Barramundi Fishing Controls
Minimum Size Limit
What it means
Do not keep barramundi which measures less than 55 cm in overall
length.
Why it is needed
Minimises fishing pressure on immature fish so that more fish have
a chance to live long enough to breed.
Personal Possession Limits
What it means
'5 barra' possession limit throughout the Territory (except in
the Mary River Zone) you must not take more than 5 barramundi from
a day's fishing or have more than 5 barramundi in your possession
at any time.
You must stop fishing for barramundi once you reach the 5 barra
possession limit.
Why it is needed
To limit fishing pressure.
What it means
'2 barra' possession limit. If you are in the Mary River Zone you
must not take more than 2 barramundi from a day's fishing or have
more than 2 barramundi in your possession.
You may continue to fish after you have reached the 2 barra possession
limit provided you only use barbless hooks and you release, in the
manner described below, every barramundi you catch.
Why it is needed
A reduced possession limit is required to limit the potential fishing
pressure in the heavily fished Mary River system.
No Tethering
What it means
Do not put a barramundi on a tether line.
Why it is needed
Tethering live fish is cruel and it may attract predators.
Seasonally Closed Areas
What it means
If you are in the Mary
River and Daly
River Seasonally Closed Areas between 1 October and 31 January
you must not fish nor have in your possession a barramundi or a
fishing line to which a hook, lure or bait is attached.
Why it is needed
Prevents adult fish being taken during the breeding season from
the heavily fished Mary and Daly Rivers.
Fishing Gear in the Mary River
What it means
In the Mary River Zone you must only fish with, or have in your
possession, a handline or rod and line. The use or possession of
a cast net or drag net is prohibited in the area.
You must only use a lure or fly with a single point hook when fishing
from, or within, 100 m radius of the barrage wall at Shady Camp
Billabong. Bait fishing and the use of double or treble hooks in
this area is prohibited.
Why it is needed
Minimise damage to the many undersize fish which are caught and
released at the heavily fished Shady Camp barrage.
You are deemed not to have taken, or to be in possession of, a
barramundi if, as soon as practicable after you catch it (allowing
for it to be detached from the line, measured, weighed in a landing
net or photographed) you release it to the water with as little
injury as possible to the fish.
Some special fishing controls apply in Kakadu National Park. Contact
the Australian Nature Conservation Agency for advice (Kakadu HQ
tel. 89 38 1100).
To make a barbless hook from a barbed hook, use pliers to crimp
the tip of each barb so they lie flush with the unbarbed section
of the hook.
You do not need a fishing licence for recreational fishing in the
Northern Territory but none of your catch may be sold or bartered.
This advice does not replace the controls in the Barramundi Fishery
Management Plan; but is meant to show their general intent.
Give a Barra a Sporting Chance
By obeying fishing controls you help to promote high quality fishing
through barramundi conservation. Thoughtful fishermen can do even
more.
Don't keep more fish than you need. Return the rest carefully so
they can be caught another day. Follow these tips to help released
fish survive.
If practicable, remove the hook while the fish is still in the
water.
Landing nets cause less damage than hands. Use a net to land, dehook
and weigh a fish before release.
When handling a fish to measure it, grip the lower jaw firmly;
don't place your fingers under the gill cover.
Don't lay the fish on a hot deck or seat.
If you find you are catching undersized fish in an area, stop using
live bait
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