kingfish state

I spent some time on the water the last couple of weeks talking to divers and others re CSS's kingfish. Apart from seeing several hundred dead juveniles in a mort bin I was told that there are no harvest size fish in the Port Lincoln pens, only sick juveniles and that Arno Bay has harvest size and juveniles but all are sick and that PIRSA has placed a movement prohibition on the fish. Those I spoke to confirmed the high mortality rates in both locations in both sizes of stock. Apparently it was CSS practice to tow cages of harvest size kingfish down to Port Lincoln for harvest, but PIRSA has put a stop on that and any harvesting will have to be done at Arno. Not good news but reflects the latest news reports. Sick and dying juveniles does not auger well for next season's harvest.