Snapper season is underway and recreational anglers can expect another solid spring in Port Phillip and Western Port according to modelling undertaken by fisheries scientists.
Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) CEO Travis Dowling said modelling predicted last year's snapper boom would continue to pay dividends through the rest of spring and into summer.
"Last year was one of the best snapper seasons in many years, with land and boat-based fishers getting into the great outdoors and catching plenty of fish," he said.
"Victoria is home to some of Australia's best snapper fishing in Port Phillip and Western Port, and the season is eagerly anticipated by thousands of keen anglers.
"With commercial nets removed from Port Phillip, free parking and launching at the state's public boat ramps and the last 7 years delivering two of the best snapper spawning events on record, it's a great time to be enjoying the sunshine and catching a fresh feed of fish."
To assess the abundance of baby snapper and compare breeding seasons, scientists collect fish measuring between three and 10 centimetres at night using specialised nets. Results are then compared to a dataset of more than 30 years.
Spawning success varies depending on environmental conditions and strong seasons are often followed by weaker years, typical of natural variation within wild fisheries.
"We had record spawning in 2017 and what we saw in 2024 was an unprecedented snapper season in terms of catch rates according to our creel surveys," Mr Dowling said.
"Creel surveys involve interviews of fishers to ascertain what they caught, what they kept and how long they fished for, and they're funded by your recreational fishing licence fees.
"We did see a spawning drop-off in 2018, but fish from the 2017 year class will continue to be caught over the next few years as they migrate into our bays.
"That's not the only good news for snapper anglers. Our more recent 2022 monitoring showed the third highest abundance of baby snapper since surveys began in 1993, so we expect to see great fishing continue in coming seasons."
Recreational anglers are reminded that the minimum legal size for snapper in Victoria is 28cm, and the daily bag limit is 10, of which no more than three can equal or exceed 40cm.
