Fishing News

‘Do not swim’ warning signs and marine marker buoys are now in place at Cid Harbour following this week’s tragic fatal shark attack in the Whitsundays. There are sharks in all Queensland waters. Be alert when choosing where and when to swim and follow these swimmer safety guidelines: – Swim only at patrolled beaches and between the flags – Obey …

CORAL reef fin fish will be off-limits from Monday, 5 November 2018, in the second of two annual closures to protect these fish during spawning season. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol District Manager Tony Loader said the closure would start immediately after midnight at the beginning of 5 November and end immediately before midnight at the end of 9 November. …

Anglers fishing in Toowoomba’s Cressbrook Dam are being urged not to take 60 fish tagged as part of a research project to improve fishing in dams. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Principal Fisheries Biologist Dr Michael Hutchison said 30 Australian Bass and 30 Golden perch have each been tagged to evaluate the use of fish attractors in dams. “Each …

IT doesn’t matter if you haven’t fished before or if you’re the keenest of anglers, Gone Fishing Day is for everyone! NSW DPI is running FREE fishing events around the state as part of this great national initiative! Enjoy a great family day with loads of free fun-filled activities including how-to-fish sessions, casting comps, goodie bags with bonus fishing lures, …

A CLEVELAND Magistrate has fined a commercial fisher more than $5000 for interfering with another licensed crabber’s pots in southern Moreton Bay. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol District Officer Matt Davidson said the successful court prosecution was a reminder to all fishers that interference with crabbing apparatus will not be tolerated. “Under Fisheries regulations, it is an offence to interfere …

VIDEO footage of a rare, protected fish in water almost twice the depth it is thought to inhabit has raised questions about how marine life is responding to climate change and how much we really know about the deep ocean. Marine biologists from the University of Wollongong have taken the first verifiable recording of a rare, protected fish in water …

NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair has announced the state government won’t introduce planned fishing lockouts at 25 new marine park sites. The NSW government has performed another backflip, this time ditching a proposed ban on fishing at 25 new marine park sites between Newcastle and Wollongong. Just weeks after the government announced the proposal to create the aquatic parks, …

STORIES of the ‘one that got away’ might become a thing of the past for Toowoomba anglers thanks to an Australian-first program to install fish attractors in Cressbrook Dam. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Senior Fisheries Biologist Andrew Norris said fish attractors were specially built structures designed by DAF researchers to attract fish. “Fish attractors mimic natural habitat such as …

THE NSW Government is working with fishers to ensure the future of one of NSW’s most prized fish species. Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair said mulloway is a highly regarded sportfish and an important commercial species. “In 2013, the NSW Government introduced a recovery plan with a number of new rules to halt the decline of mulloway stock and …

TAKING excess coral reef fish, which were to be sold on the black market, has landed two Townsville recreational fishers $17,000 in fines. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the two recreational fishers pleaded guilty in the Townsville Magistrates’ Court to unlawfully taking 63 coral reef fin fish. “The magistrate stated their actions were deliberate and …