Annual Snapper Fishing Closure Starts 1 November

Executive Director of PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture, Professor Mehdi Doroudi, said the annual closure was a vital tool to ensure the sustainability of the Snapper fishery.

He urged fishers to familiarise themselves with new measures surrounding the annual fishing closure which were announced earlier this month to further protect fish stocks.

In 2012, the Snapper closure will run from midday on Thursday 1 November through to midday on Friday 30 November for all recreational and charter fishers, Professor Doroudi said.

For commercial fishers the closure will be extended by two weeks this year and will end at midday on Saturday 15 December.

Snapper must not be targeted during the closure and any Snapper caught accidentally must be carefully and immediately returned to the water.

In 2012, reduced bag and boat limits will also apply for recreational and charter fishers from midday 30 November to midday 15 December. Outside of this 15-day extension period, recreational and charter Snapper fishing limits will revert to current bag and boat limits.

Next year, recreational and charter fishers will need to comply with the entire duration of the extended closed season, from midday 1 November to midday 15 December.

Snapper aggregate annually to spawn in South Australian waters between November and January, and these spawning aggregations can be disturbed by fishing activities, which may affect their spawning behaviour and ultimately impact on the success of this important reproductive period, Professor Doroudi said.

The extension to the Snapper closure and this years reduced limits have been implemented to minimise the disturbance to spawning aggregations so opportunities for reproductive success can be maximised.

Find out more about the recent Snapper fishing changes and the reduced bag limits that will apply to recreational and charter fishers.