Yes Chris, the exercise of growing fish in Aquaculture is an expensive one. I am fully aware of the costs, but that was some time ago. The Bribie Centre have now produced many species at their research centre.
The Cost Benefit Analysis favours wild stocking in todays environment. Whether it be Summer Whiting or Snapper, or Mud Crabs or Cobia, there is evidence the return far outweighs the expense.
It is very difficult to gather qualified data to back this, but all we have to do is look at how the NT have enhanced their reputation and fish stocks.
I spoke with the people in the know and they believe the recruitment of wild stocking would be less than 1% to maturity. Now considering that natural occurring recruitment of say Snapper, is also at less than 1% , why is wild stocking such an issue ? Let's understand from a Snapper point of view, that over 1 million eggs are produced by each Female. The economic input to the State coffers on a per fish basis on Snapper is hard to gauge, but no doubt with the recreational economic input touching 1 billion dollars a year, you can easily see how spending several thousand dollars to produce a season of Snapper can be extrapolated into a windfall for the Govt. AND, the fishery, and the fishoes. Add to this the deployment of artificial reefs that harbour these demersals and I can clearly see a fishery on the verge of being not only sustainable, but an attraction to tourist fishers as well, not to mention the benefits to the local fishers.
It takes a lot of foresight to envisage a fishery on the east coast of Queensland being a World Wide destination due to an expansive, diverse and highly sustainable bio-mass of all species.
Is a RFL the answer though ?
I think it is still a question of an organisation to represent Rec fishers with enough clout and punch to make things happen at State and Federal levels of Government.
Trying to convince some Leather Shiner, that plonking a few million dollars into the rec industry will return many times that amount in time, is the problem.
Maybe employing the Greens to lobby around town on this could work ? After all, saving the oceans creatures is what we are talking about here, are we not ?
77 posts down and a lot of good talk and to & fro'ing
IN the end and I know what some are saying.... it is hard to believe we all would benefit from a RFL... but if seeing the evidence of spending was clear cut, would this help ?
cheers LP