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.
1. Ok, I should have said "can
legally keep". Does it make any difference to the the context of the sentence? Would you feel better if I said " 20 flathead, 20 Australian salmon, 20 travelly and 10 luderick"? This is Victorian bag limits by the way. And some people can do better than that.
You cannot deny the fact that during a comp all this by-catch goes back in the water immediately instead of being kept as some recreational fishos would do.
I myself came a long way from taking fish for dinner to a firm believer in C&R. I am not saying that every fisho who's not fishing comps keeps all the fish he caught, but nobody would do it during the comp (see the Thread Title).
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.
2. I should have clarified this: Vicbream Classics bag is 5 fish per boat (2 people) per day - 10 fish for a weekend. ABT, yes, 5 fish per angler per day.
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
3. Ok, I should have said
with minimal harm as some so called "pros" use barbless hooks or keeping fish in the landing net in the water while removing hooks to minimise the stress.
and a percentage suffer some sort of harm as a result of being caught.
4. 1% 5%, 10% ?
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.
5. How many if any? Ok, 20 km in an aerated and circulated livewell. Maybe organisers of that comp should have thought about bringing the weigh in area a little closer. I agree with you here.
“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.
6. There was no intention to mock anyone here. Honestly, do you yourself believe that releasing bream in the different area of the same waterway (say 1 km away or even less) would do any significant harm?
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.
7. I think bream are much tuffer fish than you think
“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.
8. I should have been more clearer on that, meaning 2
types of comps I can comment on. My mistake.
With Vicbream Classics the comps in the same water system could be 6-8 months apart or even once a year. I cannot see any significant pressure on the system some posters are worried about.
Also, some of the Vicbream Classic comps are limited to say 40 boats if the waterway is considered to be too small.
For exact number of VBC and ABT comps in each state refer to respective websites.
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?
9. Ever heard of the term "Speed limit"?
What about the effect of fisho’s using electric over weed beds, effectively being used as “lawn mowers”.
10. You are not serious, are you?
I am trying to put across the argument that Comp fishing is not the ONLY problem affecting estuaries, but combined with
over fishing recreationally
11. Refer to you previous comment on "bag limits"
over fishing by professionals
12. Totally agree.
and the affect of other environmental factors.
13. Much more harm than C&R for sure.