Should Snapper Size and Bag Limits be Increased

[blue_rogue]

I think you blokes are carrying on a bit here!

Couple of reasons:

1. I don't think this year is any better then others, and it has been a cracker of a season.

2. Most blokes can't catch 5 snapper

3. The current regulations are more than adequate.

If the regulations are tightened up much more in will become pointless going out to catch a feed. And finally on tagging big snapper and throwing them back; I think you are turning them into shark bait. Yes, they may live for a while, but they are pretty bloody doey from the stress of the capture and are and become an easy target for the sharks.

Leave the current rules alone,

Good fishing

[once_bitten]

40cm and keep 5

[sacman]

How many snapper are we talking about here ? The average ausfish member probably fishes twice a month and averages no more than 2 fish per trip. Even at a popular area like hutchies the number of snapper caught on a busy weekend would not be more than 30 odd by recreational fishers. Of these only 4 or 5 boats would have bagged 5. So changing the present regulations could affect say 10 of these fish at hutchies over an average weekend. There has to be a more important area to direct all the attention that this topic generate as it is not the recreational fishers that have a big impact on the snapper population. A poll showing how many snapper the average ausfish member catches in the season together with the average amount of money spent chasing them might help send the attention in the right direction.

[joeT]

In my life, I've only ever caught 7 legal snapper, 6 of them this year (well, it was last week ). If the limits were raised to 45cm, then it would just be one. Common guys, ease up on the lower end fisherpeople, not everyone can get out to hutchies, and not everyone catches big fish. I try damn hard, I bought a boat, all the good gear, out most weekends. If I can't catch a legal fish with this sort of effort, then I might as well give up. Imagine a casual land based angler, he'll never take home a legal snapper to eat.

If you add up all the snapper caught by ausfish members this year, it wouldn't add up to anywhere near the numbers caught by one pro trawler in a week (you guys don't catch that many fish do you?). Just reducing the number or quota on a couple of pro boats would make more difference on fish numbers than banning all ausfish members from snapper fishing.

I don't know why people have an impression that rec fishers have the capability of destroying fish populations. Just read back at the post about the tunnel nets at mud island. That sort of activity is what reduces fish numbers.

[The_Tub]

Hows it going fellas?
For the first time in a few years! i didn't enter the evans head comp
I fish out of evans/ballina

there was a good sea running early!
Itried for the previous week to get out, but work , and the leader of the opposition made short work of that ??? ???

I have been out several times ,and the place is barron

I heard of a couple of blokes at the comp that flilled two of freezers of snaps
what is that bull fn%%% shi&&t
I think whats in possession,and the size limit is better than it has been.
temps right and current any deeper and the jackets flog you

[theoldlegend]

This is a hard one!! Anyway, here's my thoughts and questions. Are snapper migratory or do they tend to stay in the one spot? I don't know. I've heard that the ones pulled up from down deep may not have much of a chance if they're put back. Once again, I don't know. If they do stay in the one spot, and they don't survive after being thrown back, then the population might decrease pretty quickly.

Therefore, if the size was reduced by say 5cms, then a throwback might turn into a keeper. This is in deep water, but I don't think it would be an issue in the shallower water. A closed season might help also. Maybe the DPI Fisheries might have some data on this stuff. I should send them an email and see if they've got anything.

TOL

[RICHO]

As a bay fisho, I'll give you another option.
35cm and a bag of 5 stays. I think is starting to show benefit already. But, the bag of 5 includes only 1 fish over 50cm or maybe 60cm at the most. This will keep the BIG breeders around. After that, look for another fish variety.
There does need to be some research on death of released fish or all this is of no use if you put back a fish and it packs it in any way.
Richo

[bignick]

I would say an increase in size to 40cm with a bag limit of 10 would do the trick. However, a 40cm Squire is a pretty good fish and the Moreton Bay fishos (of which I am one) would probably be loath to throw back a 39cm fish; they already hate throwing back 34cm models. Possibly the larger size fish may, when released, have a better chance of survival being physically bigger and stronger. Also, it should give the fish more spawning opportunities.

Cheers,
NICK.

[vertico]

what does everyone think about a maximun size ?

[outsiderskip]

squire up to 2kg 5
snapper 5

[dfox]

Unlike some other species that are exclusively Female when large snapper arent.. The goal of every snapper fisherman is to nail that often cunning and dirty fighting monster fish, theres alway exceptions to the rules but in general the large fish 8-9-10plus kilos take some catching and dont come easy. School snapper like those being caught of late 2-7 kg are relatively easy to catch, but the bigger ones make you work both once hooked or just getting them to take a bait. Id hate to see the day when the angler wasnt given the option to keep his targeted specimen. Bay fisherman or offshore most target or dream of that 10kg fish.
Ive scuba dived in many of our popular fishing locations and seen many xxxos snapper, but few of them seem to be caught on rod and reel.
So to sum up a max. size i say no. ...foxy

[blueringin]

well weather u like it or not things will change up in sunny qld,down here in frosty SA we have had to get used to a bag limit of 2 fish over 60cm and 2mths closed season ,and wheras u lot can catch Pearlys/parrot/macks/cod/and wathaveu we got stuff all else to catch,big fish wise > so if i go out and catch 2 biggies well im home in a flash but down hear a biggie can go 40 pounds so if i catch just the 1 i come home contented

[gawby]

Well heres my 2 bobs worth,
The cost to go out off the gold coast chasing these fish is no bother to me as i do it as a relaxing pass time.
I think the size limit could be raised as at present 35cm dosnt give you much of a fillet nor is it muck cooked whole.
At the end of the day, how much fish can you eat and it dosnt taste the same coming out of the freezer.
Brejen and myself throw a lot of fish back, all species as we would rather catch and keep quality instead of quantity. We have had a few trips outside and produced nothing. The day out on the water with no catch is still a good day for me.
Graeme.

[FNQCairns]

Does anyone understand that increasing the size limit for rec anglers will make bugger all difference if any and this goes for any species targeted heavily by both rec anglers and the commercial industry ???.
There is a hell of a lot of water/ground out there and fish are still animals burdened with all the basic ecological rules that apply to animals, if a rec fisherman takes his bag limit every trip for a year it is important to realise it would not make a registerable blip in any way upon the entire population or it's makeup.

Basic principles of ecology are at work under the ocean surface regardless of popular political concerns.

The driving force behind limits for the gov is for it ensure it give less of its property away tax free, they must see a direct profit as it must in any natural resource industry.

It's nice to be concerned but one has to recognise that unless each rec fisherman takes a commercial quantity of any popular fish species they really do not make a measurable dint over a sensible time frame or area. Especially so under the laws that exist today for rec anglers.

To put it another way- think of ants, grasshoppers even Kookaburras or minor birds where the primary consideration for population growth/maintenance is territory (competition) and food availabitlity, considered K selected species from memory (it's been a while). I would assume that most popular and naturally prolific species of fish are also K selected in nature.

Anyway Commercial fishing is THE problem and until many honest individuals at a high level come into fishery's management and we as rec fishers stop believing the popular culture on fish limits nothing will actually change for the betterment of fisho's. Believe it!
fnq

[blueringin]

Well down here in SA we are only allowed 2 fish over 60 cm which is fair enough and something we all try to come to grips with,then we have the whyalla big snapper comp,upwards of a 1000 ppl converge on the reefs trying to win the $2000 big fish award >big friggin deal) eh,ppl from vic bring there $50000, boats,and $50000 4x4 to catch a fish that is a great fish to catch and eat, but there are only so many over here and a 30lb fish is supposed to be around 30/to 40 yrs old so i am bloody angry that the organisers dont give a shit what we say and just keep doing it year after year