Before the last cut to recreational bag numbers it was on the MPI web site that,if of legal size and not likely to survive we had to keep,Just been on MPI site again and that clause has disappeared and we can now discard snapper even if legal size and not going to survive.Basicly high grading.

My view is take for first 7 legal size,catching undersize move on,We have started this practice now,drift see what's there undersize move on.

^^^ It sure is cobber!

Surely it's just a matter of a little common sense ?  In a recent thread we had a good discussion on the survival rates of snapper in relation to the depth they were taken from, and the paper that I'd referred to and posted also looked at the effect of the type of hook and where the fish was hooked.

The main factors that effect survival rates are those two things, plus obviously how the fish is handled before being released.

So, in a worst case scenario....  a snapper is dragged up from 60m, gut-hooked a with small baited hook and gets a couple of fingers shoved in it's gills while the hook and trace is ripped out. Prognosis: It's gunna die.

Same fish is lip hooked on a softbait in 15m of water and released carefully at the side of the boat without being handled. Research would suggest it's going to live.

As far as whether a fish is released or kept, as long as it's legal size, and within the legal quantity limit it's up the the angler imo - nothing to do with anyone else at all. The only proviso on that is, if it's obviously going to die as in the worst case scenario then it's no different to commercial dumping albeit on a very small scale.

"quote Grunta"As far as whether a fish is released or kept, as long as it's legal size, and within the legal quantity limit it's up the the angler imo - nothing to do with anyone else at all. The only proviso on that is, if it's obviously going to die as in the worst case scenario then it's no different to commercial dumping albeit on a very small scale.

the majority of people refuse to tell anyone anymore because of the the unacceptable few who have been blinded by TV shows that its what should be done...

and those that do post ive noticed make an excuse of some sort on how they tried to release to please those that would moan...

so get my point about how its changed????

who really cares what they do on TV its only to feel good nothing else as they have dont show the true real results anyway of whether it lives or dies, mainly because they cant follow it for the next couple of days to see what truly happened to it...
so why not stop preaching to others when they haven't the prof it is still living and breading as they would have you believe...
the other part is its not illegal to take such fish, even though they TV Shows would try and make you feel its unacceptable and socially incorrect to do so...