Closed Season On Coral Trout

[Araby_Dog]

Was it just me or are plans underway to introduce a closed season on Trouties from April to ?.

I saw a 15 second grab on the news about CT and the dwindling numbers of the fish stock on our reefs....they had images of live Trouties being pulled out of hulls and bins on boats into larger storage tanks to be exported OS. Convieniently no mention of an actual figure being pulled out of our reefs by commercial operators. But no doubt if a closed season is enforced then its the rec fisho who gets it in the arse again.

[Kerry]

... But no doubt if a closed season is enforced then its the rec fisho who gets it in the arse again.


Why? what makes you think that. A closed season (and closed seasons apply to all users as with other species) is exactly that or are you saying a closed season shouldn't apply to everybody?

Closed seasons tend to make a little more sense than some of the other rubbish being mooted.

Cheers, Kerry.

[Araby_Dog]

Kerry, I agree. Where i'm coming from is that I believe that as with other species the biggest threat is from overfishing by Commercial operations thus my preference of a closed season to commercial operations as opposed to the rec angler.

Wouldi be right in presuming that the majority of CT are caught by the commercial sector for the live export market OS. I have seen figures of last years commercial export but cannot recall what it was or exactlyu where I saw it. Would you or anyone know what last years catch was as opposed to the rec angler catch??

If a closed season to commercial operators is not possible/feasable; then fine closed season allround no complaint from the Dog as long as we sustain this finite resource.

[mick]

luckily for the trout they cant be netted. pros use one line from one dory, the same as rec fishos. im all for any new regulation that will help maintain fish stocks(all species) but my personal oppion is that trout will maintain there stocks as is. china is the main export market for trout, red is there lucky colour(not for the fish). they like there fish at plate size, which means a larger fish is less desirable and the pros try to avoid hook ups on these fish(also large trout have a risk of cigarettar poisoning). anyway in a few years the chineese will have developed there trout breeding techniques and the bottom will fall from the market same as prawns etc.

my two cents

[craigie]

G'day Araby_Dog,

I believe Peter Beattie or the Minister(Fisheries) made a media announcement about Coral Trout, have yet to hear the full detail of what was said ??? ???

Checked on some figures of Coral Trout caught back in 2000. Commercial catch was 1538 tonne !!!
Shit that's a lot of fish !!
Recreation catch was estimated at about 300 tonne

Closed seasons where fish are left alone to do the 'Spawning Thing' must be a good thing and any Fisherman with half a brain should understand that it benifits us all in the long run.

More 'Closed Seasons', bring em on !!!

Cheers
Craig.

[Kerry]

Araby, right now one would have to "assume" that many of the trout go to the live trout trade.

However I believe that the recreational catch is often over estimated or under estimated depending on what the purpose of those number's are #;D.

If someone can adequately give a figure for the "actual" recreational catch of many species then they are a lot better than those who claim too know #:D. #

One of the most profilic species on the reef (and even closer inshore areas) is still Coral Trout but just because people can't catch them doesn't mean they aren't there.

Ciguatera is a big issue especially with big trout and anybody who wishes to eat big trout (> 15lb, maybe less #???) are dicing with problems.

Over the past 25 years (especially 10 years) the recreational pressure has almost exploded here locally and once where one would never see another boat all day these days it's like downtown Sydney on a weekday morning just about everyday the weather is good.

Don't any people work anymore #???

Cheers, Kerry.

[Lucky_Phill]

One of the main problems with the Trout Fishery is that they are " Territorial", and when those dories grab every single Trout from a bombie for live export, that stuffs that area. The Pro's do like a specific size for export, and all fish are taken, only bigger ones go to the co-op. for local consumption.

I'm all for a closed season and areas. Big thumbs up from me, NOW HOW THE HELL DO WE POLICE IT ?

[krazyfisher]

if anyone is looking for the catch rates for rec fishermen it is on the dpi website it is a little have to believe some of the numbers but they are the numbers the goverment are using ???

[Vern_Veitch]

Latest numbers aren't up yet but the commercial catch increased to over 2000 tonne in 2001. Sure a closure will affect everyone - at the best time of the year for weather a 3 month closure in the spawning season from September to november will destroy the recreational coral reef fishery from private boats. You simply cannot get there for most of the rest of the year.
Vern