'Fill the freezer' fishing trips are gone
From: PerthNow February 21, 2012 8:48PM

Size and bag limits for anglers are proposed under a draft review released by the Department of Fisheries. Source: PerthNow

THE days of long fishing trips with the aim of stocking the freezer full of your favourite catch are numbered under a proposal to reduce possession limits.

The Department of Fisheries has released a draft recreational fishing strategy, which it says will help simplify rules that are now complex and cumbersome.

Among the proposals is a reduction in weight possession limits from 20kg fillets to 10kg, with an additional 10kg for large pelagic fish varieties, such as mackerel, marlin or tuna.

Other proposed changes include changes to bag and size limits for vulnerable demersal species such as dhufish and pink snapper, and adopting state-wide fishing zones based on distance from shore, as opposed to the complex bioregions currently in place.

Fisheries director-general Steve Smith urged recreational anglers to take part in the review that he said will ensure long-term sustainability of fish stocks.

“Under the proposed new framework, the focus will be on mixed species bag limits, rather than individual species bag limits,” he said.

"Mixed species limits are intended to provide broad protection to the entire suite of species within a resource.

"Replacing current finfish species bag limit categories with new resource-based categories, for example demersal, near-shore/estuarine and offshore pelagic, will help simplify rules consistent with Fisheries' management strategies.”

Mr Smith said recreational fishing must focus on the quality of the experience and enjoying eating fresh fish, not the "fill the freezer" mentality of the past.

“With limited fish stocks available, we need to continue the good progress already made by the recreational fishing sector in moving away from bringing back large quantities of fish to eat for months after an individual trip,” he said.

“To help keep WA's fish for the future goal, a key proposal is to reduce the state-wide fillet possession limit to 10kg, for species other than large offshore pelagics like tuna and mackerel.

"Reducing the possession limit will help managers effectively address future sustainability concerns for demersal species in regions such as the Gascoyne and Pilbara."

Link: http://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/fil ... 6277644893
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Thank God for the grey cardigans hard at work again applying the brakes on recreational fishers who would decimate fish stocks if allowed to continue as they are, what would we do without the grey cardigans?

BUT, we must not dispaire, theres is still no limit at all as to how much frozen fish we all are allowed to buy from Woolies or Coles???????????

What a crock!

Cheers, Haz.