BLOG: Time to get real about fish conservation

THE wise and tuneful words of the great sixties singer songwriter Joni Mitchell..."you don't know what you've got till it's gone" could easily be applied to recreational fishing in so many places on our planet, but particularly in Australia.

The onward march of the old, poorly designed marine parks saw the removal of some well-loved fishing grounds but it is so much harder to make a convincing case to retain angling as a low impact activity when we still operate under such idiotic bag and size limits.

As Fisho editor Jim Harnwell pointed out in his editorial in the October issue, while NSW anglers are legally entitled to kill and take a ridiculous 20 bream each and every time they go fishing, most of us adopt a more environmentally responsible attitude. And it's not just about the amount of fish that we are allowed to take, there is little scientific justification for the current size limits which are about to be reviewed by that state's Government.

You don't have to be a marine biologist or a genius, or both, to work out that any sustainable fishery management policy must allow the species to breed a minimum of at least once. Now the rules in NSW are little different to those in place in other states so it is worth looking at how the regime measures up against this simple conservation test.
Taking the kingfish, that most iconic and popular of sportsfish, as an example, we can see that even with the increase in size limit from 60-65cms at the last bag and size limits review in 2007 we are still killing an unacceptable amount of immature fish. If you don't believe me check out the research HERE or HERE.

To save you the trouble I've pulled out the figures for the sexual maturity of both male and female kingies. They show that in 50 per cent of males it is not reached until 81cms and in those all-important females, not until a staggering 94cms. Just to make matters worse these are based on fork-length figures, not our commonly used tail-length measurements. The smallest males became potent at 75cms with 77cms for the females, whilst the 100 per cent rate was not recorded until the males reached 92cms and the females 127cms.

So how on earth can we justify anything less than a substantial rise in the current ludicrously low legal sizes accompanied by a lower bag limit?

The pros and the rednecks can whinge all they like but as responsible anglers we must fish for the future and demonstrate our concern for marine environment. Furthermore we are well out of kilter with other countries such as NZ and the US where the Seriola species of kingfish, amberjack and samsonfish are harvested more sustainably and as a result anglers flock from all over the world to enjoy first class sport.

In New Zealand the limit is 75cms (fork-length) and three fish per angler, although conservation-minded charter skippers like Tauranga's Mark Armistead are now insisting on a boat limit of two in order to protect their superb sport fishery. In Florida anglers are allowed to take only one amberjack over 72cms and seasonal fishery closures are enforced when either recreational or commercial quotas are exceeded.

Does it work? Well here's what the respected UK fishing columnist and Florida regular Keith Arthur told me recently:
"There were so many of them this year it was incredible. It was impossible to drop to the bottom for grouper etc or feed pilchards for tuna because the amberjacks came and ate your baits regardless."

Of course we should go further and introduce the sorts of slot limits that have done so much to improve the flathead fishery in Queensland by insisting on a more widespread release of the big breeders. And it is not just about kingies - snapper need help and jewies are in big trouble and need far greater protection and conservation.

Many anglers I've spoken to in the Sydney region recognise that we need to do more ourselves to ensure a sustainable fishery but rightly point out that the pros are not subject to the same bag limits. Well, as I argued in the Keep Australia Fishing report there shouldn't be any commercial fishing on inshore reefs and estuaries adjacent to the large metropolitan areas where most fishos live. These should be rec-only zones and I was heartened to see that the O'Farrell Government is actively considering such a move for the popular Pittwater area north of the city.

So here are my recommendations for the NSW bag and size limit review:

Species     Current size/bag limit    Proposed     Max/slot limit

Kingfish          65/5                                75/2       (only one over 95cms)

Snapper         30/10                              35/5       (only one over 65cms)

Mulloway        45/5 (2 over 70)             75/2        (only one over 100cms)

Why stop here? Does anyone seriously think there should be no protection for immature cobia or mangrove jack; that it's sensible to take 20 luderick, tailor or whiting, or that we should only have slot limits, protecting the big breeders for a relatively prolific fish like flathead and not for other species such as snapper and kingfish whose populations are less robust and more heavily fished?

And this is not just about being worthy conservationists or strengthening our arguments against the extreme greens, important though this is. There is a big prize to be won here for we could be sitting on a goldmine. Look at how the kingies returned in numbers once the pros were faced down and the floating kingfish traps were outlawed some 15 years back. The 2012 review is the opportunity to take NSW recreational fishery management to the next level and create a world-class sustainable resource with more and bigger fish for both locals and visitors alike.

The big question remains ... Is there the courage and the vision to make it happen?