Popular fishing devices hit Mid North and Central Coasts

Five fish aggregating devices (FADs) will be redeployed along the mid-North and Central Coast.

Between October 20th and 27th, DPI Fisheries staff will redeploy the FADs off Laurieton, Forster, Port Stephens, Swansea and Terrigal (weather permitting).

FADs act like magnets for mahi-mahi or dolphin fish and even marlin, creating offshore ‘meccas’ for the fishing community seeking a quality fishing experience.

Fishing close to these devices has become an increasingly popular pastime along the NSW coastline, since they were first installed in 2002.

The devices provide great opportunities for rec fishers to target fast growing pelagic fish and are considered to act as a reference point for schools of surface-dwelling fish such as mahi-mahi.

Fish aggregating devices are yellow buoys, marked with a cross and navigation light on top, that are moored to the ocean floor. They are installed from October to June and are removed for maintenance during winter months.

The FAD program is just one of many excellent initiatives funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts and is a great example of fishers licence fees being put back into the water to improve recreational fishing in NSW.  

DPI will continue to redeploy an additional 15 FADs along the NSW coast during the next two months, on top of the six already deployed on the North Coast.

Funds raised from the recreational fishing licence fee are placed into two trusts, one for saltwater and one for freshwater, used to improve recreational fishing in NSW.

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