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Welcome to the free email newsletter of the

Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW

January 2018

Excessive cockle fishing at Lake Illawarra sparks calls for harsher penalties 

There are reports in mainstream media, on Facebook and other social media about groups of people collecting hundreds or cockles in Lake Illawarra.

Shellharbour MP Anna Watson and local residents are demanding action be taken to stop the pillage and make penalties harsher for those who exceed bag limits.

The Department of Primary Industries states a person must have a fishing licence and can only collect 50 cockles and 20 whelks each day. The fisher has to collect the creatures themselves. Penalties can range from a formal warning, a $500 on the spot fine, $200 for not having a fishing licence or a notice to attend court.

“Penalties should be in the thousands of dollars to act as a deterrent for the greedy people who take too many cockles,” Ms Wright said.

“Lake Illawarra needs more fisheries officers otherwise we will get to a point where there are no cockles left,” the Labor MP said.

Shellfish are regularly being offered for sale on Facebook and other social media and classified advertisement websites, as shown in the picture above.

The Illawarra Mercury has reported that "The Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair’s office has confirmed it is aware of reports of illegal cockle fishing at Lake Illawarra but has refused to say it will consider a total ban."

Fish kills in Murray-Darling finally gets public attention

In recent weeks fish kills have occurred in the Namoi River below Keepit Dam, the Lachlan River at Wyangala Dam and also a major kill in the the Darling River at Menindee in a separate event in December. Public concern is growing, with the reports now getting plenty of attention in mainstream media.
 
DPI Senior Fisheries Manager, Anthony Townsend, said at the start of January “The ongoing drought conditions across western NSW have resulted in fish kills in a number of waterways recently and today our fisheries officers have confirmed a major fish kill event in the Darling River at Menindee affecting hundreds of thousands of fish, including Golden Perch, Murray Cod and Bony Herring,” Mr Townsend said.
 
“After a very hot period, a sharp cool change hit the Menindee region over the weekend, with large temperature drops experienced. 
 
“This sudden drop in temperature may have disrupted an existing algal bloom at Menindee, killing the algae and resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen.”
 
The incident follows an earlier fish kill in December, after intense rainfall events following hot weather, which disrupted algal blooms resulting in low dissolved oxygen levels conditions that exacerbated water quality for already stressed fish.
 
During the December event investigations by District Fisheries Officers from DPI revealed over 10,000 fish mortalities along a 40 km stretch of the Darling River, including numerous Murray Cod, Golden Perch, Silver Perch and native Bony Herring.  
 
“The current low flows and warming temperatures are likely to pose an ongoing threat to native fish throughout the summer," he said.

Adrian Langdon, WaterNSW executive manager of systems operations said regional NSW is experiencing intense drought conditions, with the state’s Central West, Far West and North West regions the worst affected.
 
“It is almost certain these impacts will persist and possibly increase further as summer proceeds if we don’t receive significant rainfall to generate replenishment flows.”

However many other people don't think it's as simple as that. Inland Rivers Network president Bev Smiles said the problems at Menindee started well before the drought, and pointed the finger at the water-thirsty cotton industry. 

"The cotton industry is capturing all the water and everyone downstream is left with no water," she said.

But Cotton Australia won't wear the blame. It rebutted criticism by blaming the disaster on poor water management of the Barwon-Darling Basin. 

Michael Murray, Cotton Australia General Manager, said “The recent fish deaths in the Barwon-Darling river system at Menindee was a devastating sight. However, it is wrong to blame cotton growers for this incident.

“About 18 months ago, 2,000 gigalitres of water was in the Menindee Lakes before the Murray-Darling Basin Authority took the deliberate decision to accelerate releases from Menindee to meet downstream requirements and reduce overall evaporation losses from the Lakes.

“In hindsight, this was probably a poor decision, but it does highlight the incredibly difficult task of managing flows in a manner that minimise losses, but ensures enough water is available for communities and the environment during extended severe droughts.

“Since July 1st 2017, irrigators have extracted just 16 gigalitres out of the Barwon-Darling - an amount that would have evaporated out of Menindee in just 16 days.

“Coupled with the extensive drought and the simple fact there has been little-to-no rain, the release of water from the lakes has exacerbated the conditions leading to these fish deaths.

“What this issue highlights is how difficult the management of the Menindee Lakes is. We welcome the investigation into the fish deaths by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and WaterNSW.”

Disposal of rotting fish is now a problem. Contractors called in by the local council and DPI to dispose of the dead fish have a window of only about five days before the carcasses trigger a second wave of deaths after which dead fish sink to the bottom and can't be disposed of. DPI is engaging a contractor to remove the fish from the water, and the council will take the fish from the riverbank to landfill.

The consequences of not removing the fish could be severe, the fish breaking down would add nutrients to the water and combined with the same low oxygen concentration that killed the fish in the first place, could bring a second wave of fish kills and another algal bloom.

This recent crisis is a culmination of many factors: drought and heatwaves, high nutrient levels from farm run-off, regulation of flows, and introduced fish like carp. The river had been under a "red alert" for algal blooms for weeks. Then rains that were welcomed a few weeks triggered a chain of tragic events. Modest fresh water flows mixed the hypoxic waters in the river, leaving many fish without enough oxygen. Last week the blue-green algae that had set in on many pools was hit by a cool snap - dying algae released toxins, as well as further depleting dissolved oxygen levels in the water, choking those fish that could find no refuge.

The Murray-Darling Basin is also on a long-term drying trend made worse by rising temperatures. Last year was one of the basin's driest in the past 109 years, while it was the region's hottest by maximum temperatures, according to BOM data.

Many in the local community doubt the Murray-Darling plan. The NSW government plans to spend $150 million on a reconfiguring of the Menindee Lakes to reduce evaporation and avoid the need to find environmental water savings of 105 gl a year required in the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Local farmer Rob McBride - whose 230,000 hectare Tolarno station is the largest "husband and wife" farm in NSW - says it's also wrong to assume evaporation from the shallow lakes means the water is "lost to the environment".

"When Menindee Lakes are full, we'd get one or two more inches of rain," he says.

"It creates its own storm," he adds. "We're affecting our weather patterns."

NSW Labor says it will scrap the project even though it has Federal Labor support and from the Labor states of Victoria and Queensland. 

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud will convene a meeting of State and Federal environmental and water stakeholders working under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Mr Littleproud proposed using $5 million for a native fish recovery strategy and will seek agreement for the money to come from Murray-Darling Basin funds.

As temperatures soar to 45 degrees Celsius in far west NSW, the State Government is warning people to brace for more mass fish deaths and "a lot of poor water quality situations".



Meanwhile the Minster says he has had death threats. In this clip from the ABC the police and the Minister are at odds about why protesters were ignored during a day of mass fish death drama on the banks of the Darling River.

Monaro fishers push for access to Lake Wallace

Lake Wallace is a 350 megalitre hectare dam built in 2015-16 on Pig Ring Creek, a tributary of the Maclaughlin River, 6 kms south of Nimmitabel, NSW. The dam was built to ensure a reliable water supply for the town of Nimmitabel.

The construction of the water supply dam created a unique recreational fishing opportunity. Nearby rivers and creeks are some of the most productive and most famous trout fisheries in NSW. Trout were first stocked in the area in the 1890s.

Local anglers and the business communities of nearby towns are campaigning for appropriately-managed recreational fishing access to Lake Wallace for local and visiting recreational fishers, with safeguards to protect the integrity of the dam and quality of the water supply.

For more information, follow their Facebook page at this link.


Shooters Fishers and Farmers claim foul play
The Shooters Fishers and Farmers Party say that over the holiday break, somebody reported the party as 'terrorists' to PayPal, which led to their website being unable to process transactions, including donations to their fundraising target.

It took them a week on the phone to PayPal customer support to get the problem fixed. 


Fuel Card Grants 
There are approximately 170 groups in NSW that participate in fish stocking and habitat rehabilitation projects annually, where participants often travel long distances over numerous sites to undertake such projects. Recreational Fishing Trust funding is available for angling clubs, individuals, community groups and organisations interested in improving recreational opportunities. 

Fuel card grants are being offered to groups undertaking DPI-approved fish stocking and habitat rehabilitation activities. These guidelines are designed to ensure an equitable distribution of fuel cards across all groups involved in projects that enhance recreational fisheries in NSW. Groups will be asked to provide details of distances and numbers of fish stocking and habitat rehabilitation sites involved to ensure that cards are allocated evenly between groups, sub groups and members. 

Who can apply for fuel card grants? 
Non-government and not-for-profit groups involved in DPI-approved fish stocking and habitat rehabilitation activities in their local area. A maximum of one application per group is permitted. A group includes a fishing stocking club, a fish acclimatisation society branch, or a fish habitat rehabilitation club. This grant is not available to Fishcare volunteers eligible for fuel card subsidies under a separate program. 

How much can clubs apply for? 
A decision on the value of the fuel cards allocated to groups will be determined based on information provided within the application. Fuel cards may need to be rotated between groups annually, to ensure an even spread amongst those involved. 

What can the grants be spent on? 
Funding is distributed in the form of a fuel card which can be spent on fuel purchases for fish stocking or habitat rehabilitation projects, approved by DPI. 

When are fuel cards issued? 
Fuel cards will be issued following assessment of applications by an evaluation panel. If approved, cards will then be distributed post completion of fish stocking events and habitat grants. 

How are applications assessed? 
Applications will be reviewed by an assessment panel against a number of criteria including: 
• distance travelled to fish stocking / fish rehabilitation sites 
• numbers of fish stocking/habitat rehabilitation sites 
• number of people involved in the fish stocking/habitat rehabilitation project 
• evidence of car-pooling and implementation of risk management practices
 
Who can assist you? 
If you have any enquiries phone (02) 6051 7712 or email fish.stocking@dpi.nsw.gov.au or phone (02) 6626 1396 or email fish.habitat@dpi.nsw.gov.au.


2019 Lake Burrendong Easter Fishing Classic

The not for profit Lake Burrendong Easter Fishing Classic attracts thousands of anglers annually, who turn up in droves for a chance to share in a community driven prize pool of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. This event, run by volunteers, has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars which has been put towards improving recreational fishing opportunities in central western NSW. 100% of proceeds go into making our inland waterways  healthier, better places to fish!  More info at www.iwra.com.au.


Survey kick-starts DPI’s Oyster Reef Restoration Project

NSW oyster farmers are invited to share their industry knowledge and provide input on oyster reef restoration in an online survey.
 
NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Acting Senior Fisheries Manager, Charlotte Jenkins, said the survey marks the first stage of consultation on the DPI’s Oyster Reef Restoration project.
 
“We’re reaching out to oyster farmers because they have an extensive knowledge of the estuaries they farm in, and may provide a great insight into the practicality of oyster reef restoration,” Ms Jenkins said.
 
“The results from this survey will allow DPI to fill knowledge gaps and work more closely with the oyster industry to address any industry-specific issues. 
 
“The NSW DPI Oyster Reef Restoration project is a key management action under the NSW Marine Estate Management Strategy, as it’s widely recognised that the loss of natural oyster reefs is one of the key drivers of the long-term degradation of coastal waterways.
 
“Oyster reefs provide a wide range of ecosystem services (free benefits) to coastal communities including, the provision of food and protection for a range of fish and other marine creatures, shoreline protection, and water filtration.”
 
Oyster reefs previously covered vast areas of the intertidal and upper subtidal regions of many estuaries in NSW, however it is estimated that 99% of oyster reefs in Australia are now extinct.
 
Ms Jenkins said in NSW, small natural oyster populations still exist in most bays and estuaries but at very low densities compared to the pre-European period.
 
“Unfortunately, oyster reef loss in NSW has occurred due to a combination of factors including historical overfishing, destructive historical harvest practices, water pollution and disease,” she said.
 
“Oyster reef restoration is one of the suggested mechanisms for restoring estuarine health including improving water quality and boosting fish stocks. Similar restoration projects are underway in Victoria, South Australia and internationally.
 
“Oyster industry consultation will be an ongoing project activity to ensure all social, economic and environmental factors are considered as the project progresses in NSW.” 
 
The online survey is available here until 5 pm on 28th February. 


Tagged snapper stayed close to home

On the morning of the 6th of August 2017 Peter Stam caught, tagged and released this magnificent snapper in 50 m of water as part of the Dave Irvine Memorial Snapper Classic in Coffs Harbour 

Fast forward to the 29th of December 2018 where Andrew Garner’s wife, Shannon recaptured this fish in almost the same release location in 48 m of water.


The fish had grown 5 cm (71 cm to 76 cm) in its 17 months at large but seemed quite content grazing in the same area of its original release.

Congratulations to both anglers.

Have you seen a sawfish?

A green sawfish (Pristis zijsron) caught in a gill net. The animal will be tagged, measured and released. This species of sawfish can grow to 5.7 m in total length, including the saw. The saw measures up to 25% of the total length.

From Sydney to Cairns to Darwin to Perth, Sharks and Rays Australia (SARA) wants to hear about your 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, how many remain, and how we can help them recover,” says Dr Barbara Wueringer, a zoologist and the director of SARA.

Forty years ago, sawfish were regularly seen off Sydney and the east coast, and Perth and up the west coast. Today they’re rarely seen outside of the Gulf of Carpentaria, NT and the Kimberley.

Please report your sightings at https://saw.fish

Sawfish can grow to six metres with saws as long as two metres. The saw can detect the electrical impulses of fish. Then with one slash it can cut smaller fish in half. It’s so streamlined that many prey fish may not detect it. But the saw gets caught in nets, and in the past it was a prized fishing trophy.

“Today it’s rare to see large sawfish,” says Barbara. “Most reports are three metres or smaller. But we could be wrong. There may still be some big ones out there.”

“These are beautiful creatures,” says Jessica Hudgins, a marine biologist researching sawfish at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. “They’re so unique and special. They’re a big part of Australian history and culture. It would be tragic if we lost them forever.”

“For four out of five species, the waters of Northern Australia may contain their last populations. As sawfish are slowly retreating to remote parts of the continent it’s critical that we find out what’s out there, and how we can help them,” says Barbara.

Barbara is leading an investigation in Queensland to identify where sawfish still occur and in what numbers.

“We’re working with local Indigenous Ranger groups, fishers, and landowners, and with scientists from around the world.

“But to make a real difference we’re now calling for wider public participation. Through this citizen science initiative you can make the difference to sawfish survival.”

SARA is based in Cairns. Their research is supported by the Save Our Seas Foundation (based in Geneva) and the US-based Shark Conservation Fund. All sightings generated by the project will be shared with Team Sawfish at Murdoch University, WA and sawfish researchers from Charles Darwin University, NT.

U SAFE remote control life-saving buoy
Here's an interesting life saving device...halfway between a PFD and a boat, remotely controlled so it can be sent out to someone in trouble. Probably not cheap...but cheaper than a human life, especially as they say in their promo, it "saves lives without endangering the lives of those who save."

Public servant charged for illegal importation of exotic fish

An Australian Government biosecurity officer had faced court over his alleged role in the illegal importation and sale of exotic fish in Australia.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege that the 31-year-old Senior Biosecurity Officer at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) abused his position to facilitate the illegal importation of the rare fish, selling them with an online alias to evade detection.

AFP officers conducted a search of the man’s Sydney home on 12 November 2018, finding a number of exotic fish (pic above) and more than $10,000 in suspected proceeds of crime.

The police activity into this matter follows 2017 enquiries by DAWR, Australian Border Force (ABF) and Department of Environment and Energy (DoEE). These investigations began as DAWR officials at Sydney International Airport stopped five illegal imports between August 2017 and February 2018.

The five cases involved Malaysian and Vietnamese nationals using similar methods to import the fish and contravene Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).

During their investigations, DAWR officials discovered evidence allegedly linking one of the Malaysian nationals to the 31-year-old DAWR employee.

An anonymous report to the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) Border Watch program in February 2018 also brought attention to suspected illegal sales of exotic fish through Facebook.

AFP Organised Crime Fraud and Anti-Corruption Detective Acting Superintendent Simone O’Mahony highlighted the importance of stamping out this kind of abuse of public office.

“Australian taxpayers put their trust in public officials to perform vital roles for our community,” Detective Acting Superintendent O’Mahony said.

“The alleged conduct of this man is an abuse of public office, and the AFP owes it to the community to investigate and prosecute these matters to the full extent of the law.”

Head of compliance at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Peta Lane, said the department had zero-tolerance for corruption and pursues every case with the full force of the law.

“The alleged illegal importation of exotic fish threatens the integrity of Australia’s biosecurity, so it’s a very serious offence,” Ms Lane said.

“The department’s risk management and security systems are constantly being strengthened to ensure that any fraud or corruption is quickly detected.

“These alleged activities were first identified by internal investigations and immediately referred to the AFP.”

The 31-year-old man faced the Downing Centre Local Court in December on the following charges:

  • possess illegally imported specimens, contrary to section 303GN(2) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conversation Act 1999;
  • illegally import goods, contrary to section 186(5) of the Biosecurity Act 2015; and
  • abuse public office, contrary to section 142.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).

Fish safe off the rocks: get a grip!

The right footwear is paramount when rock fishing. In order to avoid painful falls and reduce the risk of being swept off your feet and info the water, you need to maintain stability and grip. 

Depending on the area you are fishing, non-slip options such as cleats and rock spikes are part of any rock fisher’s basic kit. You shouldn’t even think about going rock fishing if you haven’t got the appropriate footwear. And make sure you wear clothing you can easily swim in in case you get washed in. Heavy pants and coats can really weigh you down. Choose clothing that offers protection from the elements but which allows freedom of movement and is easy to swim in. 

Always wear an appropriate lifejacket.

The Recreational Fishing Alliance has done a lot of work on rock fishing safety over the years. Check a range of safety tips in our “Don’t Put Your Life On The Line” campaign at www.safefishing.com.au.

Respect your catch
Douk's Dish - Baked Trout

Ingredients

1 fillet of trout per person
Raisins
Lemons slices
Garlic
Olive oil

Cooking
Place each piece of fish on a piece of foil.
Wipe with a dash of olive oil.
Place the fish on the foil with a handful of raisins, slices of garlic and place lemon slices the length of the fillet covering the raisins and garlic.
Make a parcel with the foil.
Bake in the oven at 180 for 20 mins.

Serve with baked potato.

Bon Appetite.
Douk



Reminders

Pensioners and fishing licences 
​If you're the holder of a current Pensioner Concession Card issued by Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs you don’t need to pay the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee.

If you've been issued with one of these Concession Cards there is no need to pay any fees or fill in any forms - just take that card with you when you go fishing.

Want to know where your licence money goes?
The latest available summary of new projects recommended for funding from the Recreational Fishing Trusts  is online at this link.

Lost access to your local spot?
The RFA wants to know if your local spot has been closed to fishing so drop us a line and let us know what access you have lost recently. Email us. 

Compulsory lifejackets for rockfishers In Randwick area
With the NSW Police and others out enforcing the lifejacket laws the RFA wants to hear if you have been checked and what was experience like and was the information passed on relevant. Any constructive ideas of how they could do things better or if they are doing a great job will be passed on by the RFA’s Safety Officer. Let us know what you thought of the process of checking rockfishers for lifejackets in the Randwick LGA.

Crown road closure applications now ONLY online and in local papers
In August 2012 the NSW government started to clear a backlog of applications to convert Crown roads to freehold. This includes many 'paper roads' that could provide important fishing access to the public. Initially NSW DPI was monitoring the flow of applications and notifying angling groups including the RFA of any applications that could lead to loss of fishing access. However the number of applications has now increased dramatically and NSW DPI has stopped notifying angling groups due to lack of resources to cope with the avalanche. 

The NSW government launched an online service showing the applications at
http://www.crownland.nsw.gov.au/crown_lands/roads

The roads notices are searchable by date, locality and local government area. The information will remain online for the full 28 day submission period for each proposed road closure. The maps contain information to clearly identify which roads are being offered for sale and closure, without revealing the identity of landholders or applicants.

Anglers must monitor the website and their local newspapers (the only place the government is obliged to advertise proposed closures) so they find out about closures in their area. If you don’t watch this situation and quickly lodge objections when necessary you could lose valuable access to your favourite places.

Promote your fishing club or community fishing event
If you have a local fishing competition or a charity or community fishing event, we are always happy to give it some publicity in this newsletter.

The newsletter goes out around the 25th day of every month of the year, to over 4,000 subscribers. You don’t have to be a member of the RFA of NSW. About 100-200 words is OK, however roughly written, and we always like a picture.

Sign up for free weather alerts for coastal and inland waters
You can sign up for alerts for NSW coast and inland waters direct from Maritime and can set your own alert trigger conditions and choose which locations you want covered. Alerts are sent daily when wind conditions exceed the trigger points you specify. Easy, useful and free.



Who represents anglers?
We regularly get comments from anglers that they don't know who is on the advisory committees to the NSW government and that they don't know what issues are considered and decided by those committees. The information is on the web, but not always easy to find, so here are the links:

Recreational Fishing NSW Advisory Council 
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/recreational-fishing-fee/licence-fees-at-work/rfnsw

Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing minutes
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/recreational-fishing-fee/licence-fees-at-work/rfnsw

Recreational Fishing Freshwater Trust Expenditure Committee members and minutes
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/recreational-fishing-fee/licence-fees-at-work/rfftec

Recreational Fishing Saltwater Trust Expenditure Committee members and minutes
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/recreational-fishing-fee/licence-fees-at-work/rfstec

Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW Facebook page
www.facebook.com/RFANSW

NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NSWCFA

RFA videos now on YouTube channel

 

The RFA of NSW now has a YouTube channel where all our safe fishing videos can be viewed. Go to www.youtube.com/safefishing to see the channel.

About the Recreational Fishing Alliance

The RFA is the peak recreational fishing body in NSW. It is a not-for-profit, volunteer organisation supported by recreational fishing clubs, associations and individual anglers.
The RFA's aims are:
 • To represent the interests of the recreational anglers of NSW and to gain equitable representation in the management of the State’s recreational fisheries.
 • To promote sustainable fishing practices throughout NSW.
 • To encourage the participation of children in recreational fishing.
 • To pursue and secure the rights of recreational anglers to fishing access in NSW waters.
 • To encourage recreational anglers to become involved in the well-being of the fishery.
 • To promote consultation and communication between government bodies and anglers.
 • To promote fishing safety.

 

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NSW RecFisher is for all anglers in NSW. Subscription is free (click here). Please forward it to your angling mates and whoever produces your fishing club newsletter, they can use any news items they wish from this newsletter or from our Facebook page.

Fishing clubs
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Members of the RFA of NSW

Australian National Sportfishing Association (NSW Branch), Australian Underwater Federation, Canberra Fishing Club, Central Coast Association of Angling Clubs, Club Narooma Bowlo Fishing Club, New South Wales Council of Freshwater Anglers, New South Wales Fishing Clubs Association, New South Wales Underwater Skindivers and Fishermen’s Association, Professional Fishing Instructors and Guides Association and South West Anglers Association.

Fishing clubs can join the RFA of NSW for just $55 per year. Membership for individual anglers costs just $22 per year.
If you would like to join please download the membership form.
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'Don't put your life on the line' is a registered trademark of the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW Inc