FADs season underway
by Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW 1 Jan 2022 23:02 PST
FADs season © NSW DPI
DPI has finished installing Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) at 34 locations from Tweed Heads all the way south to Eden in readiness for the upcoming summer fishing season.
FADs are GPS-tracked floating buoys anchored to the ocean floor to attract fast growing pelagic fish species such as Mahi Mahi. The East Australian Current is now pushing tongues of warm blue water down the coastline, which are expected to bring schools of mahi-mahi with them.
The FADs will remain in the water until early winter before being removed for annual maintenance. Recreational fishers are encouraged to check the latest marine weather forecast before heading offshore and can keep up to date on FAD locations and deployments on the FishSmart app or via the NSW DPI website. The FADs Fishing Code of Conduct can also be found online.
The FADs program is funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts.