fish seasons

[James W]

just wondering what all you other guys and girls think about having closed fish seasons for some of our more popular fish..... it would be hard to enforce a no-take time for bream as they are by far the more numerous of our estuary catches. but i wouldnt have a problem with having a no-take season for our beloved flathead.not a ban on fishing or even targeting them but a ban on keeping to eat during their breeding season which i belive is in spring. what do you think?

[James W]

also- im sure you have been in the middle of a hot flatty bite in spring when you can catch up to a dozen or so more smaller flatties (male i think) and then nail the momma of all flatties..they are easily explotied..all im saying is a no-take during their breeding season will be better for them in the long run than size limits all together...what do u think?

[Oztrav]

true mate would be good but then think about this you wrestle up a big flattie full of eggs that has been fighting like a champion how do you think it would go once released

i support the no taking of fish at certain times or places i just wish that we could still fish for them

Post edited by: Oztrav, at: 2007/04/19 17:16

[ellicat]

Don't agree. That would change the meaning of spring for many of us. There's already a ban on the taking of the larger ones (breeding females) and I reckon that'll do. Although I wouldn't mind if that size limit reduced back to say 60cm or something like that.

The current system seems to be working well enough - there seem to be plenty around.

I guess it depends on the size of your family:)

[Feral]

Most of the literature around reckons that breeding females caught and released during the breeding cycle are usually that stressed they absorb the eggs and dont breed that year.

SO yeah closed season I agree with, but it should be a \"no target\" season as well as no take - like barra.

[Ash]

I admit i think its a good idea. Its something that has come up a few times in convosations with mates, and most agree. I'd also like to see some changes in legal keep sizes too. The most obvious one being the bream. Honestly, at 23 cm, what can you really do with an estuary bream, apart from boil it for soup or broth. There are serously little meat on them at size.

But gettin' back to the thread, closed, or no keep seasons would be good in the end.

But i also agree, to a point, in Marine parks! I know, hate me, hate me, but there's alot of fishing areas, and we wouldnt do to badly with having a few well documented and placed safe havens.

I think there are alot of issues qld should be looking at when it comes to its fisheries.

Thats my 2 cents, so now i'll hop off my soap box...

[Feral]

I've got no problems with Marine parks either, but they have to start stocking salt water fish species in Qld. The Marine parks then are the source for the genetic diversity in the fish stocked!

[Cowfish13]

I'm all for it. As well as increased size limits and bag limits. Seriously, with 5, 35cm snapper, you could feed 3-4 families. I reckon that 2 would be enough.

And what about bream, like you said, 23cm what good is that, and there is an unlimited bag limit.

How do they expect the bream to thrive?

[adventure_angler]

Anything to keep fish stocks up and large numbers around for future generations and Im all for it. Just remember no use bringing in these rules if they are not going to be properly enforced. Everytime I have been fishing (saltwater) in the last month or two I have seen people take undersized fish, particularly bream and crabs. I think their needs to be better education and stricter enforcement, especially if any changes were to come into place. I also realise DPI&F are already stretched for resources and are doing the best they can and they also have priorities which means they cannot obviously patrol every local estuary. Just comes down to people realising if they are going to keep illegal fish they are going to result in the demise of their target fish and there will be none around for their kids.

-nelson-

[ellicat]

Cowfish13 wrote:

I'm all for it. As well as increased size limits and bag limits. Seriously, with 5, 35cm snapper, you could feed 3-4 families. I reckon that 2 would be enough.

And what about bream, like you said, 23cm what good is that, and there is an unlimited bag limit.

How do they expect the bream to thrive?

Just on the snapper. 5 snapper of that size would feed my family twice. I've only ever caught snapper \"outside\". I only get \"outside\" a couple of times a year so 10 snapper is fair enough for the year. I see your point if I was getting them \"inside\" and catching them regularly though. Maybe a limit could be based on zones.

On Bream - I wholeheartedly agree. Make 'em 30cm. Then they're starting to get to be worth taking home.

[James W]

yes im all for the breambo min size to jump a bit....23cm?..its a tiddler:unsure:

nelson- its frustrating i know that the rules are not being enforced....i have been fishing for ever and i have never been checked by fisheries or water cops...ever:huh:

[Jordan]

im all for creating marine parks and upping the size limits on fish, since i dont keep any of my fish anyway it wouldnt affect me, but lets think about it, we can be ignorant and say all of the undersized stuff goes back, but if you go out to a boat ramp on the coast, you will see newb anglers coming back with their first ever pelagic, who cares if its sized or not, boat after boat have undersized fish coming in. and then theres the waterway we all know i like to complain about, shultz, every day that gets raped like a little schoolboy (a churchie one) and who cares? no one. for new laws to come out there have to be those to enforce it, and if we cant back up our existing laws, what chance have we got of changing them for the worse to the good old law abiding fisho.

[Angus]

Is there more complications involved with breeding saltwater stocks for stocking?

I know they do it in Botany Bay NSW with Jew and Flatties. Why not here?

My view on the whole thing is simple. If areas were closed off and closed seasons enforced it might be a pain in the arse to begin with.

However.

If it ensured there would be a better chance at preserving fish stocks well i would happily go along with it.

I mean in the UK they have total bans of fishing full stop in some river in certain seasons. However instead of complaining, the Brits either fish legal stocked impoundments (obviously sustainable) or wait with baited breath (excuse the pun) for the next season to come. Im sure it makes that first trip very satisfying.

Angus

[shaggy]

Guys,

some intelligent points raised here. I'll second/ third the bream/snapper ideas.

I spose we are also raising the debate on licensing and developing the user pays system like NSW and freshwater Vic.

I along with probably quite a few other on this site would be more than happy to help with fish stocking, buying back fishing licenses in certain areas and waterway rehabilitation, by contributing a few beans each year.

My only problem is that it never seems to go back in the right places and also means that current govt. funding diminishes in alot of areas.

I think this is why the SIP's work well, you can see the direct result of your $$.

Would love to see some salt water stocking trials done though.

Thoughts guys.

[Oztrav]

i guess a good place to start would be to join a fish stocking association even though most if not all in queensland are freshwater there isa state association that would most likely have an interest in the salt

i dont think the government is oppossed to it their are just not too many people getting around that are willing to put in the hard yards to get it up and running

as well as hatcheries in the close area

[jeff f]

the csiro has been trying to breed jacks in captivity at bribie for years now , dont know if they have succeded though

[Feral]

Yeah, they have been stocking Awoonga with jacks for a couple of years now.

I reckon give up on the bream (from a stocking point of view), they grow to slow, stock fish like snapper, Barra, jew etc that have a high growth rate. These are quite successfully stocked into salt elsewhere, so no research needed, just some getting off of bums!

[Dazzamcgee]

Jimmybob I agree with having some bans/no take zones in place. I'm thinking it would be great to have all Table/eatable species bred and maintained in captivity to the point where it could totally supply the seafood markets with a manmade/cultured product. This in return would lower the cost to consumers and stop the exploitation of wild stocks through commercial fishing(and some dero recreational fisherman)and it would also offer commercial fisherman an opportunity not to be out of pocket as there would be other sectors for them to earn a living through...

\"If this was ever to become a reachable goal then there could be a total ban on the taking of any wild species\".

No bag limits, No size limits all MUST go back.......

Just think how good the wild fishing would be for rec fishos and the feeling of knowing that the fish from OUR oceans,seas,rivers and bay will be preserved for future generations.............................

\"Funding\" we are all to aware of how it works from the top down \"The trickling effect\"and with knowing that we all need to work together to make sure the funding is directed into the proper areas, education, awareness and preservation of all fishing sectors and to make sure its not used to line the pockets of the politicians..

That's my 2 cents worth and I'm sorry if I offended anyone in getting my point across.......