Technical ReportPDF Available
A preview of the PDF is not available
... In Tasmania, Australian Sardine is not considered a significant recreational species (Lyle et al. 2019). For more comprehensive information on the biological characteristics and current management of Australian Sardine fisheries, please refer to the TasFisheriesResearch webpage. ...
... Bastard Trumpeter (Latridopsis forsteri) Illustration©R.Swainston/anima.fish Bastard Trumpeter have been predominantly taken by recreational gillnet fishers in recent years, although the latest estimated catches in 2012/13 and 2017/18 were also historic lows (9.8 t and 3.4 t, respectively) (Lyle, Stark, and Tracey 2014;Lyle et al. 2019) Commercial gillnet effort has followed a downward trend similar to catches since the mid-1990s, with a slight decrease from the previous year in 2021/22 (Figure 4.7 B). CPUE remained relatively stable between 2006/07 and 2014/15; however, a declining trend is evident from 2014/15 to 2018/19, with a sharp increase in 2019/20 and a slight decline in 2020/21 followed by a steeper decline in 2021/22 (Figure 4.7 C). ...
... Changes in market demand and prices for Australian Salmon have largely driven changes in catch over time, with fishers participating in other fisheries when Australian Salmon is less economically viable. Australian Salmon is the second most important species for recreational fishers (Lyle 2005;Lyle et al. 2009;Lyle, Stark, and Tracey 2014;Lyle et al. 2019), who target this species mainly by using line fishing methods. More detailed information on biological characteristics and current management of Eastern Australian Salmon fisheries is available from the TasFisheriesResearch webpage. ...
... It was considered likely that the number of Australians participating in recreational fishing had changed, and that the types of people who go fishing had changed: findings of surveys conducted in some Australian states and territories in the two decades after the NRIFS suggested there were changing participation rates (e.g. Lyle et al. 2019, West et al. 2021. However, as discussed in Chapter 4, evidence from state and territory-based surveys suggests sometimes inconsistent trends, and the use of differing methods for some surveys reduces comparability across the different surveys. ...
... Since the NRIFS, several Australian states and territories have invested in collection of data to estimate both recreational fishing catch and effort and key social and economic aspects of recreational fishing (studies include Lyle et al. 2009Lyle et al. , 2014Lyle et al. , 2019Jones et al. 2009;Taylor et al. 2012;West et al. 2012West et al. , 2015West et al. , 2021Ryan et al. 2013;Giri and Hall 2015;Webley et al. 2015, DPI NSW 2020, Tate et al. 2020Texeira et al. 2020). However, it has not typically been possible to examine a wide range of social and economic contributions in depth as part of these studies, although almost all have invested in examining some social or economic aspects of fishing. ...
... As noted above, around half of the studies reviewed that produced data on direct expenditure on recreational fishing then used this data to estimate economic contribution. In most cases, expenditure data was collected as part of a larger study estimating recreational fishing catch and effort in a specific State/Territory (e.g., West et al. 2012;Lyle et al. 2014Lyle et al. , 2019; DPI NSW 2020). Estimating economic contribution was not the main purpose of most of these studies. ...
Technical Report
Full-text available
The National Social and Economic Survey of Recreational Fishers, jointly conducted by ABARES, the University of Canberra and the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation, is the first national survey of its type in over 20 years. The report has shown that one in five Australian adults participate in recreational fishing every year, improving wellbeing and contributing 100,000 jobs and $11 billion to the Australian economy.
... It is important to note that the precision of the estimates presented varies greatly depending on the sample size, with the survey designed to provide precision at the State-wide level for key species. It is well documented that specialised or localised activities are not well captured by large scale surveys and targeted surveys are often required to achieve greater precision around catch and effort estimates for such species (Lyle et al. 2019, Ryan et al. 2019. ...
... Over 297K SA residents were estimated to have fished in SA during this period, which was fewer than estimated from the screening survey for the 12 months prior to March 2021 (i.e., 357K fishers). The difference in participation is likely due to recall bias, which can result in an overestimation of the activity of interest (Lyle et al. 2019). The estimated number of active fishers during the 2021-22 survey period was 17% lower than in 2021 (based on the screening survey), but was similar to the number of active fishers in 2013-14 . ...
Technical Report
Full-text available
This study represents the fourth comprehensive assessment of recreational fishing in South Australia. Estimates of participation, catch and effort were determined for key species using probability-based survey design. Estimates were expanded to the population level at either the regional or state-wide scale, with the precision around each estimate indicated.
... All analysis and expansion of survey data are undertaken using the statistical computing package R (R Core Team, 2017) principally through functions contained within the 'survey' package (Lumley, 2004;Lumley, 2010) which follows the algorithms outlined in Lyle et al. (2010). The analytical approach employed emulates that applied to other state-wide recreational fishing surveys within Australia (Lyle et al., 2002;Lyle et al., 2019;Lyle et al., 2014;Ryan et al., 2019;Ryan et al., , 2017West et al., 2015). ...
... In addition, estimates derived from records with a sample size of fewer than 20 RFL households should be considered with caution, since they may be particularly influenced by the activities of very few fishers (these estimates are presented in italics). These characteristics of estimate quality follow similar conventions used for recreational fishing surveys in other jurisdictions (e.g., Lyle et al., 2019;NOAA, 2020;Ryan et al., 2019). ...
... The magnitude of the RSE was used as an indicator of robustness of an estimate. In concordance with reporting of other recreational fishing surveys, if RSE >40% then estimates are displayed in bold to indicate it is not considered to be robust (Lyle et al., 2014;Ryan et al., 2019;Webley et al., 2015). ...
... The economic and social benefit of recreational fisheries to local communities is undoubted (Shrestha et al., 2002) and in Australia alone over $1.8 billion is spent by recreational fishers each year (Henry and Lyle, 2003;West et al., 2015). Classical methods for studying this large sector have focused on 'snap-shots' of fishing at specific features (Wood et al., 2016), or across regions (Lynch, 2014;Lyle et al., 2019;McCluskey and Lewison, 2008;Veiga et al., 2010;Steffe and Murphy, 2011;West et al., 2015) or continents (Coleman et al., 2004;Henry and Lyle, 2003;Gordoa et al., 2019;Lynch et al., 2019). In NSW, there have been several studies examining recreational fishing effort and catch across different types of estuaries (Ghosn et al., 2010;Ochwada-Doyle et al., 2014a, b;Steffe et al., 2005a, b). ...
Article
Urbanised estuaries, ports and harbours are often utilised for recreational purposes, notably recreational angling. Yet there has been little quantitative assessment of the footprint and intensity of these activities at scales suitable for spatial management. Urban and industrialised estuaries have previously been considered as having low conservation value, perhaps due to issues with contamination and disturbance. Studies in recent decades have demonstrated that many of these systems are still highly biodiverse and of high value to local residents. As a response, urbanised estuaries are now being considered by coastal spatial management initiatives, where assessments of recreational use in these areas can help avoid ‘user-environmental’ and ‘user-user’ conflict. The models of these activities need to be developed at a scale relevant to governments and regulatory authorities, but the few human-use models that do exist integrate fishing intensity to a regional or even continental scale; too large to capture the fine scale variation inherent in complex urban fisheries. Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) is a tool commonly used to assess drivers of species range, but can be applied to models of recreational fishing in complex environments, at a scale relevant to regulatory bodies. Using point-data from 573 visual surveys with recently developed Poisson point process models, we examine the recreational fishery in Australia's busiest estuarine port, Sydney Harbour. We demonstrate the utility of these models for understanding the distribution of boat and shore-based fishers, and the effects of a range of temporally static (geographical) and dynamic (weather) predictors on these distributions.
Article
Sustainability assessment and management evaluation of broad‐scale recreational fisheries are routinely informed using effort and catch data sourced from recurring offsite surveys. Similar information is often required for small‐scale recreational fisheries and other spatial management areas. Data from four state‐wide recreational fishing surveys in Western Australia were evaluated using grid‐ and location‐based direct estimation approaches to determine whether effort and total catch could be estimated robustly for small‐scale geographical areas. Marine protected areas (MPAs) were selected as case studies, and robustness of the various approaches was assessed based on acceptable sample size and uncertainty. Effort and total catch (number retained and released across all species) were robustly estimated for 19 MPAs. Total catch was also robustly estimated for 32 teleost species across multiple MPAs. Robust estimates were less likely for offshore MPAs than coastal MPAs, with lower sample sizes associated with greater distance from boat ramps and population centres. Grid‐based approaches were therefore generally more appropriate for offshore MPAs, while location‐based approaches were more appropriate for coastal MPAs. This study demonstrates how existing monitoring of broad‐scale recreational fisheries fulfils a need for similar data in small‐scale recreational fisheries, thereby allowing for the efficient use of resources that benefit fisheries management and conservation objectives.
Article
Shifts in marine species distributions associated with climate change occur across large spatial areas and long time periods. Marine recreational fishing occurs in most countries with many participants interacting regularly with the environment, yet there have been few studies on the views of recreational fishers towards climate change. This study aims to assess perceptions of climate change for a boat-based recreational fishery in Western Australia, where fishing occurs across a wide latitudinal range, from tropical to temperate waters. Perceptions of climate change were assessed by fisher demographics and fishing behaviour. One in two respondents noticed changes in species types and distributions, with metropolitan residents and avid fishers more likely to notice these changes. Two out of three respondents considered climate change is occurring, recognition of which was higher amongst metropolitan residents, females, and younger respondents. Males and older respondents, on the other hand considered themselves to have more knowledge of climate change science. This study provides a baseline to assist in informing policy changes that might be required to address the impacts of climate change. Studies of this kind can also build support for citizen science programs to enhance data collection across the spatial and temporal time scales required to observe climate change.
Technical Report
Full-text available
This report aims to accelerate climate change adaptation implementation in fisheries management throughout the world. It showcases how flexibility can be introduced in the fisheries management cycle in order to foster adaptation, strengthen the resilience of fisheries, reduce their vulnerability to climate change, and enable managers to respond in a timely manner to the projected changes in the dynamics of marine resources and ecosystems. The publication includes a set of good practices for climate-adaptive fisheries management that have proven their effectiveness and can be adapted to different contexts, providing a range of options for stakeholders including the fishing industry, fishery managers, policymakers and others involved in decision-making. These good practices were linked to one or more of the three common climate-related impacts on fisheries resources: distributional change; productivity change; and species composition change. Therefore, these three impacts can serve as practical entry points to guide decision-makers in identifying good practice adaptation measures suitable for their local contexts. These good practices are based upon transferable experiences and lessons learned from the thirteen case studies across the globe and hopefully will contribute to greater uptake and implementation of climate-adaptive fisheries management measures on the ground.
Technical Report
Full-text available
Southern Rock Lobster and Abalone (Blacklip and Greenlip) are highly prized by recreational fishers in Tasmania as well as supporting major commercial fisheries. The present study represents the ninth survey of the recreational Rock Lobster fishery and the eighth for the recreational Abalone fishery undertaken since the mid-1990s. Following a period of growth in licence numbers up until 2009-10, 2012-13 saw a continued decline in sales with around 18,200 persons licensed for Rock Lobster and 11,150 licensed for Abalone, down by about 5% compared with 2011-12 and more than 15% since the peak. A random sample of licence-holders was contacted by telephone prior to the start of the 2012-13 licensing year and invited to participate in the survey in which fishing activity was monitored throughout the 2012-13 season. A total of 582 respondents completed the survey, representing about one in 38 licence holders and an effective response rate of 82%. During the 2012-13 Rock Lobster season (3 November 2012 – 31 August 2013), licensed recreational fishers harvested an estimated 83,772 (95% CI: 71,849 – 96,708) Rock Lobster, based on 85,849 fisher days of effort. Potting was the dominant method, representing 82% of the effort (days fished) and 65% of the estimated harvest. Dive collection accounted for about 15% of the effort and 29% of the harvest, while ring usage contributed 3% of the effort and 6% of the harvest. The overall average harvest rate for the season was 0.98 Rock Lobster per day fished, with daily harvest rates of 0.78 for pots, 1.83 for dive collection, and 2.18 for rings. Daily bag limits of three Rock Lobster in the Eastern region and five in the Western region were rarely attained for pots (<3% of pot days) but were achieved for about 40% of the dive effort in the Eastern region and 19% in the Western region. Seasonally the Rock Lobster fishery exhibited three distinct phases: intense activity early in the season (November to January) that accounted for about 65% of the total harvest; a period of intermediate fishing activity (February to April) that contributed a further 33%; and a phase of low activity (May to August) that accounted for around 5% of the season’s total. Conversion of numbers to weights produced a recreational harvest estimate of 81.8 tonnes, with catches from the east coast accounting for 54%, the north coast 25%, and west coast 21% of the total weight. The catch estimate was almost half of the total allowable recreational catch (TARC) of 170 tonnes and was equivalent to about 6% of the notional total allowable catch (TAC) of 1273 tonnes (which is inclusive of the total allowable commercial catch or TACC of 1103 tonnes). Any illegal harvest taken by recreational fishers, whether due to fishing whilst unlicensed or catches in excess of legal limits, is not included in the harvest estimates. An estimated 66,438 (95% CI: 50,940 – 84,357) Abalone, based on 11,428 diver days of effort, were harvested by recreational fishers between 1 November 2012 and 31 October 2013. Blacklip Abalone accounted for 83% and Greenlip Abalone 17% of the total numbers. In total, over half of the catch was taken from the east coast, with the balance more or less equally distributed between the north and west coasts. About 58% of the catch was taken between November and January, 35% between February and April, and 8% in the final six months of the season. Almost one in three dives targeted at Abalone resulted in the daily bag limit of 10 Abalone being taken; the overall average daily harvest rate was 5.8 Abalone. By converting numbers to weights, the 2012-13 recreational harvest of Abalone was estimated at 32.1 tonnes, equivalent to 1.5% of the combined recreational and commercial catch of 2137 tonnes. There are currently no explicit performance indicators relating to the recreational fishery for Abalone. Rock Lobster and Abalone catches in 2012-13 were similar to those estimated for 2010-11 but were substantially lower than those taken during the early 2000s. The lower catches in recent years appear to be influenced by a number of factors, including fewer licence-holders, lower participation rates (i.e. proportion of active fishers), lower avidity (average days fished) and, in the case of Rock Lobster, lower catch rates especially off the east coast. The 2012-13 fishery was also impacted by two unexpected events: (i) the closure of a large part of the East coast between late November and early February to fishing for Rock Lobster (and Abalone) due to a toxic algal bloom; and (ii) destructive bush fires between November-January that impacted several east coast communities. The impact of these events on fisher behaviour was explored in a structured questionnaire, with 40% of licence-holders interviewed indicating that these events had impacted on their fishing activities in some way; the vast majority reported that they fished less than they would have done had the closure not occurred. There is strong evidence to suggest that catches of Rock Lobster from the east coast of Tasmania would have been higher during 2012-13 had neither of these events occurred.
Technical Report
Full-text available
Sand Flathead (Platycephalus bassensis) are the most commonly caught fish taken by recreational fishers in Tasmania, accounting for over half of all fish (by number) captured by recreational fishing in Tasmania. Sand Flathead are caught mainly by line fishing in estuarine and inshore waters off the east and south-east coast of Tasmania; catch estimates indicating that the recreational harvest is at least five times larger than that landed by the commercial sector. Sand Flathead biology and population dynamics have been the focus of several previous studies, however, the status of the Tasmanian stocks is unknown. While there is no compelling evidence that stocks are being overfished, there have been many expressions of concern over many years that catch rates are declining. Given the significance of Sand Flathead to the recreational fishery, the Recreational Fishery Research Advisory Group identified the need to develop an assessment of stock condition for Sand Flathead as a high priority. The present project was developed as a pilot study and involved research fishing between 2012-2014 in the regions of highest importance to the recreational fishery (D’Entrecasteaux Channel, Frederick Henry-Norfolk Bay and Great Oyster Bay). Sampling was conducted over three years using standardised protocols in terms of timing, fishing gear (hook and line) and sites fished. The size of all fish captured was recorded, random subsamples of which were retained for more comprehensive biological examination including determination of sex and age, the latter based on a validated ageing method using thin sectioned otoliths. Catches were dominated by sub-legal sized fish; the size structure of Sand Flathead was characterised by a sharp reduction in numbers at sizes greater than 300 mm total length (the minimum size limit or MSL), similarly numbers at age fell sharply at around the age at which fish reached the MSL. Females were found to grow more quickly and to greater maximum sizes than males and on average reached the MSL at younger ages than males. Differential growth rates have the consequence of catches of legal sized fish (≥ 300 mm) being dominated by females, with age classes above the age at which females attain the legal size limit being increasingly dominated by males. Mortality rates estimated from catch curve analysis confirmed much higher rates of fishing mortality on females. This study established that total mortality rates (natural plus fishing mortality) are high, with the D’Entrecasteaux Channel appearing to be the most heavily depleted of the three study regions. A strong year class (spawned in 2007) was evident in the Great Oyster Bay catches, but not in the other areas, and featured prominently in the catch of legal-sized fish from that area. Yield per recruit analyses suggest that at current levels of fishing mortality, the present legal size limit is appropriate in terms of achieving maximum yield per recruit for females. The situation for males is, however, quite different, with maximum yield being achieved at a smaller size at first capture. As it is not possible to determine the sex externally in this species, differential minimum size limits would be impracticable. Catch rates, as an index of relative abundance, were lowest in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and highest in the Great Oyster Bay region, tending to support higher exploitation rates in the former area and, partly at least the influence of the strong 2007 year class in the latter area. In all regions catch rates were observed to have declined between 2012 and 2014, and while the significance for the stocks and the fishery are uncertain due to the limited time series and other potentially complicating factors, these data do suggest a need to reduce fishing pressure. A management initiated proposal to increase the MSL for Sand Flathead to 320 mm is currently under consideration. Such an increase in size would result in a trade-off in terms of reduced theoretical yield per recruit but would be balanced by the combined effects of reducing the effective rate of fishing mortality for the same level of effort (i.e. more of the catch would be undersized and released) and additional protection conferred to the adult spawning stock, allowing females to spawn for an additional year or so before entering the fishery. High exploitation rates, the significance of the species to the recreational fishery and uncertainty about population status emphasise the need for on-going monitoring of stock status. The fishery independent catch sampling regime implemented in this study has contributed important information about the stock status in the main regions of the fishery and represents a baseline against which future changes in abundance and management initiatives could be assessed. In the absence of on-going catch and catch rate data from the fishery, fishery-independent catch sampling represents a viable option to monitor trends in stock status and population structure. The present study has demonstrated that research surveys based on about 10 days of field sampling per year have the potential to provide a low-cost (less than $10,000 per annum in operating costs) index of population and fishery status for Sand Flathead. It is recommended, therefore, that the monitoring regime developed in this study be implemented to support the on-going monitoring and assessment of Sand Flathead in Tasmania, with data to contribute to the annual assessment of the scalefish fishery.
Technical Report
Full-text available
This represents the second comprehensive assessment of recreational fishing undertaken in Tasmania and builds on the National Recreational Fishing Survey (NRFS) conducted in 2000-01. The same methodology developed for the NRFS was applied in the current survey but with several improvements, particularly in relation to data analysis. However, in the absence of a repeat of the national survey, the current survey was limited to fishing in Tasmania by Tasmanian residents. Although not measured, fishing by interstate visitors in Tasmania was not likely to have been significant given that non-resident fishers accounted for just 3% of the total effort (fisher days) for Tasmania during 2000-01. Information about participation rates and the demographic profile of recreational fishers was derived from a general population telephone survey involving over 3400 Tasmanian households. This was followed by a telephone-diary survey involving over 1000 households (almost 3000 persons) for which fishing activity was monitored over a 12 month period. Response rates across all facets of the study were exceptionally high, giving considerable confidence to the data quality. In the 12 months prior to November 2007 it was estimated that over 118,000 Tasmanian residents aged five years or older fished at least once, representing an overall participation rate of 26%. By region, residents of the Southern statistical division had the highest participation rate at 33%, which compared with 24-27% for the other Tasmanian regions. Recreational fishing was more popular among males, with a state-wide participation rate of 35%, compared with about 18% for females. Participation rates varied with age, 5-14 year olds having the highest rate of participation (38%) although the greatest numbers of fishers were in the 30-44 years age group. Participation rates generally declined with increasing age, but especially in the 45 years and older age groups. As this survey was designed to provide a big-picture perspective of the recreational fishery, it is important to recognise that comparatively rare or highly specialised activities, which within the context of the overall recreational fishery are minor components, may not be well represented. In such instances estimates of catch and effort tend to be imprecise and alternative, targeted surveys would be required to provide a more reliable assessment of such activities. For the above reasons, aggregation of some regions and species has been necessary when reporting findings. Information about recreational fishing catch and effort was monitored between December 2007 and November 2008, inclusive. Almost 128,000 Tasmanian residents were estimated to have actually fished in Tasmania during this period, slightly more than during the previous 12 months. These fishers accounted for about 0.64 million fisher days of effort. The median number of days fished in Tasmania by Tasmanians was five days per fisher, though the distribution of effort was highly skewed, with just 20% of fishers contributing 56% of the total effort. Overall, one in four fishers fished at least once in freshwater while the vast majority (88%) fished at least once in saltwater. About one quarter of the total effort occurred in freshwater, saltwater fishing (including estuaries) accounted for the remainder. Freshwater fishing in lakes and dams accounted for about three times the level of effort in rivers while the majority of the saltwater fishing occurred in inshore coastal waters, with estuarine fishing of secondary importance. Fishing in offshore waters (>5 km off the coast) was a comparatively minor activity. Line fishing was the dominant activity undertaken, pursued on 87% of all days fished: that is almost 0.56 million fisher days, representing 1.8 million hours of effort. This was followed by pot fishing (8%), dive harvesting (5%) and the use of gillnets (3%). A range of other fishing methods were also reported, including the use of spears, seine or bait nets, and hand collection, but these activities were of minor significance by comparison. A wide variety of fish species was caught by recreational fishers during 2007-08, with a total of 1.62 million finfish (excluding small baitfish) retained and 1.24 million finfish released or discarded. Flathead (mainly sand flathead) represented almost two-thirds of the total finfish catch numbers, with an estimated 1.07 million kept and 0.74 million released. Other finfish species or species groups of significance included trout (157,000 kept and 105,000 released), Australian salmon (110,000 kept and 78,000 released), gurnard (13,000 kept and 67,000 released), and black bream (13,000 kept and 35,000 released). Overall, 43% of all finfish captured were released or discarded; with low rates of release (<10%) for species such as blue warehou and flounder; intermediate rates (10-30%) for garfish, trumpeters, Atlantic salmon and jack mackerel; moderate rates (31-50%) for flathead, trout, Australian salmon, tuna, mullet, barracouta, silver trevally, jackass morwong, eels, river blackfish and redfin; and high rates (>50%) for black bream, wrasse, gurnard, sharks and rays, whiting, cod, pike and leatherjackets. Reasons for release were varied, with size (under legal size or too small) being an important factor for species such as flathead, Australian salmon, silver trevally, mullet and jackass morwong; poor eating qualities were identified as an important factor for release of barracouta, redfin, cod, wrasse, leatherjackets and gurnard; while catch and release (sport) fishing was an important factor for the release of black bream, trout and tuna. Sharks and rays tended to be released or discarded because of poor eating qualities (e.g. dogfish, draughtboard shark) and/or due to regulation (prohibition on retaining sharks from shark refuge areas). Recreational fishers also caught a variety of shellfish and other invertebrate species. Comparatively high catches of squid, namely Gould’s squid (73,000 kept) and southern calamari (40,000 kept), were taken along with rock lobster (72,000 kept), abalone (64,000 kept) and scallops (397,000 kept). Amongst these taxa, rates of release were low for the squids, scallops and abalone, and moderate for rock lobster. There was a high level of fishery specialisation for species such as tuna, trout, flounder, rock lobster and scallops; these species were taken almost exclusively by targeted effort rather than incidental capture. Other species that tended to be caught primarily as a result of targeted effort included black bream, flathead, garfish and abalone, also implying a level of fishery specialisation for these species. By contrast, jackass morwong, jack mackerel, leatherjackets, wrasse, gurnard, cod and eels were virtually never targeted, which for several of these species is consistent with the fact that they were held in low esteem by fishers. By applying average weights it was possible to approximate harvest weights and compare recreational and commercial fisheries production. The annual recreational harvest of flathead was estimated at 292 tonnes, four times greater than the commercial catch of flathead taken from state fishing waters. By weight, other species of importance included tuna (145 tonnes), Australian salmon (48 tonnes), southern calamari (45 tonnes), Gould’s squid (37 tonnes) and the trumpeters (19 tonnes). As a contributor to total harvest, the share taken by the recreational sector was similar or larger than that taken by the Tasmanian commercial scalefish fishery for flathead, flounder, mullet, cod, barracouta, silver trevally, jackass morwong, and Gould’s squid. Conversely, the recreational harvest represented a minor component (<15%) of the total catch for species such as Australian salmon, whiting, garfish, wrasse and jack mackerel. Catch composition was influenced by many factors, including the water body fished and the fishing method. Trout dominated finfish catches (kept and released numbers) in freshwater (>80%), with redfin, Atlantic salmon and blackfish of secondary importance in the lake and dam fisheries, and redfin and blackfish in the river fisheries. Flathead and Australian salmon dominated estuarine and inshore coastal catches (collectively >75%), with black bream and flounder of secondary importance in the estuarine fishery, and gurnard and wrasse in the inshore coastal fishery. Tuna, flathead and gurnard (mostly ocean perch) were the main species taken in the offshore fishery. The finfish catch taken by line fishing was dominated by flathead (66% of total numbers), followed by trout (10%), Australian salmon (7%), gurnard (3%) and bream (2%). By contrast, trumpeter (mainly bastard trumpeter) (27%), blue warehou (10%), sharks and rays (9%), mullet (9%) and Atlantic salmon (7%) were the main species caught by gillnets, and flounder were mainly taken by spear. Gould’s squid and southern calamari were mostly taken by line methods whereas rock lobster were caught using pots, dive collection and rings, with abalone and scallops more or less exclusively harvested by dive collection. The east and south-east coasts of Tasmania were a particularly significant for flathead, black bream, tuna, Gould’s squid, southern calamari, rock lobster and abalone, with the south east especially important for flounder. By contrast, Australian salmon and mullet catches were concentrated off northern Tasmania. The inland trout fishery was focused largely in the Central Plateau lakes, especially Arthurs Lake and Great Lake, with catches from rivers of secondary importance. Trout catches from the other inland regions were similar in magnitude. Seasonally, catches of flathead, trout, Australian salmon, black bream, Gould’s squid, southern calamari, rock lobster and abalone peaked during summer and autumn. Tuna were restricted to summer-autumn, with a strong peak in February-March. Flounder catches were highest in late autumn. Catches of each of the major species tended to be low during winter and early spring, reflecting the generally lower levels of fishing activity during that period. The saltwater fisheries off western and northern Tasmania involved a significant shore-based component whereas shore-based fishing was less important compared with boat-based fishing off eastern and south-eastern Tasmania. Comparison with 2000-01 To facilitate valid comparisons between 2000-01 and 2007-08, NRFS data were re-analysed using the analytical approach developed for the current study. In terms of participation, the number of recreational fishers in Tasmania has remained relatively constant since 2000. However, when population growth is taken into account, the actual participation rate experienced a significant decline, from just over 29% in 2000 to 26% in 2007. This decline was experienced in all regions of the state and was more pronounced amongst males than females. Participation rates were also lower across all age groups, with the exception of the 60 years-plus age group. When broader demographic trends are taken into account, specifically dominance of the ‘baby-boomer’ generation (mostly 45-59 year olds in 2007) and the sharp decline in participation rates amongst the 45 years-plus age groups, our results suggest that overall participation in recreational fishing will continue to decline unless there is growth, or at least maintenance, of involvement in fishing amongst the younger age groups. Overall effort (fisher days) was 14% lower in 2007-08 compared with 2000-01. This decline was exclusively linked to a reduction in shore-based fishing effort during 2007-08. The most marked declines were experienced in the Eastern inland, West North coast and Derwent regions, mainly due to lower levels of shore-based fishing activity in 2007-08. Reflecting the decline in effort there was also a reduction in overall catch (kept and released) numbers for finfish in 2007-08, to about 81% of the equivalent estimate for 2000-01. While the catch composition and relative importance of the key species was generally consistent between surveys, there was variability in catch levels for many species; linked in part to differences in effort, changes in fishing practices and species availability. Flathead catches were very stable (within 5%) between the two surveys while there was a moderate increase (17%) in the estimated number of trout caught in 2007-08. By contrast, the 2007-08 catch of Australian salmon was less than half that estimated for 2000-01. Catch increases were experienced for tuna and Gould’s squid, both linked to greater availability during 2007-08. Minor increases were also evident for southern calamari and whiting, the former apparently linked to increased popularity of the species amongst recreational fishers. Release rates were generally higher in 2007-08, which for species such as trout, black bream and tuna was consistent with a trend towards increased catch and release (sport rather than consumptive) fishing. For other species, this change may reflect improved adherence to size limits and/or the impact of decreased bag limits that have been implemented since 2001, as well as response to education programs aimed at encouraging fishers to take only what they need for a feed. In summary, this study has highlighted the complex and dynamic nature of the recreational fishery and emphasises the need for managers, stakeholders and fisheries scientists to consider management, research and planning issues at appropriate regional and temporal scales. This survey represents a significant step towards achieving this goal, providing an important baseline against which future developments and trends in the fishery can be evaluated.