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Recreational Fishery

by zopemanager — last modified 13:00 19-09-2006

The management of the State’s freshwater recreational fishery, particularly for trout and salmon, is a major focus of the Service. It is a role that commenced in the 1860s with the first successful introduction of trout to Tasmania. This marked the origin of the trout fishery, and its management has been passed down from the original Government agency responsible, the Salmon Commission to today’s Inland Fisheries Service.

Major activities include the breeding and raising of trout, the stocking of inland waters and the development and coordination of infrastructure to support inland fisheries. Work covers the development of recreational fishing policies, fishery management plans and fishing regulations, and the monitoring, assessment and research of recreational fisheries. It also includes the management, administration, distribution, promotion and sale of recreational fishing licences, and the provision of information, advice and advocacy regarding inland fisheries management.

Approximately 27,000 angling licences are sold annually, enabling anglers to fish at any inland water during the open season, which generally runs from August through to May. A small recreational fishery for whitebait, which is a generic term for several species of native fish that migrate between salt and fresh water, is also managed by the Service. Approximately 800 whitebait fishers participate annually during the open season around October.

Fishery Management Plans

Fishery Management Plans have been prepared for the Western Lakes and Great Lake. These continue to be implemented. A draft Plan has been prepared for Penstock Lagoon.

Fisheries Performance Assessment Program

The Service has established a Fisheries Performance Assessment Program (FPA) to monitor priority fisheries. The first round of FPA surveys has been completed. The results are used in-conjunction with the stocking history of individual waters in addition to a review of catch rates, estimated harvest, angler satisfaction and creel survey data, to assist with on-going management of the fishery. A series of FPA Reports are available for certain waters.

Stocking Program

Although the extent of wild trout populations in Tasmanian waters is significant, the Service supplements this with its annual stocking program. Over recent years, the Service has increased its stocking program in order to entice greater participation in the fishery. In 2005-06, approximately 1.1 million trout and Atlantic salmon were stocked into 51 different waters around the State. A stocking database has been compiled for stockings that have occurred at waters throughout the State over the past 20 years.

Recreational whitebait fishery

The term 'whitebait' is a collective name for small transparent native fish that migrate from the sea into rivers and streams during Spring and Summer. Upstream-moving schools or runs of whitebait occur in coastal streams around the State. Whitebait, as defined under the Inland Fisheries Act 1995, includes any of the following kinds or species of fish: whitebait (Lovettia sealii), jollytail (Galaxias maculatus), climbing galaxias (Galaxias brevipinnis), spotted galaxias (Galaxias truttaceus), Tasmanian mudfish (Neochanna cleaveri) and Tasmanian smelt (Retropinna tasmanica). The whitebait runs are composed of these species, although species composition varyies with tide, time and location. Most whitebait are juveniles, with the exception of Lovettia which are adults migrating to spawn.

A limited licensed recreational fishery for whitebait has operated in Tasmania since 1990. Participation in the fishery over the past four years has slowly increased with the past 2005 season having the highest number of licence holders since 1990.

Whitebait are caught for personal consumption and are considered a seasonal delicacy, especially across the North of the State. Management of the fishery has been aimed to protect populations of whitebait species while enabling a small legal catch of whitebait for personal consumption. Poaching and illegal sales are ongoing problems associated with the whitebait fishery.

The Service has recently prepared a Whitebait Fishery Management Plan that addresses all issues relevant to the whitebait fishery. The Plan will be finalised after a period of public consultation and it is planned to implement any regulatory changes prior to the 2006 season.