Caution urged over proposed sardine fishery in the Bass Strait

Recreational anglers are concerned about the negative impacts a commercial sardine fishery in the Bass Strait could have.

Research by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) in December 2024 confirmed there is a sizeable population of around 210,000 tonnes of Australian Sardine in Tasmanian and Bass Strait waters.

The Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE Tas) has produced a set of development guidelines for the sardine fishery.

“The guidelines are based on four principles designed to ensure Tasmania and the environment would have long-term benefit from a new fishery, and include strategies surrounding ecosystem sustainability, governance, economic return and benefits to Tasmanians,” an NRE spokesperson said.

“The creation of rules and regulations that would underpin any new sardine fishery would involve standard processes, including statutory public consultation.

“The public will be able to have their say on the development of any proposed sardine fishery.”

Earlier this year, NRE Tas held several community information sessions about the IMAS findings of the Australian Sardine in Tasmania.

The department said more than 200 people attended the sessions across the state.

Recreational angler Glen Saltmarsh said in the last two decades, fishing in the Bass Strait had flourished.

“Seven or eight years ago, no one dreamed of going out in the Bass Strait and catching a bluefin tuna,” Mr Saltmarsh said.

“It was unheard of.

“But now people are catching huge tunas regularly.”

Mr Saltmarsh said he was in favour of a sardine fishery in the Bass Strait as long as it was done carefully and underpinned by science.

“The concerns are that it will be overfished in areas where recreational anglers use.

“I think it really needs to be done at a very small scale for at least the first five years, so they can actually get a decent look at it and get a grasp on the fishery.

“We’ve seen examples where we’ve seen them just go in guns blazing and smash the fishery very fast, and the people that live with that aren’t the commercial fishers.

“They end up getting all their dollars, but the recreational fishers are the ones that miss out.”