Fishing ban extended for the Eastern blue groper in NSW

A state-wide ban on line-fishing for the eastern blue groper, NSW's state fish, has been extended for a further three years until March 1, 2028, following recent research highlighting the species' declining population in local waters.

The ban was originally implemented 12 months ago by the NSW government and came after several incidents of illegal blue groper spearfishing, including the spearing of a beloved Cronulla groper in Sydney's south in December, 2023.

Anyone caught fishing for and keeping the eastern blue groper will face a maximum court-imposed penalty of $22,000 or imprisonment for 6 months, and/or a $500 infringement notice.

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The decision will allow scientists to more closely monitor the species, whose population in Sydney's shallow waters has more than halved since 2008, according to a study published in Marine and Freshwater Research over a week ago.

The research suggested that plummeting populations could be a result of warming waters due to climate change.

"There is a strong community interest in the State's iconic Eastern Blue Groper, and there is a community expectation that we take every step possible to understand any potential impacts that climate change may be having on the species," said NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty.

"Three further years of scientific monitoring will deliver a deeper level of understanding of how this wonderful fish is coping with warming conditions and what impact those conditions are having on the population, particularly in our inshore waters where people interact with the Eastern Blue Groper."

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Moriarty said that although some fishers will be disappointed by the ban extension, many in the NSW community want the species protected.

Spearfishing for Eastern Blue Groper was prohibited in 1969, while commercial fishing for the species was prohibited in 1980.

Any Blue Groper accidentally caught by line fishing must be released.

Due to the species' significance to Indigenous people, the new extension does not apply to Indigenous cultural fishing.