THE Australian Government has today welcomed the findings of a paper published by the CSIRO and the University of Washington rejecting claims that sustainable Australian commercial fish stocks have declined over the past 10 years. Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Richard Colbeck, said the paper published by CSIRO Senior Research Scientist Richard Little and colleagues showed flaws …
Read More »Lucrative start to 2019 after Darwin fisho reels in $10,000 barra
A DARWIN fisho is celebrating a bit of late festive cheer after reeling in a tagged $10,000 barra from the barrage at Shady Camp. Travis Stevens caught the highly sought-after barra while fishing with a mate during his week off from work. “This is an awesome start to the year,” Travis said. “It will definitely help cover any leftover Christmas …
Read More »QLD Government releases Directions Paper of fisheries reforms
DEAR fisheries stakeholder: The Queensland Government has released the ‘Directions Paper of fisheries reforms’ to ensure all fishers and the broader community are aware of the Government’s direction on how best to manage the priority fisheries and the next steps. The proposed changes will apply to both commercial and recreational fishers. The reforms are expected to be implemented by September …
Read More »Aerators on their way for Lake Burrendong to prevent fish kills
The NSW Government will fast track the installation of up to four water aerators at Lake Burrendong, to reduce the risk of any further fish kill events caused by algae blooms, black water and oxygen depletion. Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Water, Niall Blair recently visited Lake Burrendong to see first-hand the fish kill that claimed more than a …
Read More »Ag Minister’s statement regarding recent fish kills
Statement from Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources David Littleproud: THE fish kills we’ve seen over the last few weeks are absolutely horrible. These terrible events are a result of a cool period which killed off blue green algae, which sucked the oxygen out of the water. NSW data reveals there have been 600 freshwater fish kills in NSW since 1970, …
Read More »Have you seen a sawfish?
FROM Sydney to Cairns and Darwin to Perth, Sharks and Rays Australia wants to hear about your sawfish sightings – a live fish, a saw on the wall of your local pub, or a photo from your family album. “Your sightings, no matter how long ago they happened, will help us work out how many sawfish there used to be, …
Read More »Key fisheries reform a step closer
THE Queensland Government today outlined the proposed direction for fisheries reform in the state’s trawl, crab and east coast inshore fisheries. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said a directions paper on fisheries reform was the next step to create a world-class fisheries management system under the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy. “The Palaszczuk Government is committed to …
Read More »Don’t zone out on the Reef this summer
KNOW your zones and protect your patch when you’re out on the water this summer — that’s the message from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in the busy holiday period. With several recreational fishers convicted in recent months for fishing in no-take green zone areas, the Authority’s field management assistant director Ben Kettle said it was a timely reminder …
Read More »New threat to jewfish stocks
FISH swim bladders have become the latest fad in the seemingly insatiable Asian market for natural substances that enhance sexual prowess. Here in Queensland, our two major species of jewfish stocks are ‘well endowed’ in the swim bladder department, to the extent that their stabilising organs are now suddenly worth many times the value of their fillets. The rush to …
Read More »More shark safety measures for NSW north coast
THE NSW Government and Surf Life Saving NSW recently announced $14,000 worth of measures to further protect beachgoers on the NSW North Coast this summer. Two additional drones will be added to the current suite of drones, as well as investing in essential equipment for shark incident response, including shark alarms and PA systems, megaphones and lifesaving heavy-duty trauma kits. …
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