New boat catch limit could be one fish a year 
By Scott Coghlan AU Source: PerthNow 7/27/2010

UNDER proposed changes to the allocation and harvesting levels of demersal fish stocks, holders of the Recreational Fishing from Boat Licence (RFBL) may only be entitled to less than four kilos of demersal fish per year.

That’s right – one small dhufish or decent pink snapper, or maybe a couple of breaksea cod or even a goldband snapper.

The Department of Fisheries recently released a draft report on allocation of West Coast demersal fish species for the commercial and recreational sectors.
 

This allocation has been developed under the State Government’s Integrated Fisheries Management policy.

The Fisheries press release revealed that the anticipated recreational demersal limit was 238 tonne, under a proposed 66-34 per cent split of the fish resources between commercial and recreational fishers.

That recreational allocation has to be split between the 66,000 (current) RFBL holders, equating to 3.60 kilos per licence.

Even if only a third of the RFBL holders target demersals, and fish in the West Coast region, that is still only 10.8 kilos per angler per year, or one nice dhuie.

And that’s not 3.6 kilos of fillets either, that’s 3.6 kilos of live fish as it comes aboard.

 
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