BLOG: Bag Limits = Bad Limits

I had a slight misdemeanour the other day. It just so happened I sent to print information on a beach fishing rig that didn’t comply with NSW legislation on ‘Line Fishing’. Anyone read the article titled ‘Fighting Whiting’ in the March edition of FW?

Have a look at the Twin Hook Rig on page 56 and spot why this is illegal. I won’t give you the answer here but if work it out leave your comments at the end of the blog and highlight for the rest of the readers why I’m an absolute boob.

Anyway, while apologetically writing my rebuttal to the astute reader who caught me out and dobbed me in to the editor, I had a chance to reference the Recreational Saltwater Fishing Guide 2012 to see just how far I had strayed from the flock. With a furrowed brow I downloaded the guide and got reading.

Now be honest and own up, most of you toss the guide when you get it don’t you? It might make the guys at DPI squirm a little but it’s usually far from enthralling. Besides, who has time to read updated legislation when the perfect run out tide is coinciding with dusk or stories of busting kings in the harbour are circulating? Bugger that, I'm going fishing.

I guess to some extent, most probably because I have egg on my face, I went through the damn thing with a fine tooth comb and let me tell you, there are a lot of things I didn’t know. Most stuff we take for granted but over time, if you don’t keep abreast of the changes you get left behind. To that end, the next few blogs will highlight some topics that are ripe for discussion.

Once read I reflected about my last blog I penned and contemplated on the bag limits section of the guide. After going through it a few times I couldn’t help ask myself the pressing question. Are our bag limits too generous?

I run the risk here of looking like the precious sod I scorned in my last post but reflecting on where the recreational movement is heading combined with finding a healthy medium of take-and-eat, I feel as if the limits are still out of synch with the modern fisher folk and what we are about. What about if someone caught 20 whiting, 20 bream, 10 flathead and few kingy’s? Some lucky bugger can catch that in a day and take it home. It’s not an impossible task.

Would an overall catch total be a better option, say 20 fish in total but not one species exceeding a limit of 10? (normal bag limits apply for fish such as kingfish with a total of 5 etc)

20 fish is ample for a few weeks feed. You might have to get into the habit of not feeding your extended family, the next door neighbours and half the street but it’s a better way to go I think.

Should NSW introduce slot limits for certain species? I know they partially do for species such as mulloway where a bag limit of 5 fish over 45cms applies but only 2 over 70cms. I think a slot limit for dusky flathead makes sense of say 40cms to 70cms, similar to the rules in QLD, but can this translate to other species that don’t have the same mating characteristics where female breeders are the larger specimens?

It’s an interesting debate. I really wonder what impact rec fishers have on fish stocks. Is our overall catch a blip on the radar or do we have more of an impression than what we think? I know some fishos that think we are a significant toll on stocks and the rest of us have our head in the sand. I'm not entirely sure about this. I know guys that catch a stack of fish while others work tirelessly for a single fish. Do the top 10% of fishos catch 80% of the fish, similar to the theory based on the distribution of wealth? And is this top echelon of fishos the guys who practise catch-and-release?

These are all thought-provoking questions. What do you think? Are our bag limits too generous? Does rec fishing have a significant impact on fish stocks? Be good to hear some different opinions….and be gentle when you find my blunder in the ‘Fighting Whiting’ article.