proposed quota changes

after reading up on the proposed changes today there are seemingly some areas which i find wrong. firstly i am all for fishing for the future and always having something to catch because its what we all love to do, however the one thing that continually give me the sh*ts is that our rec licenses are costing more money, there are always more new licenses to buy or skippers tickets to get and our bag limits are getting cut. now that isnt the thing that is frustrating....the thing annying me and im sure some others is that the pro fishermen are not getting their quotas cut at the same rate as ours are.

 

one example from the latest proposed changes, our pink snapper quotas in the gascoyne region has gone from 8 to now 4 and proposed to 2. that is 25% of the former allowable limit. however the pro's quota has been cut by only 40%. so they can sit on the same lump we fish on (because they do and i have seen them) and pull off ton after ton of pinks and other fish (sometimes up to 60-70 high of fish)...these other fish qhich are bycatch...what happens to them? thrown back to die i suppose. that is bloody frustrating knowing they still pretty much have a free for all so long as they fall within their units of days allowed to fish.

 

i hope that made sense, it just seems that we as rec fishermen and women are continually copping the tighter regulations and the pro's are going on business as usual..

 

 


Quobbarockhopper's picture

Posts: 390

Date Joined: 28/05/10

well said.A few more

Wed, 2012-02-22 16:59

well said.

A few more points:

While a lot the new regs make sense, in fish rich waters like the ones I used to (and still partially do!) live in, I think that the 2 of each species limit will lead to a increase in people throwing smaller fish back and while they are searching for the bigger fish to make the most of the limits. While this may be OK, lets just pray that theres a big educational push about correct handling/ release weights/ avoiding baratrauma etc, or else any fish caught in more than 10m thats been skulled dragged up too quickly and tossed around the deck for a while is going to go to waste as people try for the "big" (and breeder) ones....

Kind of like the 100cm/ 30kg cod rule- how many of them have we all tried in vain to release with ot without weights and all the best release techniques we know, only to watch them float off as soon to be shark food. (I know that if that rule wasnt there or changed to allow keeping of obvious damaged fish, every one of them would suddenly be "baratraumered beyond repair" when caught...)

While these limits are good in the sense that it will stop a lot of "freezer fillers" coming up to a lot of similar spots up north and catching truckloads once a year (without even contemplating the impact it will have on the tourist trade of smaller towns like Carnarvon with no other real attractions)... and yes, Im expecting the response of "no tourists will come in 10 years time when its all been fished out anwyay"comments, but Im just trying to point out the obvious arguements.

I know that this is needed to keep those "fish rich" waters "fish rich" and that no solution will not have a down side, but I also hate the thought of plenty of smaller fish being sacrificed

Again, I know that bringing smaller fish up slowly and correct handling (or minimizing of) and release weights should in theory sort this out, but I can still see plenty of them coming up bung eyed and gut bloated and being tossed over the side if its of just legal size or above in search of a bigger esky filler....

Well, thats my 2 cents worth on this anyway. I know something must be done if we dont want the 2 fish limits and closed seasons the poor perthites have to endure, and Im not smart enough to come up with a better solution. At times like these, Im glad Im allergic to fish and in it for the pure sport of it, so it doesnt bother me as much as most

 

 

Posts: 2925

Date Joined: 27/12/06

Points

Wed, 2012-02-22 17:47

Some good points made there, vote for your say on the recfish website.
I am also worried about the amount of sized but small fish thrown back in order for upsizing.
The cod situation you mention is poorly managed as those big buggers are usually stuffed when the surface.

Posts: 181

Date Joined: 07/12/08

Mr Fuller  where are you, we

Wed, 2012-02-22 18:16

Mr Fuller  where are you, we need your shortish succinct analysis of the situation please. I know yr here somewhere Mr T

There will be plenty of upsizing unfortunately esp when u travel 1hr blah blah

im hearing on the grapevine that those in the know are starting to see bigger pinks in the bag.....might be the 7yr cycle or the bans might be helping

Posts: 5981

Date Joined: 17/06/10

correct me if I'm wrong

Thu, 2012-02-23 01:08

Arn't we still waiting for a study to be carried out to see what effect the 3 month ban on demersals has acheived. If I'm right then what we are seeing is another change being done before the last change to fishing regs has been evaluated. I'm also a bit sus on fisheries changes like they take 2 crays of amatures and then allow us to keep to the 76mm size as a trade off not real happy with thyat bit of a change and as someone has already said you get a real good dhui and as soon as you fillet it you have broken the law.

Quobbarockhopper's picture

Posts: 390

Date Joined: 28/05/10

"blah blah"... if youve got

Thu, 2012-02-23 21:44

"blah blah"... if youve got nothing nice to say....