NSW

A diver has been caught illegally fishing for eastern rock lobsters in Long Reef Aquatic Reserve. On a recent patrol Fisheries Officers were conducting covert surveillance at Long Reef on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, when they intercepted a diver who was found with three eastern rock lobster taken illegally from the reserve. Two of the lobsters were prohibited in …

The Darling River was once again making headlines as the muddy waters were hardly visible through a blanket of dead fish. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s mantra of ‘just add water’ has had a schooling once again by Mother Nature as the kills came on the back of some of the highest inflows and floods on record. Closer to home, residents …

A significant risk to Australia’s biosecurity was prevented by biosecurity officers securing approximately 38 tonnes of risk material, including boxes of turtle meat, frog meat, plant products, avian meat, pig meat, beef meat and raw prawns. Recently, a Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry biosecurity officer noted suspicious boxes of goods at a routine inspection in NSW. The observations led …

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has extended a biosecurity control order until 14 June 2023 to minimise White Spot risks in the Clarence River estuary. NSW Chief Veterinary Officer, Sarah Britton, said the extended control order supports risk management activities, which underpin the continuation of trade in NSW and other parts of Australia. “Input from industry and key stakeholders is informing …

The unlikely heroes who came to the rescue during the devastating flooding in the Northern Rivers region in NSW last year have been honoured in the short film Tinnie Heroes. The tale of the local tinnie boaties who put themselves at risk by saving those trapped by floodwaters was produced by Susanna Freymark and Jimmy Malecki. It was an amazing …

Finfish – including bony and cartilaginous fish – are the most diverse group of vertebrates in the world, with over 32,000 species described worldwide and nearly 5000 in Australian waterways. Many NSW marine finfish species hold commercial and recreational value, while many non-natives species pose a threat to our marine ecosystems and should be reported if found.   Three species …

More than 400 “advanced size” juvenile mulloway have now been stocked into Sydney’s Georges River. The dedicated team at DPI’s Port Stephens Fisheries Institute marine hatchery continue to develop and refine mulloway breeding technology and have successfully released a new cohort of tagged juvenile mulloway into the river. These mulloway average just over a kilo in weight and range from …

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 …

The fishing along the Clarence Coast of northern NSW has been fairly good in recent weeks, with whiting, flathead and school jewfish biting well inside the river. While offshore, the annual run of spotted mackerel is now in full swing. Offshore, excellent catches of spotties to 8kg and the occasional larger spanish mackerel are being boated from Black Rocks in …