Steps taken to protect stocks of tailor fish

27/10/94

Widespread community concerns over the stock levels of tailor have resulted in swift action to protect stocks and ensure the long-term future of the fishery.

The action was recommended by the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) after extensive consultation with anglers and regional recreational fishing committees.

Tailor will be protected by a new daily bag limit of eight per angler from November 1. The reduction will be supported by an enhanced fisheries research program and an intensive community education program starting this summer.

Fisheries Minister Monty House has also allocated special funding for several projects. Fisheries Department researchers are conducting a program to determine the breeding biology of tailor in local waters, the impact of recreational fishing and mortality rates of juvenile tailor returned to the water by anglers.

"In recent seasons many concerns have been expressed over the take of excessive numbers of juvenile tailor by anglers particularly from Perth to Bunbury," Mr House said.

"Tailor were once the mainstay of our summer recreational beach fishery and are sought by more than 80,000 anglers a year particularly around coastal holiday centres.

"Recent reports and anecdotal evidence from regular anglers indicate that the average size and quantity of tailor caught has diminished significantly over the past decade and many fishermen and researchers fear the recreational tailor fishery is reaching a crisis point."

Interview data from volunteer fisheries liaison officers and the Fisheries Department recreational research team indicates that over the past 12 months at least 50 per cent of the tailor caught consisted of fish below the legal size of 25 centimetres.

Mr House said an intensive beachfront education and enforcement program would be mounted this summer through the department and volunteer fisheries liaison officer program.

"It will focus on discouraging the take of undersize tailor, the use of treble hooks on tailor gangs, improving the care in the handling and release of undersize fish, and adherence to bag and size limits," he said.

The move to protect Western Australia's premier beach angling fish is a decrease from the previous bag limit of 20 and will see the species placed in a special conservation category under Fisheries Department regulations.

Media contact:  Will Henwood 481 2044 or 222 9595