When to let (fish) go
Greetings all,
I know, I know, I know…. I’ve been very quiet of late and I apologise for the delay in updating my regular posts.
I’m sorry but with the presidential elections on in the US my life has been turned upside down with my potential candidacy, see;
http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=379346&altf=Tljqqfs&altl=Nfhht
Anyway, today’s topic is in regard to releasing fish.
Rules and regulations concerning size and bag limits compel anglers to release fish upon capture.
Generally these limits are applied for a number of reasons but in the main the intent of all fishing regulations is to protect the individual species from extinction.
After researching individual species the authorities set size limits largely according to the stages of sexual maturity of the fish. The idea is to allow the fish to survive so that it can spawn at least once in its lifetime and make a contribution to its ongoing population.
Not that research is conclusive on when a particular species reaches sexual maturity and there many instances that have been cited where this may even vary by geographic location.
For example a Sailfish is said to be sexually mature at 23kg in Western Australia whilst on the East Coast it is reached at 30-35kg.
New research comes out on a regular basis that indicates some species mature later in life and that their legal size limits are actually smaller than when they reach sexual maturity.
In these cases the authorities tend to be rather slow to react and change the laws which is understandable as it would be mayhem in the fishing world if we were to have changes to the regulations every second day of the week.
It would appear though that some popular Northern Australian fish species such as the Fingermark and Mangrove Jack both have published legal size limits below that of which they attain sexual maturity.
For some fish species there are maximum legal size limits and the reason for this is that in a few species (for example the barramundi) larger members contribute more to the populations not only in terms of spawning volumes but also pass on survival traits to future generations.
Bag limits have been set up not only to conserve fish populations in certain areas but also to stem the illegal trade and selling of fish by amateurs. It also makes sense to set bag limits for fish that are relatively simple to catch (eg Black Jewfish) or that are severely depleted. Bag limits also ensure that the fish is accessible to a wide range of anglers.
Aside from the fishing rules and regulations there are also some other really good reasons why fish should be returned.
If you are in Northern Australian waters and have caught something that you can’t identify it is it may be wise to return it to the depths rather than run the risk of being poisoned or catching the dreaded ciguatera disease.
Regardless of fishing regulations you may also find yourself in a position where you have too many fish for your purposes and even though you are well within your bag limits you should consider releasing any more fish caught.
A good rule is to only keep those fish that you know you can cook at home fresh without the need to freeze them.
If you have little storage or ice to keep the fish fresh and cool during the day it makes no sense to keep a dieing fish that will only be hardened and ruined in the sun.
Some fish or sharks are on the endangered list and must be returned to the water immediately for example the Port Jackson shark.
There are also closed seasons for certain breeds (for example the coral trout) so that large aggregations of mature fish are able to survive through their spawning period.
In some areas across Australia, particularly in the Whitsundays, many marine parks and no fishing areas exist prohibiting anglers to even wet a line let alone extract fish form the water.
Perhaps the best reason to return fish to the water is so that the species will survive and prosper.
Sea you later,
Skipper Meggs