Professional fishermen ask government to delay reopening of snapper fishery

The reopening of the snapper fishery is in doubt as professional fishermen ask for a delay while research is conducted on how many fish recreational anglers catch. Join the conversation.

In a shock move, the state’s professional fishermen have asked the state government to delay the much anticipated reopening of the snapper fishery.

The request, which is being considered by Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven, will blindside the state’s 277,000 recreational anglers keenly anticipating the reopening of the fishery in three months following a three-year closure.

It follows the release of a position paper by RecFish SA, the body representing recreational anglers last week that proposed widespread changes – including radical catch reallocations between the sectors – that outraged professional fishers.

The professional fishers now want an undertaking from the government that a system to closely monitor the recreational catch of snapper – such as the compulsory recording and reporting of catches each trip that now occurs in the southeast snapper fishery – will be introduced prior to any reopening.

Spawning snapper. Picture: Gone Fishing with Al McGlashan

Independent chair of the Marine Fishers Association Patrick Conlon said the move was necessary because the health of snapper stocks was “of vital importance to all stakeholders; commercial, recreational, charter and indigenous fishers alike’’

“While the MFA is keen to resume fishing, we believe there are significant gaps in data collection about this highly sought after species,’’ he said.

“The marine scale fishery would prefer to suffer the financial cost of a delay in the resumption of fishing than risk the future sustainability of the stock.’’

Mr Conlon said the commercial fishers wanted all waters currently closed for fishing – Gulf St Vincent, Spencer Gulf and West Coast waters – to remain off limits “until the gaps in data collection are addressed.’’

“The MFA is keen to work constructively with the government and all sectors to ensure a fishery that allows all stakeholders a viable future,’’ he said.

Marine Fishers Association independent chair Patrick Conlon.

RecFish SA wants wide-ranging changes that include investigating the removal or reduction of minimum size limits for snapper and increasing the recreational share of the snapper catch allocation to a minimum of 50 per cent – up from the existing 18 per cent which also includes the charter boat allocation of 10 per cent.

It also wants new restrictions on professional fishers targeting snapper including limiting their activities on weekends, public holidays and school holidays – around 165 days a year – banning longlining and creating a network of “recreational fishing havens’’ in popular locations to support recreational and tourism fisheries for snapper and other species.

RecFish SA’s major aim to have the allocated shares in the snapper fishery realigned to reflect the value it adds to local economies supported by recreational fishing. However, the professional sector has long argued the true size of the recreational catch is already underestimated because of the increasing number of anglers targeting snapper since surveys were last conducted.

Snapper caught off Port Broughton in SA prior to the snapper ban being introduced.

The three-year ban on snapper fishing is due to end on February 1 – but the reopening of the fishery not guaranteed with a decision likely to be made at the end of December after all research and stock surveys are reviewed. And if it is reopened, recreational bag and boat limits are likely to be reduced following the introduction of a fixed catch quota for snapper for the 205-strong professional sector last July.

In the position paper RecFish SA argues the data on which the shares in the snapper resource are allocated is “anomalous and unreliable.’’

It states the recreational share of 18 per cent of the total catch is based on a 2007 survey which showed the recreational catch was 19.3 per cent. But it states surveys in 2001 and 2013 produced figures of 42.3 per cent and 37.6 per cent respectively.

RecFish SA also wants the significant snapper catch allocated to the charter boat sector to be taken from the commercial allocation, not the 18 per cent recreational allocation as it is now, because it is a commercial activity. This move will also be hotly contested by the commercial sector.