Recovery of depleted fish stocks requires more than regulation alone. Tasmania’s Southern Sand Flathead (Platycephalus bassensis) fishery has undergone substantial declines following decades of fishing pressure, resulting in management interventions including recent fishing closures. While essential for stock recovery, such measures also raise an important question: where does recreational fishing effort shift when a highly valued species becomes less available?
In response, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania developed the Mixed Bag campaign, a behaviour change initiative designed to promote diversification of recreational fishing effort. The campaign encourages fishers to target a wider range of sustainable species and retain smaller numbers of each, rather than focusing on bag-limit catches of one or two preferred, or equally depleted, species.
Candidate species for promotion were assessed against criteria including stock sustainability, biological characteristics, accessibility, eating quality, geographic availability and ease of capture. Recognising that information alone rarely changes behaviour, the campaign focused on reducing practical and psychological barriers by building fishers’ confidence, skills and interest in alternative species. Delivery used trusted messengers, including well-known Tasmanian recreational fishers, local chefs and our community engagement team. Activities combined digital and social media content with on-ground engagement through community events, fishing clinics, boat-ramp interactions, demonstrations and taste-testing. Messaging emphasised catching, handling, preparing and cooking alternative species while improving marine literacy and challenging misconceptions about eating quality.
Evaluation indicates increasing positive sentiment toward promoted species, improved perceptions of previously undervalued table fish, greater interest in fish preparation techniques, and evidence of changing attitudes among recreational fishers. Feedback from stakeholders, social media and community engagement activities suggests growing support for a diversified fishing approach. By encouraging species diversification and awareness of sustainable species, the initiative helps to reduce pressure on depleted stocks while maintaining recreational fishing opportunities and facilitating community stewardship.