Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
- fishingvic
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Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
Media Release
Friday 17 March 2017 | Media contact: Nick Foster 0417 293 365
www.vic.gov.au/fisheries
Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
High numbers of juvenile King George whiting have been recorded in recent fisheries surveys of
Port Phillip Bay, which is great news for whiting stocks and recreational anglers.
Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said this new strong year-class of whiting
would grow quickly and be a catchable size from spring 2018.
“These results bode well for the future and will get more people fishing more often, which is at the
heart of the State Government’s Target One Million plan for recreational fishing,” Mr Dowling said.
“The annual surveys have been undertaken around the bay since 1998 and are a reliable predictor
of future catches. The bumper whiting catches enjoyed by anglers in recent times are the result of
exceptional juvenile whiting numbers detected in the 2013 survey.
“Anglers have welcomed the latest results given low juvenile whiting counts in 2014 and 2015.
“People fishing outside the bays along the coast can expect increased catches of larger whiting
over the next few years as these mature fish move out to spawn during winter, most likely off far
western Victoria and eastern South Australia.”
Mr Dowling said the tiny whiting larvae drift eastward for approximately three months before
entering Port Phillip Bay and other sheltered bays and estuaries in spring, when our scientists
conduct the surveys in seagrass beds, which are favoured habitat of these small fish.
“Westerly winds help drive the currents that bring the whiting larvae into the bay, where they take
about two years to reach the legal minimum size of 27cm.
“At about four years of age, most whiting have left the bays to complete their life in coastal waters.
“Because whiting only reside in the bays for a few years of their life, these fisheries naturally
fluctuate depending on the number of tiny larvae that entered the bays several years prior.
“The high numbers recorded in the most recent survey were once again consistent with a 2016
winter-spring climate characterised by frequent and strong westerly winds.”
Mr Dowling reminded anglers that a daily bag limit of 20 King George whiting applies per person
and encouraged people to keep an eye out for tagged whiting, which are part of a new research
project funded by recreational fishing licence fees.
The project is exploring the movement of adult whiting leaving our bays and trying to confirm their
spawning locations. Anglers who catch tagged whiting are asked to report the tag number,
location, and size of the fish to whitingtag@gmail.com or by calling (03) 5258 3686.
Friday 17 March 2017 | Media contact: Nick Foster 0417 293 365
www.vic.gov.au/fisheries
Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
High numbers of juvenile King George whiting have been recorded in recent fisheries surveys of
Port Phillip Bay, which is great news for whiting stocks and recreational anglers.
Fisheries Victoria Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said this new strong year-class of whiting
would grow quickly and be a catchable size from spring 2018.
“These results bode well for the future and will get more people fishing more often, which is at the
heart of the State Government’s Target One Million plan for recreational fishing,” Mr Dowling said.
“The annual surveys have been undertaken around the bay since 1998 and are a reliable predictor
of future catches. The bumper whiting catches enjoyed by anglers in recent times are the result of
exceptional juvenile whiting numbers detected in the 2013 survey.
“Anglers have welcomed the latest results given low juvenile whiting counts in 2014 and 2015.
“People fishing outside the bays along the coast can expect increased catches of larger whiting
over the next few years as these mature fish move out to spawn during winter, most likely off far
western Victoria and eastern South Australia.”
Mr Dowling said the tiny whiting larvae drift eastward for approximately three months before
entering Port Phillip Bay and other sheltered bays and estuaries in spring, when our scientists
conduct the surveys in seagrass beds, which are favoured habitat of these small fish.
“Westerly winds help drive the currents that bring the whiting larvae into the bay, where they take
about two years to reach the legal minimum size of 27cm.
“At about four years of age, most whiting have left the bays to complete their life in coastal waters.
“Because whiting only reside in the bays for a few years of their life, these fisheries naturally
fluctuate depending on the number of tiny larvae that entered the bays several years prior.
“The high numbers recorded in the most recent survey were once again consistent with a 2016
winter-spring climate characterised by frequent and strong westerly winds.”
Mr Dowling reminded anglers that a daily bag limit of 20 King George whiting applies per person
and encouraged people to keep an eye out for tagged whiting, which are part of a new research
project funded by recreational fishing licence fees.
The project is exploring the movement of adult whiting leaving our bays and trying to confirm their
spawning locations. Anglers who catch tagged whiting are asked to report the tag number,
location, and size of the fish to whitingtag@gmail.com or by calling (03) 5258 3686.
- Brett
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Re: Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
Wow, must be because they banned netting all of 6mnths ago :down:
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Re: Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
No it is due to the strong SW winds over winter. This is critical for moving the fry from Western Victoria.Brett wrote:Wow, must be because they banned netting all of 6mnths ago :down:
I think they're optimistic with their spring 2018 call for catchable size though; I thought you wanted to catch 3 year old fish.
The good sized fish this season should be from the good 2013 recruitment.
Cheers,
Neil
Neil
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Re: Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
Whiting in Westernport has gone from strength to strength the last few years hopefully the ceasing of netting in PPB does the same for Melbourne anglers.
Next area to stop netting is corner inlet/Welshpool Port Albert area.
Next area to stop netting is corner inlet/Welshpool Port Albert area.
- Fish-cador
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Re: Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
They said the same thing for pinkies and snapper a couple of years ago and look how bad fishing was last year and this summer. I will trust the meteorologist to get things right than these guys.
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Re: Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
Haven't noticed any real changes in the last 2 and a bit decades with the last 5+ net free. Still have good trips, still have **** trips and still get hounded by weedrb85 wrote:Whiting in Westernport has gone from strength to strength the last few years hopefully the ceasing of netting in PPB does the same for Melbourne anglers.
Next area to stop netting is corner inlet/Welshpool Port Albert area.
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Re: Fantastic signs for Victorian King George whiting
Found the whiting are now in good numbers in most of the port. The number of smaller fish had increased I have found.cobby wrote:Haven't noticed any real changes in the last 2 and a bit decades with the last 5+ net free. Still have good trips, still have sh*t trips and still get hounded by weedrb85 wrote:Whiting in Westernport has gone from strength to strength the last few years hopefully the ceasing of netting in PPB does the same for Melbourne anglers.
Next area to stop netting is corner inlet/Welshpool Port Albert area.