1) Often confused with soft grass, Spangled Emperor now has a legal minimum length of 45 cm. Queensland Size and bag restrictions: – Minimum height 25 cm – Combined pocket limit of 5 for all sweetlips species – Additional total limit of 20 for all finfish on coral reefs The spearman (paddy) is a small, spiny member of the imperial family, usually unceremoniously returned to the water or used as cod bait. They can be in proportions similar to those of the plague and fishermen usually have to move to another place to get away from them. Surprisingly, lancers were designated as RCRFF with a legal minimum length of 25 cm and a pocket limit of 5. This incredible law won`t affect most of us, but I know that family fishermen have sometimes enjoyed bringing home food from this prolific little fish. Although commonly found on reefs, snapper is not RCRF. They always have a height limit of 35 cm and a pocket limit of 5. For a capture of 5 snappers, snapper is not included in the limit of 20 for the RCRFF. Another important factor in the plan is the explanation of the closures. For three nine-day periods a year, all Queensland waters north of 25°N latitude are closed to include all types of RCRF. These nine-day periods cover the new moon in the last months of the year and in 2004 from October 8 to 16, November 6 to 14 and December 6 to 14. This line of latitude runs east to west north of Indian Head on Fraser Island and between Theodolite Creek and Elliot Heads on the mainland, leaving most of Hervey Bay`s popular northern reefs subject to closure.
These closures do not apply to the collection of cash other than CRRFR. For example, it is allowed to take snapper or spotted mackerel on the Wathumba One Mile, as they are not species (although they have size and pocket restrictions). On the other hand, it would not be allowed to catch coral trout or the red reef emperor off Rooney Point. It should also be noted that closures are relevant to ownership restrictions. For example, a 50 cm scarlet bass caught by a fisherman off Arch Cliff (south of 25 degrees south) could not have been in his possession after traveling north of 25 degrees south during a curfew. Blackall is a species of flowering plant in the genus Diagramma. It now carries a pocket limit of 5 and a legal minimum length of 25 cm. The closely related soft lips of the genus Plectorhynchus, the brown soft lip (fat lip), the dark soft lip and the reticulated soft lip (gold-spotted fat lips), now all carry the same limitations. Dark, web-like sweetlips are often captured around the coffee rocks of Fraser Island Beach. Although it is an ordinary inhabitant of the reefs and a member of the imperial family, the coral sea bream is not an RCRFF. The legal minimum size remains 30cm and there is no bag limit. The minimum legal height of the glittery emperor has risen to 45 cm.
It was rare enough to catch a 40 cm tall specimen in the inner bay. Honeymoons are often confused with coral sea bream, but can be distinguished by the presence of light blue spots in the upper half of the body. Although part of the cod family, the estuarine codis is not a designated CRRFF. It always has a minimum height of 35 cm, a maximum size of 120 cm and a pocket limit of 10. Estuarine cod is almost identical to fat cod, a designated CFMR. I must confess that I have no idea how to distinguish these fish! • A single catch of 5 Blackall, 8 Grass Sweetlip, 2 Coral Trout, 6 Blackhead Tusks and 3 Stripeys – 24 fish in total, but only 16 RCRFF as the Sea bream is not an RCRFF. Individual limits for CBRF are not exceeded – a legal catch. Other imperial species, excluding sea bream (grassy sweetlips)25–5 speciesMinimum length (cm)Maximum legal length (cm)Pocket limit 1.5 m max. or interdorsal length 60 cm max. (Rays with a round body shape only need to comply with the maximum size limit of 1.5 m) An important factor in the plan was the reporting of regulated coral reef finfish, which I will call the RCRFF. The brochure does not give a complete picture of what the CRRFF are. The complete list of scientific names of genera and species can be found in Appendix 2 of Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish) Management Plan 2003, which can be downloaded from the DPI website.