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Hi guys,
just my rebuttal on some posts that I have read today – makes a change from having my head in a book.
“Yes you can. Your average recreational fisho can kill 20 bream for weekend not to mention all flathead, salmon, travelly and luderick they can keep. And if fishing with their family-a lot more.”
“On the other hand, 200 pro fishos (man, I am a pro now! ) catch 10 fish per boat for 2 people for a weekend of which all bream (and flathead, travelly, luderick and salmon) go back to the water unharmed. And by the way some "pros" go home with doughnuts”.
Obviously, not every “average recreational fisho” WILL kill 20 bream a weekend. I am an average fisho (very average) and I would struggle to catch 20 bream a weekend normally. The amount of the fisho’s that are seen at my local boat ramp, stating they didn’t catch very much at all, normally outweighs the amount of fishermen that catch bag limits regularly. Not sure what you mean by “flathead salmon trevally and luderick they can keep”. Bag limits apply to those species as well.
You also mention that pro’s catch of 10 fish per boat for a weekend. My maths is that it is 20 fish per boat per weekend, if both anglers catch a full bag. Your figure is right for 1 day of comp fishing, not a weekend.
You also state that these bream and other associated bi-catch go back unharmed. I have firsthand knowledge that this fish do not go back unharmed and a percentage suffer some sort of harm as a result of being caught.
A bream comp proposed to be held up here (cancelled mind you) had all competitors driving back from the boat ramp, along a bumpy road at highways speed to a weigh in about 20km’s down the coast. It would have been interesting to see how many bream were injured in that trip.
“Bream get upset or they might die if not released in the same spot? Is there any scientific data to support this claim?”
Your reply seems to be mocking the concerns raised. If bream were in a certain part of the system, due to the fact that the environmental requirements, reached their needs (For example, Food sources, what quality, oxygen rate, salinity rate – a whole number of environmental factors) and if they were removed from this microclimate (This is scientific fact, check out “Elements of ecology, 7th edition, T. Smith & R. Smith 2009”).
This could quite possibly have a negative impact on the bream and their chances at survival and spawning ability.
AsIi said before, there isn’t much data available on western Yellowfin bream that I have come across. I am not sure about the southern black bream – perhaps you know of somewhere that we can gather data from? It was mentioned before that tagging programs have been undertaken in vic. Who by and where’s the data?
“I cannot comment on the amount of other comps in Vic. (clubs, etc.) happening throughout a year, but in this discussion we are limiting ourselves to only those two”.
It seems surprising that a thread titled “Is comp fishing sustainable” is only being limited to 1 state in Australia, where there is only 2 known comps, for the entire year throughout the state.
For a more meaningful discussion and one that has some basis for further study, perhaps we discuss the thread title “Is comp fishing sustainable” not “Is comp fishing sustainable for 2 comps in one state per year”
Sustainability is something that is hard to define in this context. There is a definite definition for the environment; there is a definition for financial sustainability and individual sustainability of a species.
But I think in this discussion, all 3 factors are being discussed
”a c&r comp will kill a very low number of fish regardless of the target species. There is some tagging evidence to suggest that bream in particular go about their business with little or no adverse impact after release. So I assume that the sustainability of the species would not be challenged”
Once again, who has carried out this tagging and what data has resulted from it?
It is also mentioned that most “comp” boats are running low emission outboards. I’d agree with this, but what about the effects of wash from these boats having on erosion on riverside banks? What about the effect of fisho’s using electric over weed beds, effectively being used as “lawn mowers”.
I am trying to put across the argument that Comp fishing is not the ONLY problem affecting estuaries, but combined with over fishing recreationally, over fishing by professionals and the affect of other environmental factors. Combined, these “drains” on the environment will one day have a large effect to play on the estuarine environment.
I am not for the total cessation of comp fishing. But if rec fishing can help control one small part of the problem, by putting in place controls and regulations to protect our sport and our environment, than that has to be a good thing doesn’t it?
There are a lot of people out there that are arguing for the complete end to fishing. If we are seen to be making some sort of positive impact on the environment, then this can only work in our favour.
It was mentioned that fishing practises have improved over the last 20 years. Yes they have, but I believe they can improve. Obviously computer technology has improved over the last 20 years, but the pc industry just doesn’t stand still today and say “oh well, we’ve come far enough. Let’s stop now” So why should the rec fishing industry.
I’m not saying that what we are doing is wrong as rec fisher’s but I believe we can improve our ways of fishing and reduce the impact on the environment.
Once again, sorry about the rant, but I do feel strongly about this.
Regards,
ff
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