Fishing

TAKING excess coral reef fish, which were to be sold on the black market, has landed two Townsville recreational fishers $17,000 in fines. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the two recreational fishers pleaded guilty in the Townsville Magistrates’ Court to unlawfully taking 63 coral reef fin fish. “The magistrate stated their actions were deliberate and …

QUEENSLAND’S new Rocky Reef Fishery Working Group will be asked to identify options to rebuild the snapper stock, which continues to be considered overfished. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner announced the new working group, which will provide advice to the government on managing fisheries including snapper, pearl perch, teraglin jew, yellowtail kingfish, cobia and mahi mahi. …

RECREATIONAL fishers will be hitting the water this weekend as the annual closed season for Australian bass comes to an end. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol Technical Support Officer David Kahler said Australian bass had been off-limits in Queensland tidal waters from 1 June to 31 August 2018 to protect the species during its breeding cycle. “Fishers can return to …

IN June 2017, the Queensland Government released the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027, paving the way for Queensland to have a world-class fisheries management system. These reforms will ensure healthy fish stocks that will support thousands of Queensland jobs. One year on from the release of Queensland’s Sustainable Fisheries Strategy and there has been very positive progress towards implementing the action …

IT’S been a long wait but spring is finally here. You can start to box up the winter warmers and put away the heaters. Overall, I would call this winter a mild one. We didn’t see too many awful cold days in the low single digits. That probably means we are in for one hell of a hot summer. So …

AT the end of my last article I mentioned I have been doing as much offshore fishing as I possibly can, and it’s safe to say I have become addicted to this awesome fishery right on our doorstep. I have been focusing the majority of my efforts on targeting big Brisbane snapper, but I have been picking away at a …

The iconic freshwater cod species Murray cod and Mary River cod will be off-limits to fishers during a closed season from September 1 to November 30, 2018. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol District Officer Coby Walker said the annual closure which allows the species to reproduce during spawning season was important for maintaining sustainable fish stocks. “The closed season for …

THE Queensland Government has announced the appointment of the new Moreton Bay Working Group under the landmark Sustainable Fisheries Strategy. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner welcomed the appointed members who will provide advice to the government and work to ensure Moreton Bay remains a world-class fishery. “The working group’s priority will be to advise on fishing …

A NEW vessel for Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol in the Redlands will assist fisheries officers to detect netting and crabbing offences in the district. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner joined Member for Redlands Kim Richards to inspect the new 4.3m aluminium patrol vessel Interceptor at Raby Bay. Ms Richards said the vessel’s addition to the …

IT is mighty chilly, and my fingers would prefer to be tucked under a blanket, not tapping a keyboard. The weather change has started to affect the fish. We are finding big schools of non-committal fish on the sounder and not getting too many bites. Occasionally a fish gets stupid, but we never really see it become a pattern. However, …