Rockhampton has become the undisputed fishing capital of Australia thanks to the success of the Net Free Zone in the Fitzroy River.
The Fitzroy River Net Free Zone (NFZ) was introduced on 1 November 2015 to support recreational fishing and tourism in the region.
Since then, the river has seen an explosion in Barramundi and King Threadfin population and size, adding local fishing tourism jobs, growing visitation and putting Rockhampton on the national stage as the best, most consistent and accessible place to land a trophy Barra or King Threadfin in Australia.
The latest data from InfoFish Australia shows an increase in the number of 'trophy sized' barramundi being recaptured in the Fitzroy of over 500 per cent, with the average length of the fish increasing by 16 per cent to 75cm.
This supports data from the recent Barra Bash fishing competition which saw over 100 Barra over 1m caught in a single day.
In addition, the region has seen a significant boost in recreational fishing and fishing tourism with record demand experienced by local fishing charters and significant growth in visitation numbers.
Rockhampton Regional Council has supported the growth and success of recreational fishing and tourism through its Recreational Fishing Development Strategy.
Council through its economic development and tourism arm, Advance Rockhampton, has partnered with the Queensland Government, local industry, operators and community to support fishing the Fitzroy and capitalise on the benefits and opportunities of the Net Free Zones. The success of the Strategy, includes:
- Advocating and securing new fishing and boating infrastructure in the River and Fitzroy Delta
- Implementation of a voluntary code of practice to promote sustainable fishing
- Greater community engagement through the Fishing the Fitzroy social media accounts
Advance Rockhampton also promoted and support recreational fishing in the region through dedicated tourism and destination marketing campaigns.
