Ask Dr Dazza | Moreton Bay Bugs

ANOTHER of our favourite festive seafoods are bugs. Not the flying kind, but rather the Moreton Bay bug and the Balmain bug. These animals are more commonly called slipper lobsters in other parts of the world.

AS WE lead up to Christmas, a lot of our culinary focus turns to prawns and Moreton Bay produces some wonderfully tasty product. Wild-caught tiger prawns are always popular at Christmas time and Moreton Bay is a significant area of production for the trawlers that catch them.

Ask Dr Dazza | Queensland Groper

THERE has been much excitement in local recreational fishing circles this week by the capture (and safe release) of a Queensland groper in the Pine River.

LET’S take a bit of a look at one of the giants of the ocean – the white shark. It’s not an animal that most anglers encounter.

Dolphins (along with whales) belong to a group of animals called Cetaceans. They are descendants of hippopotamus-like animals. There are two species that are residents in the Moreton Bay Region – the Australian humpback dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin.

GARFISH are another one of our underappreciated local angling species, but many a child has had oodles of fun watching them scoff bread and dance around when hooked.

IN THIS edition, let’s talk about the humble pilchard. It’s the mainstay for many a bait fisher in our region that can be used to target a range of species including tailor and snapper.

Snapper are one of the most iconic and best known Australian fish species. They are a member of the sparid family of fish which includes yellowfin bream and tarwhine.

There are four species of blue ringed octopus in the world, with the most common species in Moreton Bay only growing to about 5cm in body length.

Recreational fishing contributes positively to personal wellbeing and mental health. Recreational fishing was highlighted by approximately 80 per cent of survey respondents identifying fishing as important or very important to their health and wellbeing.