Anecdotal reports from a Victorian fisheries manager indicated that recreational martin use in Victoria state had increased by more than 500 per cent in the last 10 years, he said. The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries may consider changing the legal size and pocket restrictions on the kinghead to help the highly prized species recover. «The operation was carried out last month by DPI fisheries officials in Sydney`s North District after receiving reports that a number of banned yellowtail kingfishers had been caught by recreational and commercial fishermen,» said Chris Clarke, fisheries supervisor officer for the Department of Primary Industries (DPI). «The yellowtail icefish is a very valuable recreational and commercial species and is listed as a priority species under the Fisheries Management Act, 1994. Fishing in and around Sydney is very good at the moment, with lots of yellowtail kingpins caught. The operation targeted fishermen in Middle Harbour, Pittwater, Sydney Harbour and Blackwattle Bay and resulted in the arrest of three commercial and four recreational fishermen and the seizure of 35 banned kingfishers ranging from 48 .6cm to 64.3 cm in length. The minimum legal length for yellowtail kingpins in New South Wales is 65 cm and the possession or catch limit is five per person. Ten different offences were found, including possession and sale of prohibited fish and fining a boat captain for authorizing a crime. The captain of a boat commits a crime if he allows another person on the boat to commit a serious fishing offense,» Clarke said.The perpetrators are expected to face fines of $500 per person per violation. Full information on catch and size restrictions can be found on NSW Fisheries` website at: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries «The current situation, particularly with Victoria with a height of 60cm for kings, has resulted in fewer Victorians travelling to the south coast of New South Wales to hunt kings», he said. Moore says that when the Fishing Industry Council recommended expansion at the time, it did not consult with its members. John Moore, operator of the Narooma Fisheries Charter, followed up on some information he received a few weeks ago about Fisheries proposals to increase the size limit for kings to 75 cm with a pocket limit of two and a single martin over 100 cm.
The legal size for the martin is always 65 cm. The foreigner could be confused with Kingfish and Mulloway. Mulloway now has a legal length of 70 cm. According to his information, 1314 people responded to the option of increasing the legal minimum length of the royal fish from 60 cm to 65 cm. He said 418 or 32 percent supported the proposal, and 896 or 68 percent did not support the proposal. The increase in the height limit by 65 cm began on September 3, 2007. I cleaned a king at the boat launch today. The fish measured just over 65 cm. A stranger tells me that «the legal size is now 70 cm» and I am «glad the fishing is not there».
«Since when?» I asked. «For about 2 weeks,» he replied. I checked the website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/regulations/sw/sw-bag-and-size and it still says 65cm. Is there a lot of them or is there more up-to-date information elsewhere that I can find, if so, where? The last change to the kingfisher regulation was in 2007, when the height limit was increased from 60 cm to 65 cm. «No other state even has 65cm as a size for the martin, they are either 60cm or 45cm,» he said. «The fishery has already assured us that with the ban on martin traps, martin stocks will improve and increase the size to 65 cm – which has not happened. A charter boat skipper from Narooma said a size limit of 75cm could be introduced and the catch limit could be reduced from five to two fish. Closure of the season in rivers and estuaries May – August incl. Please note that abalone is currently prohibited between Port Stephens and Wreck Bay Beach, Jervis Bay. Tidal invertebrates should not be caught in or near water except for direct use as bait. Deep-sea fish (Hapuka, cod, perch cob, noble fish+, blue-eyed cod) A DPI spokesperson confirmed that the New South Wales Recreational Fisheries Advisory Council was considering a number of measures to improve the health of some of the state`s fish stocks.
Required length – 60 cm Only 1 more than 110cm Pocket limit – 10.10 total * The octopus cannot be taken from rock shelves in New South Wales or from rock platforms in Sydney Harbour. Required length of the south short fin – pocket limit of 30 cm – 10 south long fin required length – pocket limit of 58 cm – 10. Required length – Only 1 pocket limit over 35 cm – 1 closed season in rivers and estuaries May – August included Mr. Moore successfully requested information on these changes and In 2007, the fishery received just over 3300 submissions in a mail-in survey, with the majority opposing the changes, although some government officials have claimed otherwise.