A jigging trial in the Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF) has been approved by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).
This trial comes in response to a request from a squid operator hoping to modify his current squid jig operation to investigate the viability of jigging for mackerel. Following consultation with SPF advisory committees and the AFMA Commission, AFMA has allowed the trial of jigging for small pelagic fish species until 1 May 2014.
AFMA will look at the information gained during the trial and, if it proves to be a sustainable and economic method of fishing for small pelagic species, may introduce longer term arrangements.
A quota for the target species will be required for anyone wishing to use jigging in the SPF and an AFMA observer must be onboard during the trial period.
Jigging is used to target small pelagic species in fisheries worldwide. It is also commonly used in association with purse seine or mid-water trawl fishing to confirm the species and size of fish in a school.
Jig-caught fish can also potentially attract a higher market price due to the superior quality of the fish caught this way and expand the market opportunities for species such as blue mackerel.
