A breeding program is being considered to help restore the diminished population of Tasmania's favourite recreationally caught fish.

The program forms part of a $1.2 million investment from the Tasmanian government for a feasibility study to help the southern sand flathead.

The fish was listed as "depleted" by the Tasmanian government in late-October last year due to overfishing, leading to new limits on the size and amount that can be caught recreationally.

The Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), in Hobart, will oversee the feasibility study.

IMAS's head of fisheries and aquaculture, Professor Sean Tracey, said the study will help researchers determine whether a sand flathead marine hatchery program is required.

"If you put them in too small, predation might be really high. But obviously keeping them in captivity for longer costs more money.

"There may also be some potential to get some faster-growing fish from areas that have been lightly fished and breed them up and put them into areas that have had a lot more fishing."

Tasmania's Business, Industry and Resources Minister Eric Abetz said how the $1.2 million of funding is spent would be "informed by the feasibility study".

"Whatever it recommends, that will then be provided with the funding from the state government through IMAS," Mr Abetz said.

Recreational fishing a Tasmanian pastime

The proportion of Tasmanians who fish recreationally is higher than the national average, bringing about $270 million into the state's economy and generating more than 2,500 jobs, the Tasmanian government said.

A five-yearly report into the state's sea and inland recreational fishing, also conducted by IMAS, has helped researchers further map the fishing habits of Tasmanians.

The survey found about 130,000 Tasmanians — just over one-in-four Tasmanians aged 5 and over — fished recreationally in 2022–23.

And about 50 per cent of recreational fishers were catching sand flathead.

Professor Tracey said catch numbers for sand flathead had dropped significantly from 250 tonnes caught in 2007–08, to about 126 tonnes caught last year.

"The release rate for sand flathead has gone up a lot, and that was one of the telltales to us that we knew that there was something going on with the stock."

Demographically, the largest increase in people fishing were young people aged 5 to 14 years old.

"We're seeing the participation rate in young people at a much higher rate," Professor Tracey said.

"About 80 per cent of the fishing effort is happening in our marine environment and about 20 per cent in our inland waters.

Recreational fisher Omar Carrillo said he tried to take his daughter fishing about four or five times a year, and flathead was the most popular fish to catch.

"It's very good experience for my daughter, and she loves her fishing," Mr Carrillo said.

"Hopefully, when she gets older, she can bring the kids along and she learns one or two things from me. I'm not the greatest fisherman, but I'm not too bad at it."

Sustainable population the end goal

Jane Gallichan, chief executive of Tarfish — Tasmania's peak body for recreational fishers — said changes to bag limits last year was a "tough pill to swallow" but the feasibility study was promising.

"That's why we think we need the kitchen sink thrown at sand flathead recovery."

Ms Gallichan also welcomed the uptick in women fishing recreationally, up from 15 per cent five years ago, to almost 20 per cent.

Asked when sand flathead catch limits might be lifted, Mr Abetz said he was "awaiting advice from the experts".

"We're going to make our decisions based on the scientific evidence," he said.

"And that is where we partner with IMAS and others, and we will await the expert advice to guide us in our decision making.