Fishing

TO help protect Queensland’s beautiful natural waterways for generations to come, fishers must not move raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms out of the white spot disease movement restriction area in southeast Queensland. The movement restrictions are in place from Caloundra to the NSW border and west to Ipswich. While we know prawns swim and could spread the disease as …

King salmon have come a long way in our area since the introduction of net-free zones two years ago. Side-imaging and down-imaging sounders mean that we recreational fishers are well aware of thready numbers throughout the area. This technology is impressive to say the least and being able to distinguish one species from another is next level. About 80 percent …

NO further signs of Asian green mussels have been found in waters around Weipa, but Biosecurity Queensland is maintaining surveillance activities as summer heralds spawning season. A plankton tow survey was conducted in mid-October by experts from James Cook University’s TropWATER team. The survey involved water samples being collected from multiple locations to detect traces of Asian green mussel DNA. …

DESPITE the flow in the Fitzroy River from recent rains that looked like placing a dampener on the event, this year’s Rocky Barra Bounty turned out to be a cracker and lived up to the initial forecasts. Event committee member Bill Sawynok said, “This year’s Barra Bounty has broken more records than in any other year of the event. While …

DR Mark Robinson, Member for Cleveland (Oodgeroo), has announced an LNP Government will invest $350,000 to build a new artificial reef structure close to Wellington Point, which will provide a totally new local fishing experience and support sustainability in the area. Mark is already seeking feedback from the community about potential locations and names for the new artificial reef off …

While the fish vary in colour, there’s no mistaking their pointed head – complete with concave forehead – large jaw and, in these parts, a good-sized barramundi can weigh between 10kg and 20kg and reach lengths of around a metre. With a cool million bucks up for grabs in Tourism Northern Territory’s Million Dollar Fish promotion, locals are understandably a …

QUEENSLAND’S annual spanner crab closed season for recreational and commercial fishers commences at midnight on November 20 and runs until midnight, December 20. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district officer Russell Overton said the annual closure protected spanner crabs during breeding season. “The closed season allows the crabs to spawn, replenishing crab stocks to ensure a sustainable fishery for future …

CORAL reef fin fish will be off-limits from Wednesday, November 15 in the second of two annual closures that protect these fish during spawning season. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district manager Robert Russell said the closure would start immediately after midnight at the beginning of November 15 and end immediately before midnight at the end of November 19. “October …

Here’s a short ROV video of the newly installed modules, though they won’t look like this for long! We’ll update fishers regularly as the reef matures. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtisN9liZfQ&feature=youtu.be This great fishing asset is designed to produce fish for many decades, creating a high value fishing location for current and future generations of recreational fishers in the southern Sydney region. Over the …

A COMPANY was recently fined $40,000 at the Hervey Bay Magistrates’ Court for causing damage to a substantial area of marine plants. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district manager Greg Bowness said Fisheries Queensland takes the destruction of marine plants seriously as they play an important role in sustaining fish habitats. “The company excavated about 8407sq m of soil from …