I don't think there should be a maximum size limit - sure it is best to release them, but so few are released properly. I do however, think the minimum size could be increased.

may be a unique case due to their tendancy to suffer severe barotrauma. I'm sure it would be quite rare to be able to release a large >15kg Dhuie succesfully unless caught in shallow water.

I'm guessing this is why fisheries are having so many issues.

I have put a self imposed size limit on pink snapper and dhu of 80cm on my boat.

These big fish are just too precious to kill unless they have obvious barotrauma, and I am still not convinced big fish are that good to eat....certainly the fresh amberjack I had last night was better than a few big dhu I have had (smaller dhu are a different matter).

It feels a whole lot better releasing a great fish like that than killing it.

Released my biggest dhu and boy did it feel good.

I am not certain but am led to believe that Dhus breed at a lenght below the limit. That would mean the big fish have well and truely done their stuff.

Keeping the big ones makes sense as they are old fish, and wont survive barotrauma as well as younger fitter fish. This is only my logic and not scientific.

As for the just legal ones? Perhaps increase the limit. It wont take long for them to reach legal size, and I wouldnt think that the catch rates would greatly be affected, but it would give them some more time to spawn.

But then I dont see myself chasing dhus for another couple of years, and I wont return a big red because they taste nicer with larger size IMO. Its also harder IMO to catch and bring to the surface a red. The taxman up here just love em.

I think more research needs to go in to when dhuies spawn, the size they produce the most eggs, their growth rate out in the wild (not in tanks), the survival rate of big fish vs small fish, how many undersize fish are caught on average etc. I think theres so much that even if already researched, needs to be covered in a more accurate way. Although understanbly its hard to get this kind of data, and accuratly.

I do agree with restrictions to both rec and commercials however I think you need some "accurate" data, in order to implement effective and justified regulations. 

say for instance you make the min size limit bigger. And keep the bag limit to say 1 per person, how many undersize dhuies will a person have to catch befor he gets a sized one and meets his bag limit and goes home. the larger the min size limit, the more potential for catching undersize dhuies, therfor it will take longer for that person to reach his bag limit of 1 sized dhuy and thus potentially killing some of the undersize ones he released. if the size limit was smaller or the same, assuming the fisherman doesnt upgrade or keep fishing for dhuies, his first dhuy has a greater liklyhood of being sized and thus he would reach his bag limit earlier, without having to encounter more dhuies in the search for a sized one. (hypethitically)

Point being, a balance between min size limits, bag limits, survival rates,  etc needs to be worked out based on quality data which IMO isnt there. Im not saying decrease or increase size limits/bag limits, Im saying each regulation has an effect which can be positive or negative and only based on good research can we have effective regulations which aid the fish stocks.  

In the eastern states they have the closest relative to the dhu )Glaucosama scapulare vs Glaucosama magnificum (I think you can get a few here aswell)). As far as i am aware they are a deeper water species, and whenever I have seen a vid with them being caught (for example the Lucanas jig promo vid) they come up without any sign of barotrauma, and do release very well.

It thus have always surprised me that dhu's suffer so much from this. Has anyone got some more info on this fish, its relation to dhu's etc.

I know this is off the track a little.

Neels

Previous research showed that dhufish start to reach sexual maturity at three to four years old, or when they were 30 to 35 centimetres long. Recent research indicates that even though dhufish are reproductive at this time, females produce few eggs and do not spawn every month of the spawning season. It appears that dhufish only reach their full reproductive potential as they become older.

Older female dhufish spawn more eggs, more often and for a longer period – and therefore produce more eggs per spawning season – than younger females. This means big female dhufish are very important for the overall health of a dhufish population.

Neels