New Bag @ Size Limits

[Fitzy]

Haven't read the full thing as yet, the normal press release wasn't forthcoming. hhhmmmm
Anyway, I think there's a couple of things in there (freshwater) that I recommended. Maybe some others that I wont like. Just got a copy of the fax from Vern, will sit & try to read it.

Fitzy..

[punter]

I think the new bag and size limits are a step in the wright direction, but why has nothing been proposed for the dwindling Sand Crabs, every year it gets harder and harder to get a feed of sand crab so I'd like to see a 10 crab per man bag limit come in for them.

While I am at it a 25cm size limit for bream wouldn't hurt either.

[whopper]

One thing that concerned me when reading the article in the sunday mail was the way in which sunfish was portrayed as being a body representing all recreational fishing.
To me, sunfish represents the fishing clubs in se qld, many of which continue to carry out massive slaughters in the name of competition. Sunfish is ineffective because they continue to blame pro fishermen with little effort to clean up the practices of recreational fisherman. sunfish fails to see that the pros use us (rec fishos) as their excuse for low fish stocks. If sunfish was to whole heartedly support any bag limits and restrictions then the pros cant use us as an excuse. To me 5 snapper, 5 flathead, 5 trag etc each is more than enough, just for sunfish to disagree and ask for ten is enough to turn many rec fishos i know away from them. If the new limits stop people from going fishing, good! these are the sorts of people who are doing the damage anyway. If some of the charter operators go out of business, good! those that allow customers to fill 100L iceboxes with fillets are just as bad as pros anyway. I am not particularly anti - sunfish, i am just of the opinion that they do more worse than good. THere is no doubt that their attitude towards pros is correct - the bastards are responsible for the majority of the damage to our fish stocks and if I really got started on them I could go all day, however I firmly believe that we need to 'clean up our own backyard' before we can properly address the pros. Anyway my opinion to sunfish - 10 fish is too many and i think in some cases 5 is too (flathead could be 2 or 3 and i'd be happy)

[Vern_Veitch]

Sand crabs are not part of this particular plan - neither are bream, east coast barra, coral trout etc.
As for Sunfish funding, it is a long story but they pulled a service and financial audit on us. Few minor problems but nothing that we thought could not be easily fixed. Apparently it now must go the Auditor General and the department apparently has a few problems of its own that were uncovered.
The audit was probably pulled to try to silence us but we wait and see where it goes - or do we? Seems they had the view that their funding could buy us and we should support everything they said rather than represent our membership while at the same time trying to represent the interests of the fishery from a recreational perspective. We cannot and do not represent people who are not Sunfish members.
We are now at the stage that we are unable to provide any services to government or advice outside our own organisation as it costs us money and we do no have a lot.
We have put together a strategy to maximise our communication dollars and have started to implement that.
It will now be very interesting to see how the government talks to rec fishers and undertakes their representation and consultation.
As for Sunfish controlling licence funds, what a great idea. Unfortunately it is unlikely on this planet.
Vern

[krazyfisher]

whopper
first question have you ever had anything to do with sunfish? If so why do you say they represent fishing clubs in SEQ they are in all parts of queensland that I know of. I have been to meetings and to my surprise they were not bagging pro's but talking with them on some issues. They seem to be very conserned with the water ways, and land management. I think you might find that they are doing and have done alot to help the fisheries. I know they have helped in starting fresh water stocking, programs in schools, helping with the disabled to have fishing access, working with other bodies to help save wet lands the list goes on and on. I dont know what you have had to do with them but it seems limited. As for killing fish in the name of sport I though that was the idea of fresh water stocking to take the pressure off the natural areas. But as you say if it stops people fishing its a good thing, well that would make it easier for the goverment wouldn't it (If the new limits stop people from going fishing, good! ) this was your quote! I too could go on and on my though is I want to surport people that are trying to help us

[jaybee]

Vern I am not a sunfish member..however if it takes to get what is done i will join ..how much for pensioners..without sunfish qld rec fishers are going to suffer...i am in the fight for the long haul member or not..however i realise Sunfish can only do so much and it is still up to the average fisherperson to do their bit as well.
cheers
Joseph

[krazyfisher]

from memory full membership to sunfish is $20 cheap investment

[Vern_Veitch]

Depends on wher you live JB. Costs about $20 a year.
We are set up as follows;
13 Branches from Weipa to South Moreton. These run totally from membership and are all volunteers. They meet once a month and do things like angler education, clean-up days and attend all sorts of meetings with government departments to try to improve the health of our waterways.
We also have all the major fishing club organisations including ANSA, QAFCA, QGFA, Bluefins, Underwater Divers etc. They all pay $500.00 per organisation to be a member.
On top of this we have a Rec Fishing Alliance where our co-members are BIAQ, Small Craft Association, QIRF (Tackle suppliers and shops) and we work together to try to get a better deal.
With the fishing clubs and our brnaches we have about 45 000 members Queensland wide but most are pretty latent and a few pick up the ball and run with it.
Best to join one of the brnaches near you and get involved in what your interests are.
As for Whopper's posting, we certainly do NOT represent all fishers - it would not be possible.
I have copped a fair bit of flack in some circles for supporting bag limits and then others give me a pasting for not supporting them enough.
All we can do is try to put forward the views of the majority and this site helps with that.
If anyone is interested, I can post contact detaisl for all Sunfish branches and member organisation contacts.
Vern

[jaybee]

okay pay day tomorrow i am a member will chase it up live in kingston..was hoping to subscribe to BNB but this is more important...mmm considering the government said there were 600,000 rec anglers during the tailor RIS which I believe has now dropped considerably with this... keep up the good work vern

cheers
Joseph.

[jaybee]

I said what I said in the last post because I read where QLD rec fishermen spent some 11 million days fishing last year on an estimate of 350,000 fisherman..i have lost the link but as soon as i find it I will post it..but another drop on the governments estimate of rec fisherpersons from 600,000 during the tailor RIS
cheers.

[jaybee]

Havent found the link yet but correct me if I am wrong..gbrmpa said rec fishers take most of the fish..so is line fishery as stated on the dpi site both combined pro and rec fishers..if not then they have got it wrong again at 5000t which at least half is coral trout... http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/extra/pdf/...troduction.pdf
still looking for the link where it states 350,000 rec fishers spent 11 million days fishing..i will find it if it kills me
cheers.

[Vern_Veitch]

DOn't know the figures you are talking about JB but Rfish Survey says that there are 850 000 rec fishers now. This is s slight drop from 1997 but has remained the same from 1999 to 2001.
As for the Coral Reef Line Fishery, ther is no way that rec fishers approach the commercial catch. In Coral Trout, rec fishers take an estimated 300 000 fish or about 300 tonne. Last year, the commercial catch was over 2000 tonne after an effort blowout partly as a result of excess capacity in the trawl fishery being stopped and moving into other fisheries.
IF you wnat to do some research, the reports needed are the Catch and Trends Report 2001 and the latest Rfish reports. DPI should be able to provide these in hard copy if they are not on the web site.
Their Manager, Recreational Fisheries Unit is Terry Healy, Ph - 3405 6805.

[jaybee]

Thanks vern..here is an intersting one talking to my bro last night he usually fishes mooloolaba 3 to 4 times a year..told him about the proposed limit..his reply was he would be better of staying home fishing....so the QLD Government is always concerned about the tourist dollar..with a bag limit of 5 snapper up here and 10 in nsw..nsw sounds like the destination for a holiday eh i thought the gov would have been better off going for a universal bag limit as in a car license..no one has any problems then with size or bag limits.
cheers.

[Vern_Veitch]

I agree JB.
Same goes for tailor. NSW is looking better all the time for Brisbane based fishers going on holidays and if you lived in NSW, why would you now cross the border. Does not make a lot of sense.
Vern

[gruntahunter]

Maybe thats the good part that all those southerners stay down there and leave us to catch our own fish and not take all ours!