Fish bites: NSW makes blue groper a no-take species

Before this week’s announcement, line-caught blue groper was permitted for recreational fishers. In the wake of the minister’s decision, the species can only be taken if it is caught under the umbrella of Aboriginal cultural fishing.

The surprise move comes in the wake of two separate incidents over the last few months where spearfishers, including one from overseas, illegally targeted blue groper. The fish has been protected from spearfishing since 1969, and from commercial fishing since 1980.

The state has been under pressure to act after one of the spearfishers caught with a blue groper was fined $800 despite the maximum penalty for illegal fishing being fines of up to $22,000 or six months in jail.

The fine for taking blue groper remains the same under the 12-month trial period.

Garfish are back on the menu for Western Australia’s recreational fishers from March 1 after a seven-year closure to help rebuild the species’ numbers back up to a sustainable level.

Taking southern garfish was prohibited in waters around metropolitan Perth and along a 250km stretch of the surrounding coastline in a move aimed at protecting breeding stocks.

Once it reopens, fishers can take up to 30 garfish per person a day as part of the state’s mixed species bag limit that counts other finfish such as whiting, mullet, blue mackerel, western butterfish, yellowtail scad, western striped grunter and banded sweep.

"This is great news for recreational fishers who've not been able to fish for southern garfish in metropolitan waters for seven years while the fishery was managed to allow stock recovery,” WA Fisheries Minister Don Punch said.

"This is a really encouraging result and demonstrates the importance and success of taking action to rebuild our fisheries to sustainable levels.”

However, there will be competition, with commercial fishers also allowed to resume targeting garfish from the March 1 opening.

Marine Rescue NSW has logged one of its busiest starts to the year, helping 1788 people back to shore during January.

The statistics show that the state’s 46 rescue services took part in 703 search and rescue missions, with this year’s strong marlin fishing season adding significantly to the numbers.

Units along the south coast from Batemans Bay to Eden have just closed off on a week where they were called out five times in four days to help boaters stranded offshore with mechanical issues, travelling a total of 106 nautical miles to rescue 14 people.

“In terms of rescues at the start of the marlin season, there’s been quite a considerable increase of those rescues,” Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Glenn Sullivan said.

“With the distances being so far offshore, rescues are taking up to nine or 10 hours when a vessel 39 miles offshore needs recovery,” he said.

Morning Peninsula Fly Fishers is hosting a come-and-try day at the Devilbend Natural Features Reserve at the Devilbend Reservoir in Moorooduc.

The day will run from 10am to 2pm on Sunday, February 25 with a special guest, Australian women’s flyfishing team captain Karen Brooks, attending. 

The day may also turn into a training session, the team heads off to the Czech Republic in May to compete in the 3rd FIPS-Mouche World Ladies Fly Fishing Championships.