I remember Paul when I first joined the site, he knows how to the find Dhues.

Pretty sure that system dates back, Vid uploaded 2014 which gives them 7 years of data as a min.

I always pre set my drag the night before a deep trip, not gospel but anything pulling good on 5kg of drag I'd put in the keep basket over 500mm, but even then there no need to go ape shit out deep as its limited for them to bury you in anyway so a slow retrieve is most common once off the bottom. So yes to me they do release but dont think that's the only reason the rule has been introduced.

Guessing there trying to minimize the larger fish coming home, as with the pinkies the larger breeders is what there aiming to protect and keep in the system.

I remember a max of 1 fish over 800mm for Pink snapper back when...they abolished that though.