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THE latest stock assessment of common coral trout (plectromous leopardus) has estimated the spawning biomass of the population to be 59 percent. Biomass estimates are used to determine the status of the stock of coral trout and also the level of fishing required to enable stocks to reach the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy target of 60 percent unfished spawning biomass. The …

IN a boost for both recreational fishing and the environment, new UNSW research shows that artificial reef domes can increase fish abundance in estuaries with little natural reef. Researchers installed six manmade reefs per estuary studied and found overall fish abundance increased up to 20 times in each reef across a two-year period. The study, published in the Journal of …

FOLLOWING on from earlier in the year, I had spent about three weeks camped in northern Australia at Pennefather River on Cape York. My mates started packing up but I was planning on staying another week in beautiful northern Australia. Then I heard my mate Darren say to the other boys they were going to slowly free camp their way …

LAST month we stepped through the manufacture of a drop-in kayak rack for my box trailer to allow my kayaks to be transported upright, and launched and loaded without lifting. In the final state as pictured last month, the rig worked perfectly allowing even my heaviest tandem Hobie to be slipped onto the skids without heavy manual handling, as planned. …

Where is your nearest frame drop-off location? NSW DPI Fisheries currently has 31 Research Angler Program locations from the Tweed Fisheries office in the north to the Eden Fisheries office in the south, making it easy for you to contribute to this important citizen science program. Many local tackle outlets – such as the Nambucca Heads Boatshed and Cafe (pictured) …

WELL 2020 has been one big rollercoaster but let’s hope things settle and we return to some sort of normality and can all get back to work. I’ve gone from not being able to work at all to finally being allowed to run my charters once more. We will see how it all goes, we’ve been changing techniques very quickly with …

NSW’s newest offshore artificial reef will feature a specially designed 10m high “fish grotto” as well as innovative “arrowhead” reef modules boasting unique habitat features to attract and hold key sportfish including Spanish and spotted mackerel, cobia, kingfish, amberjack and samsonfish. DPI has awarded a contract for Pacific Marine Group to construct and install the new reef off Tweed Heads. …

An illegal fisher has been apprehended during a weekend near Warren, following a joint operation between NSW Department of Primary Industries’ Fisheries officers and NSW Police Rural Crime Unit, Acting Director NSWDPI Fisheries Compliance, Dr Andrew Moriarty said. Two men, a 49-year-old man from Dubbo and a 58-year-old man from Wongarbon, were apprehended on Saturday 27 June 2020 on the …

Snapper and pearl perch will be no-take species in Queensland waters for one month starting July 15 (from 12.01am). Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said this new closure would apply to all fishers – commercial, charter and recreational. “This seasonal closure is similar to spawning closures for barramundi and reef fin fish species, which have been …

AS a charter operator, mess and disorganisation seriously get under my skin. Now, if you know me personally I am one of the messiest people about, and the console of my boat is a clear indication of many moments of mayhem. Lures with rusty hooks stacked on top of each other and hidden underneath is a pair of line clippers that …