New Fishing Regulations Start Saturday
9 December 2003

The Department of Primary Industries is reminding anglers that new recreational fishing rules come into force on Saturday (December 13).

The new regulations will affect a range of fish species and include new size and take and possession limits, filleting rules, fishing gear and much more.

Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS) senior policy officer Mark Lightowler encouraged anglers to become familiar with the new regulations before heading out to fish this summer.

Mr Lightowler said the restructure of the State’s coral reef and Spanish mackerel fisheries was critical for sustaining fisheries resources and Queensland could now claim some of the most progressive fisheries reforms in Australia.

“The new regulations are critical for the long-term environmental, economic and social sustainability of all the fishing sectors as well as the Queensland community,” he said.

A comprehensive list of the new fishing rules is available from the DPI Fishweb site at www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb, the DPI Call Centre on 13 25 23 or local Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol offices.

Key changes from Saturday include:

• Seven fish including humphead Maori wrasse, barramundi cod, potato cod, Queensland groper, red bass, Chinaman fish, and paddletail are now no take species.
• A combined total take and possession limit of 20 coral reef fish is now in place. However, within this combined limit anglers must comply with individual take and possession limits for various fish species.
• Minimum and in some cases maximum size limits have been introduced for most coral reef species.
• Updated restrictions on fishing gear and on filleting fish at sea accompany the new size limits. All recreational and commercial fishers without a reef fish catch quota and who are fishing recreationally at the time must mark their fish as not for sale by removing a section of the pectoral fin.
• The take and possession limit for Spanish mackerel has dropped from 10 to three.
• Blue swimmer crabs will be measured from notch-to-notch rather from tip-to-tip with a new minimum size limit of 11.5cm.
  

Department of Primary Industries Media Unit
GPO Box 46 Brisbane Qld 4001 Ph 07 3239 6380
DPI Call Centre 13 25 23 (weekdays 8 am to 6 pm)

Further information: Mark Lightowler (07) 3225 1897
Communications Officer: Liz Smith (07) 3224 7757

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