Statewide, three-year snapper fishing ban from November 1
Anglers in South Australia will be banned from fishing for the iconic snapper for three years starting November 1 — except for a strictly controlled period each year. We reveal when and where.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Government puts ban on hold after receiving 900 submissions
- Fishing industry urges rethink of snapper fishing ban
- Check out the latest The Advertiser subscriber rewards HERE
Fishing for snapper will be banned in all SA waters from November 1.
In an historic shake-up of the fishery, catching snapper will only be allowed in the southeast of the state between February and October, but under heavily restricted conditions.
The remainder of state waters, including both gulfs and west coast waters, will be off limits for professional, charter and recreational snapper fishing until January 31 2023.
On Friday night, Fisheries Minister Tim Whetstone revealed a multimillion-dollar compensation and support package to assist professional fisherman and charter boat operators who will be impacted by the ban.
The package will include $1 million funding for survey and research work for the 2019/20 spawning season, $1 million for a new recreational fishing survey and $500,000 for restocking programs for snapper and murray cod.
The penalties for fish poachers who exceed bag and boat limits will also be increased following a major review of penalties under the Fisheries Management Act.
The decision to close the fishery for the majority of the state for three years will send shockwaves throughout the professional and recreational fishing communities, fishing industry retailers and coastal towns that rely on summer fishing tourism.
Mr Whetstone said the decision was made “using the best available science, but also took into account the submissions made during the consultation process.’’
“The science shows drastic action is required to ensure we have a sustainable snapper fishery for future generations,” he said.
“Unlike the former Labor Government we will not take a back seat and watch this species decline and put at risk the chance of our grandchildren being able to catch this iconic species in South Australian waters.
“These are tough decisions for South Australian fishers, seafood consumers and regional fishing communities and we have put together a support package to reflect this.’’
The three-year ban will demolish SA’s charter boat industry with operators having already signalled such a closure would make their business unsustainable. Many professional fishermen who target snapper almost exclusively will also be unviable.
As part of the relief package mental health support programs will be expanded to assist affected charter operators, professional fishermen and seafood processors.
The ban will result in the price of snapper spiralling as seafood retailers either import New Zealand or Victorian caught snapper or compete for the limited quantity of fish caught in the southeast of the state between February and October each year when the fishery is opened.
The ban follows a six-week consultation period following the release of two proposed options in early July.
The second option was a total ban on snapper fishing statewide for three years.
More than 900 submissions on the proposed options were received, delaying the final decision by a month.
Under the support package professional fishermen impacted by the ban will have their licence fees cut by 50 per cent, costing more than $3 million.
The charter boat sector will receive $500,000 in a two year program to help operators diversify and “improve their businesses to offer a broader suite of tourism experiences’’ to make them more attractive for tourists.
The restrictions follow a South Australian Research and Development Institute report revealing there had been an 87 per cent decrease in snapper stocks in Gulf St Vincent and a 23 per cent decrease in Spencer Gulf over the past five years. Professional and recreational anglers have questioned the accuracy of these figures because of problems with the survey.
The huge decrease in snapper in Gulf St Vincent has been attributed to severe overfishing by professional longliners who have caught thousands of tonnes of snapper over the past decade, with the vast majority of the catch sold in the Melbourne and Sydney fish markets.
In 2005, the recorded catch for snapper in Gulf St Vincent was 36 tonnes.
In 2015 it was 376 tonnes and has declined since as the biomass was depleted.
Mr Whetstone said anglers should now turn their attention to other species such as nannygai, tommy ruff, snook, yellowfin whiting, yelloweye mullet, salmon, mulloway, flathead and leatherjackets.
“The latest snapper stock assessment confirms snapper stocks in Gulf St Vincent have continued to decrease and have been reclassified as ‘depleting’. The science also reconfirmed snapper stocks remain classified as ‘depleted’ in Spencer Gulf/West Coast,” he said.
“If the scientific evidence shows snapper stocks improve to an extent where sustainable fishing can be undertaken again before February 2023, the government will work with industry and fishery managers on how to safely re-open the fishery.’’
Last month stakeholders in the snapper fishery – including professional and recreational anglers - had individual meetings with Mr Whetstone, urging him to reconsider imposing the three-year ban because of the impact it would have.