Fisheries Minister Michael O’Brien today announced a number of changes to the management of the Pipi (Goolwa Cockle) industry giving both commercial and recreational fishers greater access to the resource.

The announcements include:

• Recreational fishers will be granted access to collect pipis on the Coorong Beach between Kingston SE and 28 Mile Beach. This was previously a commercial-only zone.
• The Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for the 2010/11 season will be raised by 10% from 300 tonnes to 330.

Minister O’Brien said that the latest research from SARDI Aquatic Sciences indicated that Pipi stocks along the Coorong Beach had improved.

“The Pipi fishery had been performing poorly for several years, however thanks to tough management arrangements implemented in recent years and good recruitment last year, we’ve seen a significant improvement in the fishery,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Both the Southern Fishermen’s Association and the Goolwa Pipi Harvesters Association have agreed to delay the start of the commercial season until 1 December 2010 to allow fish to spawn uninterrupted during the peak spawning period.”

Mr O’Brien said that the recreational pipi season will start as usual on 1 November.

“To ensure there is equality between the Commercial and Recreational sectors, I am pleased to be able to allow recreational fishers to take Pipis on Coorong Beach between the Kingston jetty and 28 Mile Beach.

“I believe this is a positive compromise as it will allow recreational fishers greater access to the resource, without comprising the main commercial fishing grounds, which are more than 50 kilometres to the north.“

Fishers are reminded that recreational pipi fishing is not permitted on Younghusband Peninsula (the Coorong Beach) between 28 Mile Beach and the Murray Mouth.  This is a commercial-only zone.

Recreational fishers must also comply with a minimum legal size of pipis is 3.5 cm measured across the widest part of the shell and a daily bag limit of 300 per person per day.

“We want to ensure that all fishers are aware of the regulations that apply to blue swimmer crabs so they do not put themselves in a position where they could face possible fines and loss of equipment.”

Blue swimmer crab rules at a glance:

• Daily bag limit of 40 per person (combined limits with sand crabs).
• Daily boat limit of 120 (combined limits with sand crabs).
• A minimum size limit of 11cm width measured across the carapace from the base of the largest spines also applies.
• It is illegal to take female crabs with eggs. These must be returned to the water straight away without harm.
• Recreational crab fishers are not permitted to sell or trade their catch.

Commercial and Recreational fishers are reminded that the annual Snapper closure will be in place again during the month of November.

The closure will commence from midday on Monday 1 November and continue through to midday on Tuesday 30 November and applies to all recreational, commercial and charter fishing sectors.

Manager Fisheries Policy with PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture, Alice Fistr, said that fishers are not permitted to target snapper at all during this period and any snapper accidentally caught during the closure must be returned to the water immediately. 

“Due to the high-mortality rates associated with the species being retrieved from significant depths, the practice of targeted catch and release of snapper is strongly discouraged,” she said.

“The annual closure is an important management tool in preserving the log-term sustainability of the snapper fishery.

“By closing the fishery for a month we are reducing fishing effort, which allows the species to reach a larger average weight and age and therefore produce more eggs during its lifetime.

“The month closure provides a proportion of larger, mature fish with the freedom to migrate and aggregate in readiness to spawn during the spawning period.

“I’d like to commend the South Australian fishing community for their continued cooperation with the closure.

“It’s important however to remind fishers that the closure ends at midday on Monday 30 November, and therefore anyone caught taking snapper on the morning of 30 November will face the risk of fines or prosecutions.

Commercial and recreational fishers have been reminded that the Southern Zone rock lobster season opens on 1 November 2010.

Fisheries Minister Michael O’Brien recently announced that the Total Allowable Commercial Catch quota for Southern Zone rock lobster will be reduced by 150 tonnes to 1250 tonnes for the 2010/11 fishing season.

Minister O’Brien also announced that the 2010-11 Southern Zone season would be reduced by two months, closing the months of October 2010 and May 2011.
The Southern Zone season will now run from 1 November 2010 to 30 April 2011.

Executive Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Professor Mehdi Doroudi said that a number of rules apply to rock lobster fishing in South Australia and all fishers are urged to make themselves aware of these regulations before they commence fishing.

“It is important that fishers do the right thing and play by the rules to ensure the fishery remains sustainable for the future,” he said.

“The Southern Zone season starts at 6:00am on 1 November, so it is important that fishers do not put their pots in the water prior to this time or they risk expiation.”

Southern Zone rock lobster rules at a glance:

• The Southern Zone covers the area from the mouth of the River Murray to the Victorian border
• Minimum length is 9.85 cm
• Daily bag limit is four
• Daily boat limit is eight

The Northern Zone rock lobster season also kicks off on 1 November.

The total Allowable Commercial Catch quota for Northern Zone Rock Lobster will remain at 310 tonnes for the 2010/11 fishing season.

The Northern Zone season starts at midday on 1 November, so it is important that fishers do not put their pots in the water prior to this time or they risk expiation.

Northern Zone rock lobster rules at a glance:

• The Northern Zone covers the area from the mouth of the River Murray to the Western Australian border, including Kangaroo Island.
• Minimum length is 10.5 cm
• Daily bag limit is four
• Daily boat limit is eight

The State Government is supporting research to monitor whether cage-diving operations pose any threat to Australia’s protected white sharks.

Fisheries Minister Michael O’Brien said scientists and cage-diving operators are collaborating in a world-first project.

The research, partly funded by the Wildlife Conservation Fund Grants from the Government of South Australia, the Nature Foundation of South Australia, and the Neiser Foundation, is led by SARDI and Flinders University shark ecologist, Dr Charlie Huveneers.
 
“It will provide important information to help the State Government manage the growing industry, which relies on the survival of the threatened species,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Its outcomes will also help inform similar cage diving operations around the world in places such as New Zealand, South Africa and Mexico.”

Mr O’Brien said Dr Huveneers’ team and cage operators are working together to tag 10 white sharks which inhabit the area around Australia’s main cage-diving operations off the remote Neptune Islands, 75km from Port Lincoln.

Berleying is only allowed if a ministerial exemption is granted under Section 115 of the Fisheries Management Act.

“At this stage, eight white sharks between 3 to 4.5 m have been tagged since December,” Mr O’Brien said.

“The white shark cage-diving industry at the Neptune Islands attracts a large amount of tourism to South Australia and Port Lincoln.

“However, the impacts of such activities are still poorly understood, and there is a need to investigate how berleying might affect white shark behaviour and movements.

“It is important to ensure that this industry is sustainable and that it does not negatively impact on the white shark population frequenting the Neptune Islands.”

Mr O’Brien said the research would provide crucial data to help the Government assess if the current level of berleying around the Neptune Islands is impacting on shark behaviour.

A net fisherman has had a criminal conviction recorded against him in the Port Lincoln Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to a serious netting offence.

The commercial fisherman from Port Parham, north of Adelaide, pleaded guilty to charges relating to netting within the Price Creek netting closed area in the northern Yorke Peninsula during May 2009. He was convicted and fined a total of $8000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs and court fees.

Regional Fisheries Manager Central North with PIRSA, Paul Faithow, said that this outcome sends a strong message to other fishers that netting offences are taken extremely seriously and the consequences are quite severe.

“It’s important to note that this particular investigation came as a result of intelligence provided to Fisheries Officers,” he said.

“People should be warned that if they do offend – they will be caught.”

“After receiving information our officers were deployed immediately and upon investigation, the fisherman was found to be netting more than 600 metres inside the closed area,” he said.