Ten things you should know about fishing the Great Barrier Reef
Size
The Great Barrier Reef is 2300 klm long stretching from near Gladstone in the south to the tip of Cape York in the north. It is actually made up of over 2900 separate coral reefs and covers approximately 344,000 sq klm or 133 000 sq miles. Any way you wish to look at it, the Great Barrier Reef is huge.
Islands
There are over 900 islands and coral cays within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). Only a handful are inhabited.
Marine Life
Over 1500 species of fish and more than 30 species of mammals live around the Great Barrier Reef.
Mangroves
Over 2000 sq klm of mangroves exist along the coast within the GBRMP. So it is not just all about reef fishing as plenty of excellent estuary fishing opportunities exist.
Towns and Cities
The major port towns and cities servicing the Great Barrier Reef are from north to south, Port Douglas, Cairns, Townsville, Whitsunday, Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone. All of these places have a vast range of accommodation, transport and marine tourism operators such as fishing charters.
Weather
Strong southeast trade winds can make it very windy out on the Great Barrier Reef during the dry season that runs from May to October approximately. The wet season occupies the rest of the year with cyclones possible, especially in the north anytime during the wet season but especially from Christmas to April.
Safety
Crocodiles can inhabit coastal waters and estuaries in all areas north of Rockhampton. Box Jellyfish are found in waters north of Rockhampton anytime during the wet season months. Many other marine stingers also exist in these waters and reef sharks can be a problem for reef f
- The GBRMP is split into a number of zones some of which prohibit or restrict fishing. Check the zoning maps at the website at http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au
- There are a number of fishing regulations specific to different areas of the GBRMP. For example; keeping Coral Reef Fin Fish is prohibited for a few days in October and November and Barramundi fishing in estuary waters of the Queensland East Coast is prohibited during the November to February period. Check the website at http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/28_2981.htmlA fishing licence is not required for recreational fishing in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.Most common species targeted in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are: Reef- Barracuda, Cod, Coral Trout, Emperor, Giant Trevally, Nannygai, Snapper & Sweetlip Estuary- Barramundi, Barracuda, Jewfish, Golden Snapper, Trevally, Permit, Queenfish, Salmon, Tarpon Blue Water- Marlin, Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Sailfish, Tuna, Wahoo
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