EAST Coast fishers have been invited to have their say on proposed changes to recreational and commercial scalefish fisheries. The state government has called on public feedback in an effort to improve fishing practices and the sustainability of stocks off the coast of Tasmania. The draft proposals include:
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● Increasing the minimum size limit of flathead from 30 centimetres to 32cm and striped trumpeter from 50cm to 55cm;
● Introducing gillnet-free areas around a number of key penguin colonies;
● Further restricting the use of recreational gillnets at night to reduce wildlife interactions and improve compliance;
● Further restricting night netting times in Macquarie Harbour to reduce bycatch, including potential impacts on the protected Maugean skate;
● Prohibiting the use of recreational setlines at night and reducing the number of hooks from 30 to 15;
● Extending recreational fishing licence requirements to assist management, research and awareness for specialised scalefish activities and when fishing with electric reels; and
● Introducing daily bag limits for all key species.
Primary Industries and Water Minister Jeremy Rockliff said fishing was synonymous with East Coasters.
Mr Rockliff said research showed flathead stocks were changing.
The draft management plan proposes increasing the minimum size limit of flathead by two centimetres, to allow females to spawn for another year and to increase the return from each fish taken.
The public consultation process closes on August 21.
To find out about the proposed changes, the information sessions or to make an online submission go to:www.fishing.tas.gov.au/scalefish-review.
