Non Technical Summary

The east coast recreational gamefish fishery is a multi-species, multi-gear fishery that targets billfish, tuna, sharks and other gamefish in coastal waters, predominantly off Queensland, NSW and Victoria. This paper focuses on the Gamefish Tournament Monitoring Program (GTMP) which is part of an integrated framework to monitor recreational gamefishing. The tournament monitoring program is designed to obtain data on fish catch, fishing effort, catch per unit effort (CPUE), species composition and size from the club component of the recreational gamefish fishery.

Results from the GTMP provide the basis for comparison with results from the gamefish tagging and the charter boat monitoring programs and maximise the ability to monitor the recreational gamefish sector with the resources available. The cooperative approach adopted by these programs also fosters a mutually beneficial relationship between the angling public and NSW Fisheries, which encourages community ownership and responsibility for fisheries resources. The GTMP is popular with gamefishers and sportfishers who regard the continuation of the program as integral to the long-term existence of their sport.

A cooperative approach with anglers working with the Department through the Gamefish Monitoring Program (GTMP) is essential in providing the necessary coverage with the available resources. This paper summarises the results of the GTMP from 1994-2000 explaining trends in fishing effort, success rates of anglers, bait use and spatial distribution of catches.