
Its out Backyard and yes we all have a responsabillity here first .
Personally i do believe that most Rec Fishos do and try to do the right thing where the Fishery is concerned ..

[Noelm]

Guess we all have the answer for this problemo no matter which platform one reads or posts to??.
For me a big part of the problem is to first stop trying to feed the rest of the World with what lives and grows naturualy in our back yard.
Want to sell offshore or try feed the rest of the world , some which have such a huge population n pallete then Farm the feckers n sell as much as you want , not rape n pillage becuase you have a licence to do so!!..
As for keeping an onboard dairy or whatever you wish to call it for Rec Fisho's ?? , "Yeah go tell it on the Mountain " , can see that happening with glee n enthusiasim!!..
Whatever info is passed on can be interpreted to suit the interpreter ..
Its out Backyard and yes we all have a responsabillity here first .
Personally i do believe that most Rec Fishos do and try to do the right thing where the Fishery is concerned ..
And that is the problem as Lovey has said, until "we" have some kind of viable, accurate catch data, then we will forever be subject to hard impact laws, just like this one and "ban the pros" will also be the war cry, for no real. result

[disorderly]

Yep, fully agree, the "ban the pros" side are not on the right track, the paranoid recreational angler is also not helping by not providing, or supporting some reliable method to measure catch rates, it's not easy to "manage" a natural resource that is almost entirely a take/harvest situation. Exports are another side to this, you can't blame anyone for sending product offshore when there is a high priced demand/country waiting for it, doesn't make it right, but........the whole thing has many sides, and all those sides are starting to crumble.

Yes many sided Noel but pretty easy decisions on where to start I reckon..

If we are dealling with a finite resource thats shown not to be recovering then without a doubt the first to go is export (the whole industry is only worth a bit north of a Billion dollars a year anyway so why are we smashing our Prawn, Ab, Lobster and fish stocks for peanuts ..then commercial guys should be paid out and the industry wound down for any fish species that are being depleted ..fish and chip shops can use imported, farmed or local fish species that are in no trouble stockwise..i wonder how many people can really tell the difference between imported/exported or even between species..

The emphasis then should be on australians acually catching what we eat...so for those that have boats or land based and those that are happy to pay for a charter....seriously there are very few people that could not cast a line off a Jetty or pay for a days charter occasionally is there if they wanted a fresh fish..?

We really have to accept that the whole planets fisheries are under unprecedented pressure and we all have to adjust to a new reality when it comes to allocating resources in the fairest and most sustainable way..

and yeah when it comes to catch reporting I can fully understand why many Rec guys are not onboard with it....until Rec fishing is given the top priority then this will remain the case unfortunately....the Pro guys have the most vocal mouthpieces are are always playing victim and critisizing Rec fisherman..

Stuff the Pro's..bloody dinosaurs..I dislike them and their entitled attitude more all the time...I have plenty of examples where even just one or 2 of them change whole local fisheries...bastards have just about totally wiped out Sawfish in the Gulf with their Barra nets with no apparently remorse.....for some reason when everything was zoned up here..Crabbing Hinchinbrook island was still allowed so for the sake of one or 2 crabbers... everybody loses out as they daily flog the guts out of it..the only real local Landbased Barra fishery in Mission Beach..Boat bay between the boat ramp and the jetty sometimes has a barra net draped across it ...so many of these practises are so destructive for whats actually acheived...

Have a look at what the Net Free Zones in the Fitzroy River around Rockhampton has done for the Barra and Threadfin Fisheries there..its hardly rocket science...

I'm sure glad I dont live in SA..Would there even be any point bottomfishing down there..?

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/south-australian-government-extends-ban-on-fishing-snapper-in-most-state-waters/ar-AA15nHlz?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=643554d61632419795a353445531ad8a

To put it all in perspective a bit you can play around with the following map showing the amount of proper fishing boats plundering the worlds oceans...and remeber these arent just smaller local fisherman but larger commercial boats..Its interesting to see the amount of pressure on the pacific ocean and immediately to our North around Indonesia and Timor...

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:127.5/centery:-10.1/zoom:5

Apparently around half of the boats on all the worlds fishing fleet are Chinese...just imagine with the rise of the developing countries and their quickly emerging middle class lifestyles what effect that will have on the worlds resources and the oceans fisheries...India, pakistan, Indonesia, thailand and others will likely follow China's blueprint to wealth creation and creat masses of middle class people that will demand more "stuff) and a better diet including seafood...

Personally i think this is a bigger threat then Global warming and also comes with the risk of fighting for global resources...the current world energy crisis and Russias war on Ukraine surely should start to get us to think more about looking after ourselves first..

[Noelm]

I take it you're not in favour of any pro fishing........

[tunaticer]

As I have said many times before, stop all exports of our seafoods and stop all imports of any seafoods...the commercial sector only supplies our domestic demand.
License all rec fishers with a yearly license.
Make all licensed fishers, both commercial and rec declare fish taken totals.

Also I would like to see every 4th river system have a 12 month green zone applied.....every 12 months that green zone moves to the next river system clockwise around the country. This way every system is fully protected 25% of the time.

International fishing boats should never have access to our territorial waters.

[Noelm]

You need to realise there is all sorts of pro fishing, it's easy to say go to a jetty and catch a feed of fish, but where did the bait come from! How about a feed of King Prawns? There is no one size fits all, Lovey has touched on the answer, there is room for everyone, but we, as recs need to shoulder some of the blame, just saying ban pros is about as short sighted as can be.

[disorderly]

No I never said ban all pro's you silly old goat..!

I said pay their licence out for any species that are being depleted...

I obviously am not a fan of the destructive practices of many commercial fishing endeavours...

Up here in FNQ the Coral trout numbers seem to be pretty healthy..and if biomass numbers on mixed reef , Nannigai and Red emperor etc are shown to be sustainable then then some form of commercial line fishing is OK for all these species..

The East coast Spanish mackeral numbers has shown them to be in trouble so yes until they are back to good numbers no commercial fishing of them should be allowed....Doesnt that make sense to you Noel..?

Snapper should be off the table for commercial fishing dont you think..?..the management of that species has been an absolute debacle..

Hinchinbrook island should be off limits for commercial crabbing..to me its short sighted that for the sake of one or 2 Pro crabbers that the 1000's of rec guys that visit this amazing place catch stuff all crabs ..seems an easy fix to me but politics gets in the way..

All I'm saying is Recs and Charter guys should have priority over Pro's if there is any qualms about sustainibilty of certain species........

and the bait thing I have talked about before...besides bait-netting for fisherman, a staggering amount of sardine/pilchards/anchovy are caught and made into pellets and meal to raise fish in cages and dams which are often not very ecologically sound in their own right but thats all another story ..

[Noelm]

Therein lies the problem...again, you are just picking bits and pieces that suit your area, we ALL need to shoulder the load, just picking out pros because you don't like them, while saying recs should just carry on, is short sighted and about as selfish as you can get, from the "silly old goat!

[NAGG]

As I have said many times before, stop all exports of our seafoods and stop all imports of any seafoods...the commercial sector only supplies our domestic demand.
License all rec fishers with a yearly license.
Make all licensed fishers, both commercial and rec declare fish taken totals.

Also I would like to see every 4th river system have a 12 month green zone applied.....every 12 months that green zone moves to the next river system clockwise around the country. This way every system is fully protected 25% of the time.

International fishing boats should never have access to our territorial waters.

I have a chuckle everytime I hear this
stop all exports of our seafoods and stop all imports of any seafoods - Clearly no understanding of our fishery .

The reality is that Australia is not volume fishery (our waters are not nutrient rich) - However it is a quality fishery .

Our seafood commands high prices around the world ........ so would you want to see someones livelyhood impacted by closing their lucrative export markets .

Then there is affordability for the domestic markets (we are a low volume high cost producer)..... A lot of our seafood is imported (processed) something we don't do here. Or we get seafood imported from much more productive waters & at a reasonable price ...... I wouldn't eat Basa or Vannamei prawns - but for a lot of people , that's all they can afford .

It's very easy to throw that line out ..... like Pauline Hanson does - but the reality is that we cant . We import more seafood than we export & those exports are worth much more than the domestic market would be willing to pay. Oysters are a great example of this ...... most of our oysters are produced for the domestic market with something like 5% exported ...... & yet we are paying $2 + each . Imagine the prices if all our seafood was for the domestic market .

Chris

[Noelm]

I have said this a thousand times (1001 now) it's a very emotive issue, they are not our fish, or the pros fish, it's very much a shared take, almost entirely, issue. Banning pros/buying out does not always solve the problem, lesser bag limits, bigger size limits, closed seasons and that sort of stuff is also not the golden answer, importing and exporting is not the be all to end all, charter fishing is in a way commercial fishing, it's a very finely balanced intermingled combination of all these things, and none of us are prepared to take the hard line, unless it's against someone else or someone else's area/state/favoured fish. As it stands, and this is a very tired, long dead horse, "we" as rec fisherpeople have bugger all hard data to base any argument on, and so far, I don't think we ever will the way these threads go.

[Dignity]

Welcome to the world of global economy, it was always going to end up in a shi!t fight. We need exports to generate money (basic economics) so exports need to stay but greed got the better of most exporters and they were crying poor when the pandemic hit and had to sell on the domestic market at reduced rates. Coral Trout are around in good numbers and those that want to and can catch a feed will get them, good luck to them but try buying one at a seafood market or restaurant, very scarce and very expensive, no doubt there are a few people on here who can tell stories of how that industry works. Once a market for live coral trout was identified as being viable, it took off and the domestic market suffered. Same as crays/lobster, used to be able to buy them cheap until it was found live exports were so profitable the domestic market once again suffered (not to mention gas - approvals for drilling were based on domestic market first and price not tied to export market but every one of them threw that agreement out with the bathwater once they started).

Bans - will never really work as rec fishers are their own worst enemy, ban the pros but let rec fishers take what they want. Never a good thing, I have already recounted here previously how one presenter at a fishing show 30 years ago bragged how he could find a school of squire (smaller snapper) and take up to 300 in a night, he was a so called rec fisher. Is there merit in closing certain species, probably is but until rec fishers are required to document their catches it may come sooner rather than later. There are smart people out there who can develop a system, after all there is an app for nearly everything you can think of and it wouldn't be hard to complete one for each trip and it would need to include C&R as that would have an impact an also tells how healthy the fishery is. I know on some of my trips not a single pearlie or snapper released made it to the bottom, often it is a dolphin that hangs around and zooms straight in as soon as the fish is released ( we used throw it a pillie on one side of the boat while releasing the fish on the other but they aren't stupid and would have both, other times it is sharks that hang around. Once again not a simple statistic to capture as by catch for both pros and rec fishers are not taken into account.

Pro's certainly do have an impact but closing them all down doesn't solve any of the issues, I agree that sometimes the logic (if it even exists) isn't clear, yes it is a case of buy out most of them and leave a few behind but that is just crap decision making as in the past the govt sold the bought back licenses to the remaining pros, probably changed now, I haven't kept pace with it so correct me please. I've been in other parts of the world where the fisheries collapsed due to overfishing and never made a comeback, otherwise pristine areas devoid of fish life so we need to do something or else there will be very little for everyone to share. I know I can catch a reasonable feed locally but have to often work hard for it or move further afield for an easier catch but even in the last 20 years here on the sunshine coast the catch rate has diminished considerably. Catching bait to turn into farm fish fodder doesn't help but came about because of bio security issues from previously importing bait to feed the tuna industry, introduction of a virus that nearly wiped out the humble WA Pillie industry.

The answer is 42 because I don't have any other answer to give as no matter what is proposed I as well as every other angler whether rec or pro will see a problem with the proposed solution and until we own the problem which is what rec fishers in the main don't do then we will suffer the consequences. Sorry about the ramble, must be the after effects of yesterday's Christmas party.

Merry Christmas to you all and please be safe both on the water as well as on the land.

[Volvo]

Welcome to the world of global economy, it was always going to end up in a shi!t fight. We need exports to generate money (basic economics) so exports need to stay but greed got the better of most exporters and they were crying poor when the pandemic hit and had to sell on the domestic market at reduced rates. Coral Trout are around in good numbers and those that want to and can catch a feed will get them, good luck to them but try buying one at a seafood market or restaurant, very scarce and very expensive, no doubt there are a few people on here who can tell stories of how that industry works. Once a market for live coral trout was identified as being viable, it took off and the domestic market suffered. Same as crays/lobster, used to be able to buy them cheap until it was found live exports were so profitable the domestic market once again suffered (not to mention gas - approvals for drilling were based on domestic market first and price not tied to export market but every one of them threw that agreement out with the bathwater once they started).

Bans - will never really work as rec fishers are their own worst enemy, ban the pros but let rec fishers take what they want. Never a good thing, I have already recounted here previously how one presenter at a fishing show 30 years ago bragged how he could find a school of squire (smaller snapper) and take up to 300 in a night, he was a so called rec fisher. Is there merit in closing certain species, probably is but until rec fishers are required to document their catches it may come sooner rather than later. There are smart people out there who can develop a system, after all there is an app for nearly everything you can think of and it wouldn't be hard to complete one for each trip and it would need to include C&R as that would have an impact an also tells how healthy the fishery is. I know on some of my trips not a single pearlie or snapper released made it to the bottom, often it is a dolphin that hangs around and zooms straight in as soon as the fish is released ( we used throw it a pillie on one side of the boat while releasing the fish on the other but they aren't stupid and would have both, other times it is sharks that hang around. Once again not a simple statistic to capture as by catch for both pros and rec fishers are not taken into account.

Pro's certainly do have an impact but closing them all down doesn't solve any of the issues, I agree that sometimes the logic (if it even exists) isn't clear, yes it is a case of buy out most of them and leave a few behind but that is just crap decision making as in the past the govt sold the bought back licenses to the remaining pros, probably changed now, I haven't kept pace with it so correct me please. I've been in other parts of the world where the fisheries collapsed due to overfishing and never made a comeback, otherwise pristine areas devoid of fish life so we need to do something or else there will be very little for everyone to share. I know I can catch a reasonable feed locally but have to often work hard for it or move further afield for an easier catch but even in the last 20 years here on the sunshine coast the catch rate has diminished considerably. Catching bait to turn into farm fish fodder doesn't help but came about because of bio security issues from previously importing bait to feed the tuna industry, introduction of a virus that nearly wiped out the humble WA Pillie industry.

The answer is 42 because I don't have any other answer to give as no matter what is proposed I as well as every other angler whether rec or pro will see a problem with the proposed solution and until we own the problem which is what rec fishers in the main don't do then we will suffer the consequences. Sorry about the ramble, must be the after effects of yesterday's Christmas party.

Merry Christmas to you all and please be safe both on the water as well as on the land.

Merry Christmas to you and Yours also mate :)..

[billfisher]

"If we are dealling with a finite resource thats shown not to be recovering then without a doubt the first to go is export (the whole industry is only worth a bit north of a Billion dollars a year anyway so why are we smashing our Prawn, Ab, Lobster and fish stocks for peanuts ..then commercial guys should be paid out and the industry wound down for any fish species that are being depleted ..fish and chip shops can use imported, farmed or local fish species that are in no trouble stockwise..i wonder how many people can really tell the difference between imported/exported or even between species.."

Most of we consume already is imported (about 80%), Also very little finfish (by volume) is exported.

[Noelm]

So the suggestion to buy out the pros and feed the non fishing public rubbish imported shit.....which is putting it mildly, it's already been mentioned not eating Vanemi Prawns, Basa and other rubbish is worse, or at least, just as bad.

[Volvo]

::) Getting a bit that way now. Forgive me O Lord for i have sinned !!..
At days end it will be the Rec Fisher to get the shyte stuffed out of him as the mighty $$ has much bigger n better a hearing Aid!!..

[Noelm]

::) Getting a bit that way now. Forgive me O Lord for i have sinned !!..
At days end it will be the Rec Fisher to get the shyte stuffed out of him as the mighty $$ has much bigger n better a hearing Aid!!..
we are doing it to ourselves, we are a selfish bunch, always were and always will be, ban everything, but leave me alone!

[Volvo]

No Disrespect Mate but dont quite agree with you wholy there.
Yes there may be the few who try push the limits on both sides of the fence but o erall i DO BELIEVE most Rec Fishos sre doing the right thing.
Ferget about what happened in yesteryear but for auite some time people have been abiding by their bag limits etc.
Shyte happens with everything n we cant take it out on everyone because because of the few.
At my age i can also remember when Water , Gas Electricity etc was Very Much affordale but nowdays everything is a Big $$$ Industry including your recreation n what you use ,catch etc to appease your interest ad it will get worse without my beckoning some sort of Comunistic state where i have to record everytime i go for a crap or how many pieces of shytepaper i use in the Process.
Next thing one knows we will be pushing each other to install Cameras in our house so everyone can see where we are , what we are upta etc etc.
Thank Feck im at the age i am n near over all the crap being suggested.
Anyway better get off my Banana Box before i fall off lol.
Havent the interest to reread n edit either lol.

[chris69]

Buying out the pros is like getting rid of the mining companies , who wants to remove all the topsoil to get to the coal not me just like my seafood if I want to buy some I want to got to a seafood seller not deal with a pretend shamster semi pro with someone’s bad seafood handling practices and dodge filleting skills and my prawns cooked buy from someone that knows how to cook a prawn in sea water keep it in nice salt brine for a good tasting prawn, I like my wild caught prawns not these pond scum prawns that there trying to pass off as Australian tiger prawns.

[Lovey80]

Welcome to the world of global economy, it was always going to end up in a shi!t fight. We need exports to generate money (basic economics) so exports need to stay but greed got the better of most exporters and they were crying poor when the pandemic hit and had to sell on the domestic market at reduced rates. Coral Trout are around in good numbers and those that want to and can catch a feed will get them, good luck to them but try buying one at a seafood market or restaurant, very scarce and very expensive, no doubt there are a few people on here who can tell stories of how that industry works. Once a market for live coral trout was identified as being viable, it took off and the domestic market suffered. Same as crays/lobster, used to be able to buy them cheap until it was found live exports were so profitable the domestic market once again suffered (not to mention gas - approvals for drilling were based on domestic market first and price not tied to export market but every one of them threw that agreement out with the bathwater once they started).

Bans - will never really work as rec fishers are their own worst enemy, ban the pros but let rec fishers take what they want. Never a good thing, I have already recounted here previously how one presenter at a fishing show 30 years ago bragged how he could find a school of squire (smaller snapper) and take up to 300 in a night, he was a so called rec fisher. Is there merit in closing certain species, probably is but until rec fishers are required to document their catches it may come sooner rather than later. There are smart people out there who can develop a system, after all there is an app for nearly everything you can think of and it wouldn't be hard to complete one for each trip and it would need to include C&R as that would have an impact an also tells how healthy the fishery is. I know on some of my trips not a single pearlie or snapper released made it to the bottom, often it is a dolphin that hangs around and zooms straight in as soon as the fish is released ( we used throw it a pillie on one side of the boat while releasing the fish on the other but they aren't stupid and would have both, other times it is sharks that hang around. Once again not a simple statistic to capture as by catch for both pros and rec fishers are not taken into account.

Pro's certainly do have an impact but closing them all down doesn't solve any of the issues, I agree that sometimes the logic (if it even exists) isn't clear, yes it is a case of buy out most of them and leave a few behind but that is just crap decision making as in the past the govt sold the bought back licenses to the remaining pros, probably changed now, I haven't kept pace with it so correct me please. I've been in other parts of the world where the fisheries collapsed due to overfishing and never made a comeback, otherwise pristine areas devoid of fish life so we need to do something or else there will be very little for everyone to share. I know I can catch a reasonable feed locally but have to often work hard for it or move further afield for an easier catch but even in the last 20 years here on the sunshine coast the catch rate has diminished considerably. Catching bait to turn into farm fish fodder doesn't help but came about because of bio security issues from previously importing bait to feed the tuna industry, introduction of a virus that nearly wiped out the humble WA Pillie industry.

The answer is 42 because I don't have any other answer to give as no matter what is proposed I as well as every other angler whether rec or pro will see a problem with the proposed solution and until we own the problem which is what rec fishers in the main don't do then we will suffer the consequences. Sorry about the ramble, must be the after effects of yesterday's Christmas party.

Merry Christmas to you all and please be safe both on the water as well as on the land.

I agree with a lot of what you said there. I do disagree with you on the Sunny Coast decline. Apart from bait schools, I think the overall snapper/Pearlie fishing has improved. In line with each of the management changes, there was a lag where things were tough but a few years later you saw the benefits. Sure with a massive population growth in that time the close in reefs get hammered. But overall, from Caloundra to the hards, the fishing I think has improved with a lot more fish in those lower 35-55cm size ranges than 20 years ago.

[NAGG]

We certainly need regulating ........ It was said earlier - we are greedy & that goes for the commercial guys as well . Heck even today on my facebook feed a 200m net was pulled up by Fisheries on the Clyde River & in the habitat protection zone. ...... just another example of greed .

The other disturbing thing is that anecdotally more rec fishoes are selling fish/crab illegally ...... Quite a few have been caught & the amount of nets seized / pulled is continuous.

I dont know how many times I've told people on my boat to put fish back because we have exceeded limits - bag / slot or even undersized ....... some even getting shitty -
"not a problem , go do it in your own boat "

For any one to say that rec fishoes generally do the right thing is pretty naive ...... I certainly know of a few who have been pinged .

Chris

[Noelm]

I guess to be fair, most do the right thing, but, the problem here, is sometimes the right thing is still way above what we should be taking. I have nothing against anyone getting their bag limit, it's legal, that's just how it is. Black marketeers, illegal netters and stuff like that will go on forever, unless someone knows someone and actually dobs them in, the chances of being caught is slim at best. Rec fishing licenses have gone a long way towards better facilities, how about license fees be introduced nationwide and the revenue be used to employ a lot more fisheries patrol officers? How some kind of catch rate data can be collected by rec fishers is complicated, but for the long game, it's going to be necessary, introduction will be faced with paranoia and gross mistrust, but without that documented data, we will always be at the mercy of guesses and complete shutdowns.

[Qlder1]

My thoughts (and sadly experience) is that a fair chunk of people are selfish, greedy pricks who don't give a shit. Pros as well as recs. They spoil it for the rest. They need to be forced to follow the rules, because if they can get away with it they will. The only way to maybe slow that down is to catch them and stop them, either by losing pro licence, or rec. licences.

Rules are mostly there already, just need to be enforced. If that means by paying a licence to rec. fish so be it. As long as the money was used to police the pros and boat ramps etc much more than they are currently doing.

I am not sure how the research is done into fish stocks, but if its from pro fishing catch records, or boat ramp survey data it's pretty inaccurate.

Someone mentioned the Fitzroy net ban further up the thread. I would guess there are still nets being snuck in at nights, mostly cause the pros that used to net now have crab licences. So many that its almost not worth recs chucking a pot in.

I don't know how it works in more populated areas, maybe its better and more policing, but in regional and remote areas its spread pretty thin.

[Noelm]

Policing fisheries laws is pretty thin everywhere, patrol officer numbers have just slowly dwindled down, while people fishing have increased. The pro catch data is pretty accurate, because its their living and (legally sold) catch is well documented. There is always cash sales (both rec and pro) that will never be counted, but, as it stands, the rec catch is just a scientific stab in the dark, and by the sheer number of recs, the catch rate would be staggering.

[Berger4]

S*&T just spent 5 mins typing a post and managed to delete it somehow. Here we go again.

I was talking to a bloke at the boat ramp the other day(Yep still in Perth until end of Jan) and he mention how they where removing the size limit for Dhufish, I didn't think much about it at the time just thought he was wrong or bullshitting me. Anyway it got the better of me and I looked it up and low and behold he was right see below.

Surely there has to be a better way as I can only imagine the number of small fish that will be kept now? I do know they all suffer from Barotrauma having seen it myself. I just can't think of a better way especially Dhufish probably one of the most prized fish over here yet the most vulnerable. Anyway you thoughts???



Removal of size limits for WA Dhufish, Baldchin Groper and Breaksea Cod to limit barotrauma.

[Dignity]

I keep seeing an auto save come up when I'm typing a longish post but have never figured out how to retrieve it once accidentally hitting the wrong button.