Jump to content

How are the SA snapper going?


Recommended Posts

Just saw this on the Vic Fisheries face book page.

 

The results are in and it’s fantastic news! Our scientists have recorded a bumper spawning of baby snapper in Port Phillip. It’s the third best result since monitoring began nearly 30 years ago. 🤩
Combined with record abundance of baby snapper back in 2018, these two strong year classes will see terrific snapper fishing for the next decade!
Strong spawning of our iconic Port Phillip snapper is great news for recreational fishers and seafood consumers, who can look forward to fresh, local snapper from the 8 remaining commercial line fishers following the end of netting in the bay on 1 April 2022.
Scientists undertake the surveys of baby snapper in March every year and know to expect variation in spawning success depending on environmental conditions.
The surveys measure the abundance of newborn snapper between 3 and 10 cm that have survived from the previous spring-summer spawning.
Port Phillip is the most important spawning area for snapper in central and western Victoria and the record 2018 year class will begin to join the adult spawning migration from around 2023/24 onwards.
In the meantime, recreational fishers can enjoy great fishing for pinky snapper as most of the 2018 year class are now larger than the minimum size of 28cm and widely distributed.

650.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
42 minutes ago, Softy said:

No idea we are not allowed to target them until next year.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
 

Ahh I see - thanks mate

its got to something other than Rec pressure. The amount of boats out in Port Phillip bay has to be seen to be believed and they still keep getting huge recruitments of babies 

Link to post
Share on other sites
7 minutes ago, yellow door 1 said:

Ahh I see - thanks mate

its got to something other than Rec pressure. The amount of boats out in Port Phillip bay has to be seen to be believed and they still keep getting huge recruitments of babies 

Apart from Rex Hunt getting rid of the scallop cage dredgers way back in the day - here some updates on what the Vic authorities are doing for Port Phillip

 

Removing nets from Port Phillip Bay

In 2014, the Victorian Government announced a commitment to grow recreational fishing in Victoria through a number of measures, including the phasing-out of all commercial netting in Port Phillip Bay by 2022. The Government is on track to deliver on this important commitment.

What's new?

Consultation has concluded on the final management arranagements to end netting in Port Phillip Bay, and the establishment of a limited hook and line snapper fishery in the bay.

After 1 April 2022, 35 of the original 43 net fishers will have exited the bay, leaving 8 commercial operators supplying fresh snapper to consumers. These fishers will no longer use nets. The gear will be limited and catch will be carefully managed.

The key characteristics of the commercial fishery post 1 April 2022 are largely set out in the fisheries legislation and include:

  • Nets will no longer be authorised in Western Port or Port Phillip Bay.
  • A snapper quota fishery will be established in Western Port/Port Phillip Bay.
  • Regulations to prohibit nets will come into effect.
  • The final Western Port/Port Phillip Bay net licence will be cancelled, and compensation paid.
  • The Minister will allocate quota units to each of the remaining 8 eligible holders of a Western Port/Port Phillip Bay Fishery Access Licence equivalent to 11 tonnes of snapper.
  • The adjustment package of $205,000 will be paid to those eligible licence holders who have not yet received their compensation.
  • Quota will be able to be traded and leased between licence holders.
  • Quota will be set at 88 tonnes and will not exceed this amount, recognising the recreational significance of the species in the Bay.
  • Licences will remain transferable and may be sold.
  • Recent finalisation of a Fisheries Notice has specified catch limits for other species.  These include annual limits of up to 1 tonne of shark per licence and up to 2 tonne of other species, excluding King George whiting, calamari, King fish and mulloway.

The final notices, including the Initial Quota order, the Further Quota Order to allocate snapper quota, and the Fisheries Notice to set catch limits, may be viewed here.

Link to post
Share on other sites
14 hours ago, Rybak said:

Catching plenty legal ones as a bycatch when chasing whiting. All have to be put back. Snapper starts early next year but probably with a severe rec limit. Almost not worth while chasing at all - while the Pros quota increases. Bloody idiots here in SA.

 

10 hours ago, Wert said:

Honestly? Caught more legal snaps including my pb since they were banned than ever before, it turns out that I should have been trying not to catch them all along, especially on lures, look forward to keeping the odd one or two 50cm or so bycatch snapper I catch.

Good to hear its not getting worse.

That crash in the snapper stocks was frightening - I was looking at some graphs of catch rates last night. Something definitely need to be done. Almost looked like an environmental disaster. Like something was wrong with the water

They reckon huge rain events during snapper spawning can kill alot just hatched snapper in PPB.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, brimstoneSalad said:

They don't make money when people catch their own 

They will still make & will make shit loads of money. Most if not all exported to Sydney markets & or overseas for maximum profit. Unless longlining is stopped along with trawling, netting etc including the crab baron, then recs in SA will just get shafted. 

Recs produce Billions of dollars in revenue as compared to Pros who only make a small contribution but with maximum devastation by raping & pillaging SA waters. PIRSA here are just pathetic to say the least & thats being polite. Politicians appointed here to manage fisheries have absolutely no idea about what is happening & what has happened for decades. They are brainwashed by PIRSA & go along with the flow. No one is prepared to rock the boat.    

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 24/06/2022 at 6:45 PM, Rybak said:

They will still make & will make shit loads of money. Most if not all exported to Sydney markets & or overseas for maximum profit. Unless longlining is stopped along with trawling, netting etc including the crab baron, then recs in SA will just get shafted. 

Recs produce Billions of dollars in revenue as compared to Pros who only make a small contribution but with maximum devastation by raping & pillaging SA waters. PIRSA here are just pathetic to say the least & thats being polite. Politicians appointed here to manage fisheries have absolutely no idea about what is happening & what has happened for decades. They are brainwashed by PIRSA & go along with the flow. No one is prepared to rock the boat.    

I meant they don't make money from recreational fishermen catching snapper because they eat it themselves, as opposed to selling it elsewhere, but sure they profit from recreational fishermen in other ways.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...