The majority of fish caught by recreational fishers are sand flathead – making up 98% of the sand flathead harvest in the state. Recovering the flathead fishery to a sustainable level is going to take everyone’s help.
As part of making this happen, NRE Tas recently launched the first of many Flathead Discovery Days. The events aim to work with the fishing community, raise awareness about depleted sand flathead stocks and provide practical ways fishers can help protect the fishery going forward.
Flathead Discovery Day hosted at Woodbridge Marine Discovery Centre
Flathead Discovery Days are a great opportunity to talk to scientists about your experiences with flathead fishing and to learn why scientists and managers are so concerned about the state of the fishery. More Discovery Days will be hosted around the state in the coming weeks, with the opportunity to chat with local fishing legends, including Glen Saltmarsh. Come along to go into our competition prize draw for some amazing fishing prizes. We’d love to see you there.
What’s on?
The event has something for everyone, from avid fishers to little ones just starting their fishing journey. Get advice on other more sustainable fish species to target, like Australian salmon, including live filleting demonstrations, or test your ability to spot the difference between Tassie’s four flathead species. You can also watch a flathead dissection by Dr James Haddy from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, an expert on flathead species, and watch underwater footage of sand flathead habitat.
Filleting demonstration and flathead dissection.
The little ones can practice catching toy fish following size rules and bag limits to see how following the rules helps protect fisheries stock. They can also enter a colouring in and scavenger hunt competitions for prizes!
Check here for the location and times of upcoming events. Feel free to book online using the Eventbrite link or drop by during one of the session times on the day. We look forward to seeing you there and hearing your perspective on the sand flathead fishery!
Child practing responsible fishing practices
Flathead for the Future
Flathead Discovery Days are part of the wider
Flathead for the Future program. The program involves a range of initiatives aiming to recover sand flathead stocks, including community engagement and continued flathead monitoring. Potential changes to the rules around sand flathead fishing will also be a focus of the upcoming public consultation for the Scalefish Rules Review.