Estuary fishing Photo: R. Tobin

The closures of selected estuaries to commercial net fishing for barramundi has motivated many discussions about what this provides for recreational fishers. Many believe 'recreational only' fishing areas provide better quality fishing, with more and larger barramundi and other species caught. However, at this time there are no data to support or refute these claims.
To address this issue, PhD student Renae Tobin is examining the catch quality of the recreational and charter line fisheries in local estuaries. By recording the catch of recreational and charter fishers in local estuaries (some of which are recreational only, others commercially fished), Renae will document whether more fish or larger individuals are captured from estuaries that are closed to commercial fishers.

More information about this research