Thread: Possible changes to snapper limits for Area SNA1

My 2 cents worth. I am a keen fisher and as VC knows, my employment is directly related to the commercial fishing industry, so I do have a foot in both camps!!

Last year we had a good snapper season in the bay. There was no issue with catching a feed. Commercial boys were not fishing the bay very much as they did not have enough quota to risk over catching and having it "deemed". Most were keeping their Snapper quota aside to cover Snapper caught as accidental "bycatch".

We usually only took between 3-5 fish each and we set the boat limit at fish over 40cm could be kept UNLESS we had kids on board.
If they caught a fish and it was legal size they could decide for themselves what to do with it. We did use a longline from time to time with 30 min soak time and did very well.

My point is after sitting watching at the ramp and talking with other rec fishers. They were mostly keeping their snapper limits. One boat had 5 guys on board and they "all got their limits" I saw the fish and most were 30-35cms.

Now that is their right BUT I don't think Rec fishers appreciate nor consider how much they catch between all of them collectively as a group.

On this day I reckoned 5-10 ton of snapper when over the ramp. Now that might be a small commercial guys quota for the entire season and once its caught he must target something else but "they" (rec guys) could all go out tomorrow and do it all again, and again

We fished last winter at Stephens and one group all took their limits on both Kingfish and grouper then we heard later they were trying to give the fish away at their camp as they had too much!!!