Recreational Fishing Sector Overview Overview
Research into Tasmania's Recreational Fishery The key distinction between recreational and commercial fishing is that people fishing recreationally take fish for enjoyment and their own use whereas commercial fishers take fish for sale. Under the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 no person can use a fishing boat to take fish for the purpose of sale or business, or sell fish or marine plants, unless they hold the appropriate commercial licences.
Recreational fishing is an important generator of jobs and wealth, particularly in coastal regions. Tasmanians spend over $50 million on recreational fishing. One in every three Tasmanians goes fishing and a large number of interstate and international visitors also enjoy the coastline of Tasmania, which provides varied and often spectacular fishing experiences. Tasmania is recognised internationally for its game fishing and several world records are held. A survey showed that nearly two-thirds of people who fished recreationally fished only in salt water, and over 80 per cent did some fishing in salt water. People fish for a variety of reasons including food, sport, relaxation, enjoyment of the marine environment, friendship, family and excitement. The size of the catch is not therefore the only measure of quality fishing. The anticipation, the preparation, and the experience itself can be equally important. The Department of Primary Industries and Water is responsible for the management of fishing in State marine waters whilst the Inland Fisheries Service has jurisdiction over freshwater fishing in defined inland waters. For Inland Fisheries information see: www.ifs.tas.gov.au Tasmania has a wide range of fish species and for most there are rules and regulations to follow when fishing. Management aims to ensure that there are fish for the future and that all Tasmanians have the opportunity to go fishing. The Marine Resources group of the Department also runs a major program to make sure people know about fisheries management and how to fish responsibly. We have more than 90 Fishcare Volunteers working around the state to help achieve this. A licence is not required to fish with a rod and line in marine waters in Tasmania but an angling licence is required for freshwater fishing. A Recreational Sea Fishing Licence is required to use graball, mullet or beach seine nets, diving for abalone, rock lobster and scallops, and for rock lobster pots and rings. There are limits on the number of nets, pots and rings per person and seasons apply. There are also area restrictions, bag, size and possession limits for abalone, rock lobster, shellfish and scalefish. Licences are available at online at www.fishing.tas.gov.au/licence and Service Tasmania. A guide to Tasmania's recreational sea fishing rules and regulations is also available along with rulers and gauges to measure your catch. Fishers are encouraged to collect these items with their licences. A wide variety of scalefish species, as well as squid and octopus, are fished with lines, nets and spears. Flathead is the most frequently caught fish, which gives kids a great chance to catch a fish. Fishing for Australian salmon is also extremely popular and the state has an excellent bream fishery. Some other popular species include pike, trevally, warehou, bastard and striped trumpeter, morwong and various reef fish. Stocks of some species, particularly the reef fish, have come under increasing fishing pressure in recent years which has resulted in the introduction of possession and size limits for all scale fish. Some of these possession limits are still quite generous, and fishers are encouraged not to view the limits as a target, hence the messages "limit your catch, don’t catch your limit" and "only take what you need for a feed". Recreational fishing for school and gummy shark is also important in some areas, particularly off beaches in north-eastern Tasmania and around the Bass Strait islands. Shark fishing is also popular in the North West. Some people use longlines to target shark. Due to concerns for the conservation of shark stocks, a number of areas that are important for shark breeding have been set aside as shark refuges. It is illegal to take any shark, skate or ray (with the exception of elephant fish) in these areas. Game fish are mostly taken by trolling offshore, mainly on the East Coast from Flinders Island to Tasman Peninsula, between January and June. Catches vary from year to year. Southern Bluefin Tuna is the premier game species in the south, particularly around Eaglehawk Neck. Fish average around 15 kg, but fish up to 40 kg are not uncommon. Yellowfin tuna, which tend to be larger, are more common in the north. Stripey tuna and albacore tuna are frequently caught and small numbers of striped marlin also taken.
The Fishwise Community Grants program uses fees from licences to fund a number of surveys and research about recreational fishing in Tasmania. These surveys are used to improve our understanding of the fishery and are essential for good management of these important natural resources. In 2000-01, Tasmania took part in a national survey of recreational fishing, with funding assistance from licence fees. The survey established that about 29 per cent of Tasmanians (125,000 people) fished at least once in the twelve months prior to May 2000 and that over 23,000 recreational boats were used for fishing during that period. During 2000-01, recreational fishers spent the equivalent of 0.8 million person days fishing in Tasmania for a total retained catch of: - 2.6 million finfish;
- 45,000 squid and octopus; and
- 108,000 abalone.
Flathead were the most frequently caught finfish (1.4 million fish) followed by Australian salmon (300,000 fish). About three quarters of all fishing activity in Tasmania occurred in saltwater, mostly in coastal waters. Boat and shore-based fishing occurred in roughly equal proportions.
This level of fishing participation can put significant pressure on fish stocks. Good fishing practices and some basic guidelines such as correctly handling and releasing undersized and unwanted fish will help us get more enjoyment from our fisheries and lessen the need to put further restrictions on fishers.
A follow up survey on recreational fishing in Tasmania is currently underway.
Other surveys that have been funded by fees from recreational licences include assessments of the recreational rock lobster fishery, studies of net fishing and a survey of game fishing in Tasmania. Funding has also been provided to support studies of calamari and rock lobster population ecology.
Research has clearly demonstrated how important recreational fishing is to Tasmanians as well as providing insights into the impact of fishing on the fish populations. Importantly, research findings also help fisheries managers make decisions to ensure that there will continue to be fish for the future.
See also: Assessment of Recreational Species. | 
