Sand flatheads in southern Tasmania have been overfished and need to be protected more than ever, says a newly released report.
The Tasmanian government says the report justifies its earlier decision to temporarily close the fisheries in south-eastern waters from March.
The report from the Hobart-based Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) says sand flatheads have reduced in size and numbers.
They should now be considered a ‘depleted’ species, it says.
Click here for the full report.
SAND FLATHEAD HIT BY OVER-FISHING
Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce says the report highlights the impact of long-term fishing.
“Earlier this year, we made a tough but necessary decision to ensure our future generations are able to enjoy sand flathead like we used to,” he says.
“I have always said we must trust the science; this latest report shows that was the right call to make.
“Implementing a temporary closure of the South East Sand Flathead Zone was not a decision made lightly but it provides the best chance for our $1.2 million restocking program to get (them) back to manageable levels,” Pearce says.
“We took decisive action on the latest science available, and this new report reinforces the need for that action.”
The report says that comparisons between historical and modern surveys reveal that the average size of sand flathead have fallen in several regions around Tasmania over recent decades; the greatest falls were in south-eastern waters where fishing was the greatest.
It also found that average flathead are now about 30 to 40 millimetres smaller than they were three decades ago in some southeastern regions.
“The results demonstrate that sand flathead populations across Tasmania exhibit clear and persistent signs of size and age truncation consistent with prolonged size selective fishing,” it states.
It calls for slot (catch) limits, particularly for larger females, as part of crucial, and stricter controls of size-selection practices.
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