Snapper still off the menu in SA as Victoria’s big red season booms

However, for keen fishers across the border in South Australia, it’s likely to be another few years of pain before the state’s snapper stocks have rebuilt enough numbers for recreational fishers to get back into them.

According to the VFA, Victoria is benefitting from a state government program to stop commercial netting in Port Phillip Bay.

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“Snapper are running hot in Port Phillip at the moment with more of these iconic recreational fish available for families thanks to commercial nets being removed from the bay as part of the Victorian Government’s $35 million Go Fishing Victoria plan,” a spokesperson told boatsales.com.au.

“It means more than more than 600 tonnes of snapper, calamari, flathead and King George whiting are on offer for recreational fishers keen to make lasting memories on the water before they take their catch home to the dinner table.”

According to the VFA, its creel survey program – regularly looking at what fish recreational anglers take home – shows the catch rates for snapper this year in Port Phillip Bay “have been strong”.

“These fish are likely to be eight to nine years old, with surveys of the stocks in 2013 and 2014 showing strong numbers of juvenile snapper in Port Phillip,” the spokesperson said.

“Add in bumper snapper spawning years in 2018 and again this year … and it’s clear there’s never been a better time to wet a line in Victoria.”

Meanwhile, the South Australian Government has released its latest assessment of the state’s snapper stocks after recognising several years ago that the numbers were not sustainable.

Snapper fishing has been banned in the Spencer Gulf, West Coast and Gulf St Vincent/Kangaroo Island fishing zones since November 1, 2019, to help restore numbers.

A survey in 2020 found a 78 per cent reduction in the Spencer Gulf/West Coast zone and a 90 per cent reduction in the Gulf St Vincent zone since 2013.

And while this year’s survey has found SA’s snapper population has stopped growing smaller, the number of fish is still regarded as depleted.

In contrast, the number of snapper in SA’s south-eastern zone, which shares a border with Victoria, is classed as sustainable.

The low numbers mean the state’s snapper fishing ban is likely to run longer, with the big question being how long.

On that, the government remains uncommitted.

“While it is important to note that no decision has yet been made regarding ending the three-year snapper ban put in place by the former government in 2019, the release of the stock assessment is in line with [the] government’s pre-election commitment to better explain the science behind important fisheries decisions,” the SA Department of Primary Industries and Regions said.

The department is expected to announce its decision on whether the ban should continue, and the reason behind its decision, this month.