NSWCFA INTERCLUB MEET 5-7 APRIL 2024

On April 5-7 the NSWCFA Interclub Meet competition will be held in Wallerawang. This year the Sydney Fly Rodders Club is organizing the event. The registration fee is $50 per angler, this is a fund raiser for the important work of the NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers. This is primarily done from the raffle prizes generously donated by sponsors and  affiliates.

The Sydney Fly Rodders Club website has been modified to accommodate non-members and is running a page for registration for those wishing to attend. You can also support us by entering the raffle for some fantastic prizes.

The objectives of the Interclub are to promote freshwater fly and lure fishing and to promote the NSWCFA. Club teams will compete in fly and lure fishing and fly and plug casting events. Small prizes may be provided for place getters in individual events, but the focus will be on competing for team points.

For all details see this brochure or go direct to the website to register and buy raffle tickets.  

Import tariff on fishing reels to be cut
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the government will cut the 5 per cent import tariff for hundreds of items, including fishing reels. The cuts will be included in the May budget and will take effect on July 1.

Chalmers says the tariffs are a nuisance for business, raise little money and ultimately the business compliance costs and the process of applying for exemptions lead to higher prices costs, which are being recovered from consumers in the form of higher prices.

Import tariffs, some more than 20%, were introduced soon after Federation as a means to protect Australian producers from imported goods. They were once an important revenue source for the government. However they have reduced over the years because of negotiated free trade agreements between Australia and other countries and are now less than 1 per cent of government revenue.

OzFish volunteers support Clean Up Australia Day 2024

On Sunday 3 March, OzFish volunteers supported the efforts of Clean Up Australia Day by removing over 3 tonnes of rubbish from 16 waterways across the country, with 208 volunteers getting stuck in and demonstrating their commitment to healthy waterways. 

The fishers picked up hundreds of pieces of litter. Happily, there was a minimal amount of discarded fishing tackle reported. The most common items collected were food consumables, such as plastic packaging, aluminium cans, and glass bottles. 

Cassie Price, OzFish Director of Habitat Programs, says Clean Up Australia Day is an opportunity to address litter head-on. 

“We can continue to make progress in reducing litter in our waterways by making it part of our collective fishing culture actively reducing, storing and picking up litter any time we fish,” said Cassie.

As OzFish continues its mission to improve Australia's fish habitats, the success of Clean Up Australia Day this year serves as a testament to the collective power of community action. 

To find out more about OzFish’s Tackling Litter Program or to join OzFish and get involved with your local Chapter go to ozfish.org.au or email info@ozfish.org.au.
 
Plibersek puts NSW on notice over feral horse numbers
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has flagged that the federal government may intervene to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to feral horses Kosciuszko National Park if the environmental impacts remain too high.
 
The warning to the NSW Government is contained in the Albanese Government’s response to the Senate inquiry into the impacts and management of feral horses in the Australian Alps, which has just been released. 
 
Minister Plibersek says that if the current plan to reduce feral horse numbers to 3,000 by 2027 turns out to be ‘insufficient to avoid further irreversible damage’ then the Australian Government would seek a further reduction and would ‘support a zero-tolerance approach, such as that currently employed by the ACT’. 
 
The most recent government survey of feral horse numbers found there are currently about 17,432 feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park.
Jack Gough, Invasive Species Council Advocacy Director, says “This is an important invention from Minister Plibersek. We have always known that the 3,000 target was just an arbitrary number that reflected a political deal between the Liberal and National parties in NSW.”
 
“Of course, just getting down to 3,000 will take dedicated and consistent effort. We are very pleased that the Minns Government is so focussed and committed to achieving this current target by 2027, as required by law in NSW.
 
“‘No one likes to see animals killed, but the sad reality is that we have a choice to make between urgently reducing the numbers of feral horses or accepting the destruction of sensitive alpine ecosystems and habitats, and the decline and extinction of native animals.

Recreational fishers blind-sided by NSW Fisheries stocking ban
From Steve Samuels, Monaro Acclimatisation Society

In August last year I received advice from NSW Fisheries that a number of our traditional trout stocking sites would no longer be allowed to be stocked due to a decision by the NSW Fisheries Threatened Species Unit. This was a real shock to the Monaro Acclimatisation Spciety, as we had no inkling that any such move was afoot. We were allowed to make the 2023 – 24 stockings but about eight weeks ago the Secretary, Rod Whiteway, and I had a meeting with the NSW Fisheries, Recreational Fishing Unit, where the extent of the stocking bans for 2024-25 were explained to us.

There were two reasons given for the bans and they relate to separate threatened species. I will discuss each in turn.

In March 2023 the Commonwealth declared that a galaxias found across the Monaro had been declared a new threatened species. This new species, Galaxias Terenasus has been co-existing with trout since stocking began in the 1800s, and despite the research indicating that the species is increasing on the Monaro the limited research to establish a limited population was enough for the fish to be declared endangered.

As a result of this we are no longer allowed to stock a significant section of the middle Maclaughlin River, about half of the Cambalong Creek, a significant section of the Snowy River which includes the reach that runs through Dalgety township and most of the Delegate River which also includes the reach that runs through the Delegate township. There is no doubt there will be more of this to come.

The most disappointing thing about all of this is not so much the decision, but the clandestine way the process has unfolded. Throughout the Commonwealth’s listing process the MAS was unaware that it was occurring, and as it turns out neither was the Recreational Fishing Unit of NSW Fisheries. We know that the Threatened Species Unit had some prior knowledge as some of their research was used in the determination and that Unit knew of the listing when they objected to our 2023 stocking plan.

At first glance it appears to the Executive of the MAS that there is a significant level of dysfunction in NSW Fisheries where the Threatened Species Unit is not prepared to share information with the Recreational Fishing Unit and outside organisations such as the MAS. The NSW Fisheries Threatened Species Unit seems unconcerned about how their decisions affect recreational fishing. But in today’s world the public expects its public service to be open and transparent with decisions that affect the public, but it seems to be lacking in this case.
 
But it does not stop there. At the same meeting we were also informed that we would no longer be able to stock rainbow trout in the whole of Adjungbilly Creek near Tumut and the whole of the Murrumbidgee River upstream from the Numeralla River confluence to Tantangara Dam and beyond. The MAS stopped stocking brown trout in these sections in 2004 in line with the regulations to protect Macquarie perch, but the extension to now prohibit rainbows was again a complete surprise.

We have tried to elicit from NSW Fisheries what has changed to bring about this decision but all we have been told is that it is to do with Macquarie Perch. We have no other details, and it seems neither does the NSW Fisheries Recreational Fishing Unit. Again, this has been kept secret with little to no information provided from the NSW Fisheries Threatened Species Unit.

Secrecy and clandestine operations seem to be the latest trend of the NSW Fisheries Threatened Species Unit and obviously this is tolerated by the leadership group.

In an earlier example, the stocking of trout cod in the Goodradigbee River by the Threatened Species Unit was not disclosed and the MAS only found out when a trout cod was discovered by one of our members. If this had not happened the clandestine stocking could have continued for years and anglers jeopardized if they kept one for the table thinking it was a Murray cod.

To be quite honest, this closed-door policy towards the MAS, and the silo mentality within NSW Fisheries has played heavily on my mind. I have spent the last months trying to figure out why the MAS would be treated like this. I believe we have always tried to work with NSW Fisheries, and we have helped the Threatened Species Unit, especially on Macquarie perch, but it seems that the hatred for trout within that unit knows no bounds.

A word of advice here: “be careful what you wish for”. Across NSW when trout fisheries have disappeared the void has been filled by redfin perch. To say I feel betrayed is an understatement, and to say I am worried for the future is a fact.
 
I did not stand for the role of President of the MAS at the AGM in February. I have enjoyed my time as President, and I believe that the MAS has achieved some great wins during my time.
 
Steve Samuels
Immediate Past President
Monaro Acclimatisation Society Inc
 
Passing of Tom Williams
Tom Williams of Blayney passed away in January at the age of 86, after a short illness. Tom was a stalwart of Central Acclimatisation Society, being President for many years.

Tom did many hard yards not just for fishing but for other roles in his community. He dedicated a lot of time and travel to a number of recreational fishing organisations, including the NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers and the Gaden Trout Hatchery Management Committee, very often accompanied by his wife Betty.

Tom used to drive a truck down to Gaden Trout Hatchery to collect fry. He told a story about being horrified on one occasion to discover precious water leaking away, so he put the pedal to the metal to minimise the risk of loss of any fry. Pulled over by the Highway Patrol, he explained the situation and was rewarded with a motorcycle escort under lights and siren all the way back to CAS territory, and no fry were lost. 

Vale Tom, and our sincere condolences to Betty.

The Big Trout to be repainted

The Big Trout at Adaminaby is to be repainted after the Snowy Mountains community scorned its December 2023 50^th anniversary makeover with wrong colours.

The council received $318,000 in a state government grant and employed the company International Conservation Services to complete the job last December. Unfortunately the new colour scheme, as shown above, was nothing like a rainbow trout.
 
The 10-metre-tall Big Trout was constructed by Hungarian artist Andrew Lomnici in 1973, with concept designs by local businessman Leigh Stewart. Mr Lomnici's daughter Helen Miller said she was grateful when the Snowy Monaro Regional Council sought to restore the aging Big Trout last year. But when I looked at it I said 'it's wrong'."

The Big Trout was repainted 12 years ago, but she anticipated the 50-year anniversary refurbishment was going to attempt to return the sculpture to her father's original, more accurate style, shown below.

Snowy Monaro Regional Council Mayor Chris Hanna has announced that the painting will be redone. A council spokesperson said funding remained from the original grant money and that the Council hopes to have the sculpture repainted before winter after some consultation with the community about an appropriate colour scheme.

Yabby Trap Round-Up: swap your old opera house yabby traps for an Oar-Gee Plow lure  

TierraMar and OzFish want to collect all your old, illegal and unwanted opera house yabby traps and recycle them into useful products for fishers, with the proceeds being used to support habitat restoration. And as a thank you, we’ll give you a new Oar-Gee Plow lure.Participating is easy! To trade in your old trap for a lure, getting the netting out of the system for good in the process, simply break down your old trap, and send us the net using the free ‘Reply Paid’ postage service.  

The Yabby Trap Round-Up calls for people across NSW to hand in their opera house yabby traps, which will then be converted into new fishing products. Due to their risk to wildlife, the older opera house-style yabby traps have been illegal in many states across Australia since 2021. Instead, the newer open top nets provide a great fishing experience whilst being a better alternative for supporting a healthy ecosystem.
 
Since mid-2023, NSW rec fishers have been taking a proactive step towards protecting the future of fishing by dropping their yabby traps at pop up collection events across the Mid-North Coast, Gunnedah and Dubbo. Even more Trap Drop Spots have been added around the state, with upcoming events in Wagga Wagga and Orange.
 
OzFish have established a free “Reply Paid” service through Australia Post to support those who can’t get to an event. In return, no matter which way you take part, you’ll get a brand-new Oar-Gee Plow lure as a thanks.
 
How to get involved:
 
Post your nets
Step 1: Safely remove the fabric net
Using scissors, carefully separate the fabric net from the metal frame of your yabby trap.
 
Step 2: Package the net
Place the fabric netting into an appropriately sized envelope or package. Remember, we only need the net, so please recycle the metal frame locally.
 
Step 3: Include your details
Inside the package, include a note with your name, address, email and phone number so we can send your free Oar-Gee lure to the correct location.
 
Step 4: Label and post
Label the package with the following address and take it to Australia Post to use the free ‘Reply Paid’ postage service:
OzFish Unlimited
TackleLoop
Reply Paid 91075
Ballina NSW 2478
 
The Yabby Trap Round-Up program is an initiative of TierraMar in collaboration with OzFish Unlimited and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. It is also supported by BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.

Recreational fishing body for NSW
A working group has been formed to assist with preparation of draft foundation documents for the establishment of a NSW peak body for recreational fishers.

After a call for expressions of interest (EOIs) to participate in the working group, 17 members indicating their availability. The final selection was limited to seven members: Ms Audi Croft, Mr Colin Tannahill, Mr Craig Copeland, Ms Jo Starling, Mr Karl Mathers, Mr Stan Konstantaras and Mr Tom Slater.

James Findlay, Independent Facilitator of the working group, says that participation in the working group in no way pre-empts the eventual membership of the peak body or any associated positions. The working group has solely been selected to ensure a range of experience across governance and recreational fishing and is focused on developing draft documents for broader consultation.

The working group has held its first meeting and will continue during the coming weeks both online and in-person.

The working group will work with DPI to prepare draft foundation documents for the broader group to consider, prior to public consultation. This includes:
1. Review governance models of recreational fishing bodies across Australian jurisdictions
2. Development of a draft constitution for a NSW peak body
3. Development of a broad operational plan.