Australia is a big ocean country, surrounded by sea. It connects the South Pacific to the east and the Indian Ocean to the west. Its coastline is 36 thousand kilometers long.
Australia is the rise of leisure fishery in recent ten years, according to a 2003 national Australia do recreational fishery and local fisheries survey, more and more swim fishermen fishing activities, a $1.8 billion spent in fishing activities in cost, investigation shows that the value of recreational fishery produce than regular fishery production value created is much higher.
In Australia, the management of recreational fisheries has been included in legislation for more than a century.
Fisheries management regulations in New South Wales in Australia, has steered clear of the recreational fishery under the management of the regulations, the regulation stipulates clearly the public “in the sea, the gulf, intertidal zone and fishing” all tributaries and estuary of the ordinary legal rights, they also require the public rights in freshwater fish in the rivers and streams.
The management means of Australian recreational fisheries are divided into two aspects, one is the restriction means, the other is the environmental protection means.
The restriction means includes the following four: one is the quantity limitation.
In New South Wales, Australia, for example, there is a limit on the number of catches, ranging from two to 20 at any one time among the 39 types of seawater fish commonly used for fishing.
Second, the specification limit.
For example, there are 19 species of Marine fish and 9 species of invertebrate.
Generally, the specification limit is based on the initial maturity of female fish. The specification limit of fish is also applicable to commercial fishing, but the specification of commercial fishing is different from that of swimming fishing.
Third, restrictions on fishing gear.
In fishing activities, the regulation cannot use more than 4 fishing lines, each line can only install 3 hooks or 3 groups of hooks.
The line and hook limits are stricter for freshwater fish swimming.
In addition, divers are not allowed to use any water-breathing tools or any gas equipment, explosive devices, light harpoon fish at night, gun or firearm fishing, abalone, lobster and other species can only be caught by hand.
Fourth, no-fishing areas and no-fishing periods: there are many places that impose permanent or seasonal bans on commercial and recreational fishing. For example, new south wales impose a complete set of protection on all Marine parks along with some representative areas along the coastline. All Marine parks, including protected areas, are not allowed to fish.
In addition, fishing is prohibited during the breeding season in freshwater waters.
If you violate these rules, you will be punished.
In terms of environmental protection means, Australia’s recreational fishery management mainly does two things. The first one is fishing and releasing. It is worth mentioning that it is more and more common to release catch in Australian swimming.
The released fish are tagged to provide growth and migration information.
In many freshwater and Marine fishing competitions, rules have been set about the death of the fish caught and the release of the fish caught.
Such rules can help better enforce regulations governing recreational fishing activities in harmony with the environment.
The second is for recreational fisheries: in new south wales, some fish are designated for swimming.
Among freshwater fish, native fish (except some fully protected species) and trout are designated for swimming, and commercial fishermen are limited to carp and some crustaceans.
In Marine fish, all tuna species are protected from commercial fishing and a range of other species are partially protected by restrictions on fishing gear.
Many endangered species are completely prohibited from commercial and recreational fishing.