Recreational retained catch trophic levels

• This data is sourced from the DPI&F RFish database and supplied as retained catch in numbers per trophic level, not tonnes (unlike the commercial catch). The total retained tonnage from the recreational catch is estimated to be about 4391 tonnes (See information on catch vs sector).
• The recreational fishing diary program data does not generally include representation for the following groups: spearfishers; gamefishers; grey nomads; mining staff; recreational aquarium fish collectors and Traditional Owners. Consequently the numbers provided are likely to be an underestimate.
• The majority of the recreational catch (as estimated through the DPI&F 2005 recreational fishing diary program) comes from the upper trophic levels of the ecosystem. Herbivorous fish were not targeted by the fishers participating in this diary program. This partly reflects fisher preference for species like coral trout, the various mackerel species, emperors and snappers. The type of gear permitted for use in the GBRMP (no fish traps) together with species-specific bag and size limits for coral reef finfish species reduce the reef fish targeted and removed from the system.
  
• It is likely that small quantities of herbivorous fish are taken by spearfishers and recreational aquarium fish collectors; while there is no data available at the time of writing, anecdotal information suggests that the numbers are small.
• The presence of large catches of higher order carnivorous fish is indicative of a relatively healthy fish community in the Great Barrier Reef. There is no evidence that the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem has been subject to 'fishing down the foodchain' as described by Pauly et al. 1998. 

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Citation and/or URL

Data from Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) RFish database

Spatial Coverage

Whole GBRMP 

Temporal Coverage

2005 Diary Program data

Update Frequency

Continuous 

Other Information

See also Fishing catch from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park