How boat ramp surveys help our fisheries

If you’ve recreationally fished at one of the 50 boat ramps across Queensland that Fisheries Queensland monitor as part of the Boat Ramp Survey Program, you may have come across one of our interviewers asking you to spare a few minutes to answer some questions about your fishing trip.

The Boat Ramp Survey Program is a voluntary program giving recreational fishers the opportunity to help with the stewardship of Queensland’s fisheries. More than 90% of recreational fishers take up this opportunity and provide interviewers with basic fishing information about their trip.

That information provides insight into patterns in boat-based recreational fishing and is primarily used to improve the sustainability of fish stocks. For example, the survey monitors changes in recreational boat-based fishing effort, what’s caught and the size of those fish. But don’t worry, your personal information is not recorded, and you’re not asked to give away those secret fishing spots!

Although the interviews seem simple, there’s quite a bit of science behind them. Surveys are performed on randomly allocated days across a range of boat ramps. This allows the data to better reflect rates and patterns in recreational fishing. When we measure the fish, you may see us measuring to the ‘fork in the tail’ rather than the tip. Fork length gives a more reliable standardised scientific length measurement.

If you see our friendly interviewers at your ramp, give something back to the fishery and volunteer a few minutes of your time to contribute with your information. It’s your opportunity to help look after your fishery.

Faces of Fisheries: Tonia Sankey

Tonia started working in the Fishery Monitoring team in 2018 and now manages the Boat Ramp Survey Program in northern Queensland. Tonia is a marine ecologist and works closely with your friendly interviewers at boat ramps to collect important recreational fishing data.

“The ocean is my haven. On weekends I’m often out in the reef immersing myself in the ocean for hours with a speargun and camera in hand. I feel fortunate that my job lets me promote recreational fishing data collection. I love talking to fishers and it’s comforting to know that fishers care about our ocean and fisheries. We’re all helping maintain the sustainability of Queensland’s fisheries.”

Participating in a boat ramp survey is a simple way that you can contribute to valuable data being collected. It helps us support fisheries so you can continue to enjoy weekends on the water with a line in hand and enough fish in the ocean to catch.