PDA

View Full Version : NEW SPANISH MACKEREL REGULATION IN FORCE TODAY



baldyhead
02-03-2005, 06:32 PM
1 March 2005

New rules for Spanish mackerel catches
New regulations for recreational fishers designed to stop the illegal sale of Spanish mackerel come into effect today (March 1).

Under the new regulation which has been introduced by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), recreational fishers must now remove the pectoral fin of any Spanish mackerel in their possession.

DPI&F Fisheries Resources Manager Mark Elmer said the legislation applied to all recreational fishers including people conducting commercial fishing tours and crew members of those tours.

“Recreational fishers must not possess, on board a boat, a dead Spanish mackerel unless a pectoral fin has been removed,” Mr Elmer said.

“This provision is intended to make it easier for recreational and commercial catches to be identified.”

Mr Elmer said the legislation was brought in following the introduction of new management arrangements in the Queensland East Coast Spanish Mackerel fishery during the past two years.

“In December 2003, new arrangements that were introduced included limiting the number of commercial fishing licences able to access the Spanish mackerel fishery and a reduction in the recreational possession limit for Spanish mackerel from 10 fish to three,” Mr Elmer said.

“Last year, a total allowable commercial catch came into effect in the commercial fishery and individual transferable quotas were allocated to licence holders based on past history in the fishery.

“These changes raised concerns about the potential for black-market trade in recreationally caught fish which could compromise the integrity of the commercial quota.

“The new legislation, which takes effect from today, was passed in August 2004 requiring recreationally caught Spanish mackerel be fin-clipped to deter black-marketing of these fish. The legislation continues to allow recreational fishers to fillet Spanish mackerel at sea.”

For more information on Spanish mackerel and other fishing regulations, visit DPI&F Fishweb or phone the Call Centre on 13 25 23.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Further information:
Kirsten Phillips A/Principal Communication Officer Ph: +61 7 3224 7757
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Media Unit
GPO Box 46 Brisbane Qld 4001. Fax +61 7 3239 0860
DPI&F Call Centre 8am-6pm weekdays on local call 13 25 23

Daintreeboy
02-03-2005, 06:46 PM
While not a bad idea, I'm guessing this will be extended to more and more reef fish outside the coral reef fin fish already under this banner. The highly targeted commercial species will come first as we have seen. Anyone know of any other fish on the hit list for this law? I'd say Spotted Mackeral would be pretty high up there.
Cheers, Mark.

nulla
03-03-2005, 03:01 AM
What a crock. How does this measure stop a rec fisher selling fillets? I just see the rule as a pain in the butt that does not achieve anything.

There are already laws that make black-market illegal. I don't see how this helps enforcement.

max_power
03-03-2005, 03:45 AM
That new reg is a crock!

Fingermark and mangrove jack are still exempt from that new law, and they can be caught at the reef.

cheers

Drew

Blueby
03-03-2005, 08:02 AM
As always with these things it comes down to how it is enforced ie how many officers are put on the water to enforce the law.

In WA a similar policy operates to protect rock lobster but it is next to useless because you hardly see a fisheries officer inspecting a catch

After fishing at Palmy for the first time on the weekend agree the Spotties should be looked at too

Okuma_Kid
03-03-2005, 11:16 AM
i agree, what can this really acheive.
i see it as a wast of time that cant really be enforced

agnes_jack
03-03-2005, 11:28 AM
Okuma
In my book it achieves nothing at all unless there are enough officers to police it heavily. On the water is the only place arule like that has any effect.
Once they are sold to a fish shop they can be skinned and crumbed, I cant see it doing sweet FA.
I guess we should amuse them and cut a fin off ::) ::) ::) ::)
It probably justifies somebodys job somewhere.


Regards, Tony

Daintreeboy
03-03-2005, 11:49 AM
For the record I was checked by the fisheries just last week, first time in at least 5 years, and before that around another 10 ;)

devocean
03-03-2005, 02:55 PM
They have been fining people heavily up here for not cutting off the fin. It does help a bit because black market up here is rife especially whole fish and anything that helps is got to be good.

Jay_S
03-03-2005, 03:58 PM
Might as well just get us to cut the fins off of everything we catch.. or do the norty ones only sell certain fish on the black market ??? ???
I think Tony is right ...justifies someones job probably more like it ::)

Cheers Col

dfox
03-03-2005, 06:13 PM
I believe the idea of this fin cutting is to identify commercial catches, all this seems fine, but in the real world black marketers more commonly sell there catches as fillets. I for one dont eat the fins and neather do all the fellas at the pub or corner fish and chip shop. Apart from the fisheries catching some pro or retailer with fish not registed on the quota system it solves nothing. A rec fisho can still go out and sell his 3 big spaniards a day fins cut, and it goes on alot believe me.
When i was fishing spaniards commercially the same few rec blokes were out there every day as well....

baldyhead
03-03-2005, 07:47 PM
Some of the biggest black marketers are the commercial fishermen themselves, not all mind you but a big percentage of them are. You only have to look at the Queensland court records to see these outrageous goings on.