Fish aggregating devices

October 27, 2022

Great news for Bundaberg fishers! Recent monitoring at the all-water fish aggregating devices (FADs) showed an increase in the number of fish and variety of species.

21 fish species were recorded, including yellowtail scad, red emperor, saddletail snapper, gold spot cod, striped seaperch, Moses perch, purple tuskfish and painted sweetlip.

You can help us monitor FADs by providing catch details to staff at public boat ramps or logging your fishing trips via the FAD fishing form

https://bit.ly/3FdX2Dr

What are fish aggregating devices

Fish aggregating devices (FADs) are human-made structures anchored offshore that attract fish, making them easier to catch so you can have a great fishing experience.

To start with, 25 surface FADs were deployed off South East Queensland, from Fraser Island to the Gold Coast. These FADs have been popular with fishers, with great catches of mahi mahi reported.

As part of the next stage of the program, four surface FADs were deployed off Weipa, three surface and four all-water FADs off Wide Bay Burnett and 12 subsurface FADs off South East Queensland. Additional FADs are also being considered for other parts of Queensland.

Fish attracted to FADs

Most fish attracted to the FADs are seasonal pelagic fish, which travel in the warm water delivered by ocean currents. Species caught around the FADs include mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna, cobia, mackerel and billfish.

Mahi mahi are the most common species of fish caught around the FADs and are the perfect sport fish:

They have a remarkable growth rate, known to grow as fast as 7cm in a week.
Adult fish can grow to almost 200cm (weighing up to 40kg).
They can be sexually mature as early as 6 months of age and reproduce at a high rate.
They are relatively short-lived – they rarely live past 2 years of age.

Find out how to fish safely around FADs.

Click link below to see fish surrounding the Bundaberg all-water FAD
https://www.facebook.com/FisheriesQueensland/videos/528777929061095