Fishing battle looms
Anglers says focus should be on commercial operators
A ROW is brewing in the Tasmanian fishing community over the proposal to drop size and bag limits for sand flathead based on recent scientific research.
Anglers around the state are saying there are still ample stocks of the popular eating fish and some say commercial operators should be the focus of any reduction in catch limits.
In the North-West, fishers say they will be penalised for the actions of others who have overfished the state’s south.
In the south, charter operator Mark Duncan – aka Mr Flathead – says there is still good fishing to be had and if the catch by commercial fishing boats is reduced, the population will remain sustainable for local anglers.
Sand flathead is the most popular fish for recreational fishers in Tasmania, accounting for about 70 per cent of recreationally caught species.
The most recent statistics show recreational fishers caught 184 tonnes of sand flathead in 2017-18 – many times more than the commercial catch of 3.5 tonnes.
The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies annual Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery Assessment looked at 22 of the state’s most important fish species and determined which stocks have been decreasing.
It showed the biomass and reproductive potential of sand flathead populations in most of the state’s regions – especially in South and South-East – had declined below critical levels.
The report blamed recreational overfishing, especially in areas including the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, Frederick HenryNorfolk Bay and Great Oyster Bay.
But Mr Duncan said he had been fishing sand flathead since the late 1960s and ’70s, and while there were now slower days, there were still wonderful days where there were “loads” to catch.
“If there is a decline, and I am not saying there is, it is the three big commercial operators where any reduction focus should be,” he said.
Lead researcher for the IMAS assessment Nils Krueck said the report included a table of fish counts, which was still preliminary.
“I understand the fishers’ perspective,” Dr Krueck said.
“But they can only see the fish, not the fishing pressures.
“We need to act before depletion happens rather than trying to rebuild.”
Changes to size and bag limits were introduced in 2015 to support stock recovery.
But evaluation of commercial and recreational catch data found that while smaller sand flatheads were abundant, the low number of legal sized and sexually mature fish was cause for concern.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania said a range of actions would be implemented to ensure the future of the species including potential management options.