STATE FISHING CLUBS LEAD BY EXAMPLE

DRAFT MEDIA RELEASE 1/3/2002
SUNFISH QLD
PO Box 212 , Margate Q 4019

Mr John Doohan, Chairman of SUNFISH QLD today applauded the initiative of the Queensland Amateur Fishing Clubs (QAFCA) in introducing catch limits into their State Competitions. The program of events to be fished at Stradbroke Island in July this year will be fished under bag limits for all species as well as some weigh in sizes well above the State legal lengths.

Mr David Bateman AM, President of QAFCA said that club anglers had waited long enough for regulations to protect future fish stocks & were tired of delaying tactics & little cooperation. Our members don't need scientific studies to know that our catches are declining & we are tired of writing submissions & being consulted repeatedly on the same issues. How many times do we have to tell our fisheries managers that there is a problem.

We are introducing general catch limits of 30 fish in line with the Burns inquiry recommendations made in 1994 & some special weigh in sizes for fish without current legal sizes. Common fish such as flathead will need to be 40cm , 10 cm above the legal size & bream will need to be 2 cm bigger than the State size. Anglers catches will be inspected by appointed scrutineers while fishing to discourage any attempt to keep additional fish with immediate disqualification being the penalty. QAFCA is serious about our sport & the need to look after our fish stocks Mr Bateman said.

Mr Doohan said that this is a trend now being adopted by the majority of club anglers in Queensland with other initiatives being "catch & release" & the adoption of Codes of Practice which are incorporated into club constitutions. Surveys indicate that the number of fish being released by all recreational anglers now exceeds, in most cases, the actual "take home" catch.

We hope that leading by example will encourage our fisheries managers & scientists to take a closer look at our fish stocks & start accepting that killing fish commercially may not be the smartest use of the natural resource.

Contact point Mr John Doohan Chairman, SUNFISH QLD 33593086
Mr David Bateman AM, President QAFCA, 38804261