NSW

If you’ve recreationally fished at one of the 50 boat ramps across Queensland that Fisheries Queensland monitor as part of the Boat Ramp Survey Program, you may have come across one of our interviewers asking you to spare a few minutes to answer some questions about your fishing trip. The Boat Ramp Survey Program is a voluntary program giving recreational …

The largest release of seahorses ever undertaken took place last week, with 350 Endangered White’s Seahorses successfully deployed into Seahorse Hotels in the first ever Port Stephens release! This deployment is part of the White’s Seahorse Conservation Recovery Project, which is a collaboration between NSW DPI Fisheries and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. Following this monumental seahorse release, divers from NSW …

Two women have been fined $2000 each with a third woman incurring $500 in professional costs after collecting invertebrates in excess of the bag limits from Hastings Point rocky shore. Following an Information Report received via the Fisherwatch 1800 number, Fisheries Officers apprehended 3 women (and one dependent) collecting invertebrates, including sea urchins and turban snails at the Hastings Point …

Dusky flathead stocks in three popular NSW South Coast estuary systems have received a significant boost following the recent release of more than 50,000 flattie fingerlings! Over recent weeks 27,900 dusky fingerlings have been released into St Georges Basin, 12,900 into Burrill Lake and 11,450 into Lake Conjola – bringing the total number of flatties released by NSW DPI this …

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 …