Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
Fishery Monitoring’s annual roving surveys are officially underway!
Fishery Monitoring scientists have conducted 3 roving surveys on the northern Gold Coast beaches since the start of the tailor fishing season. Last Saturday, our scientists interviewed 37 fishers and measured 161 tailor! The largest tailor on the night measured a respectable 53 cm.
You can help with this important work by allowing scientists to measure your fish. We value your assistance in providing data look forward to seeing you at the Gold Coast and K’gari (Fraser Island)!
Staff are taking precautions to ensure all interactions are COVID safe.
Each year, in late winter and spring, large numbers of anglers gather along the ocean beaches on Fraser Island to fish, mainly for tailor. Fisheries Queensland conducts surveys on Fraser Island during this period to collect biological information for beach-caught species including tailor.
Surveys typically run for five days, with two to three surveys being conducted each year since 1999. Scientists measure approximately 1000 fish per survey, although in years when a survey coincides with great fishing conditions, this can exceed 2500 fish. Scientists also collect large numbers of fish frames (i.e. their skeletons) as these provide additional information to complement the length data.
A mobile field laboratory is set up on the island to allow processing of fish frames soon after they are collected. Scientists record length and sex, and remove otoliths (ear bones) from a sub-sample of the fish frames donated. The otoliths are examined under a microscope to estimate the age of the fish .
The data collected during surveys on Fraser Island are collated with data collected year-round from recreational and commercial fishers at other locations. Collectively, this information allows Fisheries Queensland to assess the sustainability of the tailor stock. Tailor is currently classified as Sustainably Fished .
Learn more about why we monitor tailor at fisheries.qld.gov.au
