DAF

Do you know the biosecurity rules for redclaw in your area? We have 135 known species of crayfish in Australia. Many of these are endangered and at risk from crayfish plague, caused by people spreading species like redclaw beyond their natural range. You can follow good biosecurity practices for redclaw by: Do not return species to the water outside their …

Crabbing is one of Queenslander’s favourite pastimes, but do you know the rules? There are restrictions in place to protect mud, blue swimmer, spanner and three-spotted crabs from overcollection. Here’s a rundown: Mud crab: – Size limit: 15cm minimum – Possession limit: 7 per person/14 per boat (with 2 or more people on board) – Female mud crabs must be …

White Spot has been detected at a prawn facility in northern NSW and confirmed by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) tests. NSW DPI has stood up an emergency response Incident Management Team. The team is working to determine the source of the outbreak and to complete surveillance activities. On 16 February 2023, …

Fisheries Officers have apprehended two men from Cohuna, Victoria, for multiple offences involving the take of Yabbies from Colligen Creek, west of Deniliquin. The men were caught in possession of 796 yabbies, 396 above the combined possession limit for two people. The excess were seized and returned to the waters of the Colligen Creek alive. In addition, it is also …

Ever caught a tagged fish? It turns out the chances really are one in a million. Australia’s volunteer tagging database Infofish Australia recently became the first citizen science tagging program in the world to tag 1 million fish since its inception in 1986. To put that in perspective, it took 17,000 volunteer taggers a combined 198,600 days (that’s 544 years!) …

Repeat offender jailed for stealing fish on states South Coast. Fisheries Officers from the Batemans Bay District and the State-wide Operations and Investigations Group, Regional Mobile Squad, apprehended a repeat fisheries offender on May 9, 2022, in Ulladulla. The offender faced the courts this week and was sentenced to 18 months in jail with a non-parole period of 11 months …

Fish for crabs responsibly this summer! Crab fishing is a popular activity, particularly during the warmer months in NSW. Sought after crab species such as Mud Crab and Blue Swimmer Crab can be effectively targeted using traps and nets and make for a fun time on the water and provide exceptional eating when back on land. Here are some useful …

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority) has released its draft policy on fish aggregating devices and artificial reefs for public consultation.  The draft policy prohibits the use and installation of fish aggregating devices (FADs) and artificial reefs across the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Reef Authority’s General Manager, Major Projects Ian Walker said the draft policy …

New drone technology continues to assist Fisheries Officers in the field. Fisheries Officers from the State-wide Operations and Investigations Group have put an offender before the courts by utilising new drone technology allowing officers to capture crucial evidence that resulted in multiple offences being detected. The use of this new and evolving technology is just another modern step forward for …

During a recent patrol of the Yarrawonga Weir fishing closure, a group of passionate young recreational fishers alerted Fisheries Officers to some stranded fish. This vital information was also reported to local Fisheries Officers by the owner of the local tackle store. As a result of this vital information, a large number of native fish were successfully saved from an …