“Both NSW and Victoria will have a Murray cod slot limit of 55cm-75cm”

Recreational anglers in NSW are looking at a total of 16 changes to fishing rules, effective from 3 November, 2014. Some changes are significant, some are minor, and one has recently been modified – the slot limit for Murray cod. In a welcome compromise, the NSW and Victorian governments have agreed on a single slot limit: 55cm-75cm. This single, shared regulation will make life easier for everyone.

So what are the other regulations changes and how will they affect you? Read on to find out.

Some of the more common bread-and-butter species have received changes to their daily bag limit. The limit for the following species will be reduced from 20 to 10 per person per day:

• Combined limit of all flathead species (other than dusky flathead)

• Combined limit of bream and tarwhine

• Tailor

• Blue swimmer crab

• Combined limit of trevally species; and

• Luderick.

The bag limit for dusky flathead (10) remains unchanged.

During the consultation phase of the fisheries review, many anglers pointed out that some fishers travel a long way to access fishing grounds and holiday at certain locations to catch fish to take home for later consumption. To lessen the potential impact of the reduced bag limits on regional tourism and on fishers who prefer to harvest and store fish, the possession limit of the six species/species groups will remain at 20.

The bag limit for small baitfish will increase to 100. Some recreational fishers indicated that a bag limit of 50 small baitfish did not allow anglers to collect a sufficient supply for bait. Seeing as there are no specific resource concerns for these bait species, the department decided to grant the anglers’ request for a greater bag limit.

Although people can still use the same overall number of crab-catching apparatus (six per recreational fisher), the total number of witches hats/hoop nets/lift nets allowed to be used will reduce from five to four, and the total number of crab traps will increase from one to two. This change aims to reduce the use of witches hats and promote the use of more environmentally-friendly fishing gear.

Witches hats can often be lost during tidal movements and continue to ghostfish, increasing the risk for interaction with non‑target species. Crab traps are a preferred design (as opposed to an entanglement net) to reduce ghostfishing, and they have reduced interactions with non‑target species when used properly.

Further regulations changes may be on the cards for the Port Stephens area, in response to the unusually high incidence of turtle interactions with recreational crab gear, including turtle mortalities. DPI is currently investigating suitable management arrangements, specifically for Port Stephens, to reduce turtle interactions with crab gear whilst still enabling recreational fishers to target and catch crabs in the area.

The biggest change will be a slot limit for Murray cod of 55cm-75cm. This will mean that all Murray Cod caught over 75cm must be released, and all caught under 55cm must be released. This rule change will increase the number of fish larger than 75cm providing more opportunities to catch and release trophy fish as well as significantly increasing spawning potential and the resilience of the population.

Fishers will also be permitted to take cod during the closed season within Copeton Dam near Inverell. This is based on scientific evidence, which demonstrates little or no recruitment occurs in the dam and ongoing stocking is required to maintain the fish population. More dams may be added to the list in the future after close consultation with stakeholders, and if science demonstrates they have little natural recruitment.

The spawning closure has been extended from three to four months (May to August) to protect early migrating bass. It is important to realise this is a zero bag limit closure; catch and release fishing is still permitted.

Bass tend to move earlier in the northern part of the state and rather than have different rules for different regions, and the extended spawning closure will provide greater protection across the state for the species.

The bag limit for trout in general waters will be reduced from 10 to five and the possession limit reduced from 20 to 10. These changes will simplify the current trout rules and are expected to impact very few fishers.

Some anglers wanted to know whether they could take yabbies caught in shrimp traps and shrimp caught in yabby traps. The answer is yes: a minor rule adjustment will be made to enable fishers to legally take yabbies caught in a shrimp trap and shrimp caught in a yabby trap. Anglers using hoop nets (five per person) in Lake Lyell, Lake Wallace and Googong Dam can also take yabbies.

A strictly controlled pilot program permitting bowfishing for carp in some key locations will be trialled in 2015. The trial will be regulated and monitored by DPI. Individuals will be required to hold a NSW Fishing Fee receipt and a NSW Restricted Game Hunting Licence (endorsed for bowhunting).

As with all recreational hunting activities in NSW public areas, bowfishing will be underpinned by a thorough risk assessment. This will determine the specific conditions that will apply to the licensing of bowfishers.

Fishers will be required to mark all of their recreational nets and traps with the fisher’s initial, surname, year of birth and postcode. This minor rule adjustment removes the requirement to include a person’s address on the marking of recreational nets and traps.

This change received considerable support from the recreational fishing public to address security concerns associated with the display of a fisher’s full address on set fishing gear. The change will still enable adequate individual identification of recreational nets and traps for compliance purposes.

Transhipping of fish involves the transfer of fish from one vessel to another whilst the vessels are not in port or at a boat ramp. This practice will now be banned to reduce opportunities for the black market sale of fish, and also to restrict the ability of individual anglers to exceed daily bag limits for highly valued fish.

Transhipping is more common with high value species such as yellowtail kingfish, blue-eye trevalla and hapuku (hapuka) which may be sold to illegal fishing operators, restaurants or fish shops. This rule change will affect very few recreational anglers, but will help fisheries officers to reduce the opportunity for illegal catch and sale of fish.

This rule change excludes bait species.

A wide range of comments were received during the review, and most submissions were in support of the 16 rule changes.

Many responses highlighted the need to change rules to better protect fish stocks, including:

• Some species are not as abundant anymore;

• Support for reducing fishing pressure for a range of species;

• Alternative proposals such as reduction of bag limits (to a greater or lesser degree than proposals), change to size limits, introduction of new closures and boat limits;

• Any proposals should be based on science; and

• More compliance needed.

Other responses demonstrated that some people felt rules were good for now, including:

• Current bag limits should be retained;

• The proposed limit was not enough for some fishers’ needs;

• Current bag limits are rarely reached by most anglers;

• Anglers must maximise their catch because weather/ocean conditions restrict fishing time; and

• Many species are not overfished or under threat.

Other anglers thought that commercial fishing was the real problem. In response to this, DPI has pointed out that the commercial sector is actually undergoing a process of reform in response to the Independent Report into Commercial Fisheries Policy, Management and Administration commissioned by the NSW Government in 2011. DPI has directed interested parties to find out more at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/commercial/reform/review, so we did. Upon closer inspection, it appears that the changes mostly relate to administrative reform rather than reducing effort. Not welcome news for the anglers who voiced their concerns about commercial impacts, although it’s possible that changes in commercial share allocation and other regulations may help to cap pressure.

DPI said its scientists will continue to closely monitor the 100+ commonly harvested species in NSW through its annual resource assessments. These assessments involve updating information about the biology of harvested species based on data compiled from a variety of sources. Hopefully this ongoing information gathering will result in sound management decisions for both the recreational and commercial sectors into the future. – FMG