Spanish and Slimie issues

[Lucky_Phill]

Spanish and Slimie Issues.


I would like to collect information from Ausfishers in regard to their experience in the last few years in relation to Spanish Mackerel and Slimie Mackerel.

Noticing a common thread amongst posts in recent times here, personal experience and anecdotal evidence from commercial fishers and recreational fishers, I have become aware that the Spanish Mackerel population and Slimie Mackerel population are in severe decline. There seems to be an answer to this that sticks out more so than the usual drought, over fishing, seasonal changes etc.

It is known that the Slimie Mackerel is a favourite and sort after food source for Spanish Mackerel and there is a seasonal migration in relation to the Spanish Mackerel which co-incides with the blossoming Slimie population.

The high reduction in Spanish Mackerel numbers , particulary along the Sunshine Coast, Queensland down to the Mid Northern NSW coast has been evidenced by Commercial and Recreational Fishers alike. There is a common cause to this and I would like to expand on this theory and put into place a factual submission to the powers that be to attempt to rectify the problem.

A number of years ago, a huge number of long-line fishing vessels invaded the Central East Coast of Australia. These vessels, at the time , used artificial baits and dead baits to place on their long lines. It became quite apparent after some trial and error that a live slimie mackerel was the ultimate bait. It then became necessary to obtain these baits at a reasonable cost. Purchasing dead slimies was not an option and therefore this lead to the vessels utilizing a net to gather their own baits. The vessels would net huge numbers of slimies, but………here is the issue, they would net within a certain distance of the coastline which, to my knowledge was and is illegal.

The DPI&F have been made aware of this practice and to date no response as far as investigations has been carried out, as far as I am aware of.


I read in a post somewhere here on Ausfish about a member seeing the netting in action. So, if that person or anyone else has information regarding the long line vessels netting slimies, please forward it to me either via here, pm or email. I need facts and good accurate information.

Thanks in advance

Phill

[Tony_N]

Just a bump, Phill

Unfortunately I don't have any useful information other than to say that here in northern NSW as apparently everywhere else, the slimies are very hard to find, I haven't caught a single spanish this year, but then again our season has only just started with the macs on their way back up north - they don't come in in numbers on the way south,

Its great that you are looking into this

Tony

[nigelr]

I mentioned in a post recently that I had observed boats netting what I believed to be slimies.
I am located near Urunga on the mid north coast NSW, this incident occured in approx Jan 07, on the inshore grounds in approx 25 mtres, a couple of kilometers off Hungry Head.
Although I believe this to be true, this is only my opinion, I was certainly unable to confirm that slimies were actually being targetted.
May well have been pilchards, or some other similar baitfish, I can confirm they were being preyed on by bonito.
The boats doing the netting were certainly not longliners, they were small craft that I would guess were either prawn boats or trap boats, I would hazard a guess they were working out of Coffs Harbour.
The day in question, before these boats arrived, there were literally acres of baitfish schools covering an area of a couple square kilometers.
Three or four small commercial vessels arrived and began running up and down netting these schools for two to three hours.
By the time they left, the schools had either dispersed, or been decimated.
The operating proceedure of the netters was very efficient.
Once again, I cannot state catagorically that slimies were the target, but they have certainly been scarce hereabouts this summer and the summer before, in my experience at least, and from anecdotal evidence from others who fish hereabouts.
Thankfully the numbers of spotted mackeral caught in this vicinity are up considerably on those of last year, going on my own experiences and anecdotal evidence from others, reports in local paper, etc.
I will endevour to to take much more serious notice if I observe this netting practice again, at the time I was more concerned with my own efforts to catch a feed!
A fascinating topic IMO, hope to read plenty of further contributions, it would be good to arrive at the truth of why slimy numbers appear to be in quite severe decline.
I seem to unfortunately only vaguely recall reading a couple of posts regarding this issue centred down on the south coast NSW, some pro boats were loading up on livies before heading out to fish, to the severe detriment of the baitgrounds mentioned. These posts may have been on Fishnet, however.
Best of luck with it.

[Gilligan]

Phil

Have personally done this myself in the form of purse netting whilst longlining. It was done off the old cannery wharf down in Eden. I did ask of course if this was legal and told by the skipper that it was as long as you had a permit.( this is like 13-14 years ago). We were a small boat (32ft) so carrying 1000-2000 slimies/yakkas per trip and setiing 3000 hooks per shot. The big boys however are taking 3000-5000 per trip plus.

My mate down in Coffs has noticed a severe decline in slimey numbers also in the last few years, he also blames the longliners bait catching habits for this, also metioned of a boat he knew of that dumped 5000 of the buggers because their pump broke down. Now in school size terms thats not much but do the math if 20 boats on the east coast do that once a week.

Will stick to the same ol story..........we never should have allowed longlining in commonwealth waters.ig

Zig

[nigelr]

My guess would be the smaller boats I observed netting baitfish may have been supplying larger vessels fishing out of Coffs.
Somehow I doubt this would be the only port on the East coast where this or similar practices are occuring.
Hope you get a bit more interest in this topic Phill, personally I believe it is very much more important than the amount of replies received so far would indicate.
Cheers.

[Livey]

Can someone explain how these guys net in 25m of water so we can recognise if it is happening.

[Noelm]

hhhmmm, here in the Illawarra there is more Slimies and yakkas than you could possibly use in a million years, BUT, there is a couple of fulltime operators netting them, and have done so for a few years, I cannot explain this, but they are getting thicker!! I was told that it could be so because when a Slimie is in stress, it spawns!! so the more they are netten, the more they breed, possible?? don't know, but it seems to be so.

[Lucky_Phill]

Send those slimies this way Noel......

I am awaiting information from the Department Manager of the Long Line Fishery and the Spanish Mackerel fishery, which by co-incidence, is the same person. Not too sure if that's a good idea, but !

I have perused the pages of the Departments catch and quota reports up until 2005. There has been a sharp decline in Commercial Quote numbers since 2002/03. In fact the quota was 567ton in 2003/04 and down to 326ton for 2004/05. Could this be due in part to the Long Line Fishery ?

More to come.

Phill

[Spaniard_King]

Hi Phill,

I cant confirm any long line activity but I can confirm from my own experience that we are definately short on slimies and Spaniards over the past couple of years. I thought last season was bad but this season has been a shocker. Bait in general is so hard to get on the southern end of the Gold Coast we have put the pelagic gear away infavor of plastics for snapper. Our Spaniard season normally runs into June.

cheers

Garry

[Lucky_Phill]

Thanks Garry, this is the general consensis I am getting from far and wide.

I'll keep you updated.

Phill