03/09/2026
A Line in the Sand? Anglers Have Their Say on Snapper and Kingfish
Two of the Mid North Coast’s most popular offshore fish, snapper and yellowtail kingfish, are the focus of proposed new management plans, with recreational anglers now being asked to have their say. The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has released draft harvest strategies for both species. The aim is to rebuild fish stocks while still allowing people to enjoy fishing for them into the future.
As someone involved in representing recreational fishers, I want to make it clear that I am approaching these proposals with an open mind. Rather than telling anglers what they should think, my hope is that people will take the time to read the proposals, understand what is being suggested and make their own submissions. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask some hard questions along the way.
Snapper
The proposed East Coast Snapper Harvest Strategy is based on the latest information available about the health of the snapper stock. The assessment estimates that the NSW snapper population was around 23 per cent of its original, unfished level in 2022. The proposed plan aims to first rebuild the stock to 30 per cent and eventually to 50 per cent of its unfished level. The draft strategy proposes a total fishing limit of 300 tonnes a year.
For recreational fishers, the proposed starting rules include a bag and possession limit of three snapper per person. There would also be an allowance for one snapper over 70cm per person. The proposal also includes a split of the total catch, with 45 per cent allocated to recreational fishing and 55 per cent to commercial fishing. These numbers are likely to attract plenty of discussion among anglers. There are also questions around how recreational catches are estimated, how catch shares are worked out and how things such as weather, breeding success and fish moving between different areas can affect stock numbers. The draft strategy acknowledges that improving the information available on recreational catches and better understanding snapper breeding and environmental conditions will be important in the future.
Yellowtail Kingfish
From my perspective, the yellowtail kingfish harvest strategy is more concerning. The latest assessment estimates that the number of spawning-size female kingfish in the NSW component of the eastern Australian stock was around 5.5 per cent of its unfished level at the beginning of 2025. It is important to understand that this 5.5 per cent figure is not an estimate that only 5.5 per cent of all kingfish remain. The latest assessment has changed the way the stock is measured, focusing specifically on spawning-size females, rather than simply looking at the total biomass of kingfish.
This is also why the figure is quite different from the previous assessment, which estimated the stock at around 26 per cent in 2023. The two figures cannot be directly compared because the assessments are measuring the stock differently. The draft strategy proposes a total fishing limit of 120 tonnes a year, with the goal of rebuilding the stock to 30 per cent of its unfished level within 12 years, and eventually towards 50 per cent.
The proposed recreational rules are much tighter than those for snapper. They include a one-fish bag and possession limit, as well as a one-fish limit for boats and charter boats. For recreational anglers, that one-fish-per-boat proposal is a significant change. If several mates have travelled offshore together, sharing the cost of fuel, bait and tackle, being able to bring home just one kingfish between the entire boat could change whether targeting kingfish is worthwhile.
The strategy also suggests that a seasonal catch-and-release period could be considered around the main spawning period, which is expected to be between November and January. For kingfish, the proposed catch is split evenly, with 50 per cent allocated to recreational fishing and 50 per cent to commercial fishing.
There are also some areas where scientists say more information is needed. This includes understanding where large kingfish travel, how different fish populations mix between different areas and where young kingfish are coming from. There is also a bigger picture to consider. The kingfish found along our coast are part of the same broader population as those found around New Zealand. Genetic studies and tagging have shown that fish move between the two countries.
When you look at the number and average size of larger kingfish being caught in New Zealand, it raises an interesting question about what our own fishery could potentially look like if the stock was rebuilt to a higher level of larger, spawning fish. That doesn’t mean our local kingfish fishery is in poor shape. Anyone who spends time offshore on the Mid North Coast knows there are still plenty of quality fish being caught. But what we see locally is only one part of a much larger picture.
Some Questions Worth Asking
This is where I think recreational fishers are entitled to ask some genuine questions.
From my own experience fishing on the Mid North Coast, kingfish numbers in recent years appear to be as good as I can remember them. That certainly doesn’t prove the broader eastern Australian stock is healthy, and what we see in one region may not reflect what is happening across the entire fishery. But when anglers are being told that the number of spawning-size female kingfish is estimated to be just 5.5 per cent of the unfished level, while many are seeing good numbers of fish locally, it is reasonable to want to better understand how that figure was reached and what it means for the fishery we see on the water.
How accurately can we estimate the number and size structure of kingfish currently in the broader population? Perhaps more importantly, how do we estimate what that population looked like at an “unfished” level, long before we had the monitoring and data collection systems available today?
That doesn’t mean the assessment is wrong. Fisheries scientists use modelling and the best information available to estimate stock levels. But when decisions based on those estimates could result in something as restrictive as one kingfish per boat, anglers deserve to understand the methodology, the uncertainty around the numbers and how confident we can be in the conclusions. The acknowledged knowledge gaps around kingfish movements and the mixing of fish between different areas make those questions even more important. There is another side to this argument, however and recreational fishers need to acknowledge it. We don’t have perfect information about our own catches either. DPIRD does have information on recreational catches, including data from phone surveys, boat-ramp surveys, charter records and tagging programs. None of these methods gives us a perfect picture on its own, but together they provide valuable information that can be used in stock assessments.
Personally, I’m not convinced compulsory recreational catch reporting is the solution. I understand the need for better information on what is being caught, but there is already a level of distrust between many recreational fishers and the department. That raises another question: would compulsory reporting actually produce reliable information? Some anglers may report accurately, while others may forget, underestimate their catch or simply choose not to provide accurate information.
For me, the real question is how we can improve the quality of recreational catch information while also building greater trust between fishers and the department. If fisheries management is going to increasingly rely on biomass estimates, tonnage limits and allocations between recreational and commercial sectors, then surely having better information about the actual recreational harvest should be part of that process. Accurate reporting would not solve every problem. It wouldn’t tell us exactly how many fish are swimming in the ocean, and there would still be questions around natural mortality, recruitment, migration and environmental conditions. But better recreational catch information could give DPIRD and recreational fishers a stronger set of numbers to work with. For me, that is one of the bigger issues raised by these proposals. It shouldn’t simply become an argument about whether recreational fishers want tighter or looser rules. We should also be asking whether the information being used to make those decisions is robust enough and what can be done to improve it.
Have Your Say
Harvest strategies are an important tool for managing our fisheries, particularly when there are concerns about declining fish numbers. At the same time, changes to fishing rules can have a very real impact on recreational anglers, charter operators, commercial fishers and the coastal communities that rely on fishing. That is why it is important for anglers to look beyond social media discussions and hearsay and take the time to understand what is actually being proposed.
The consultation on both the Snapper and Yellowtail Kingfish Harvest Strategies is open until 18 October 2026. Whether you agree with the proposed changes, have concerns about parts of the plans, question some of the assumptions being used, or simply want more information before making up your mind, this is the opportunity to provide feedback directly to DPIRD online.
Our fisheries are a shared resource and good management needs good information as well as input from the people who fish and care about them. If you regularly target snapper or yellowtail kingfish, I encourage you to take the time to read the draft strategies and complete the consultation survey. Whatever your view, having your say is one of the best ways to make sure the recreational fishing community is part of the conversation about the future of these iconic fish.
