Shades Fishing News

JORDANNA SCHRIEVER

FIRST it was the frog, then the bilby and now the Murray Cod will be given the sweet treatment to help raise funds for the environment.

Haigh’s Chocolates has partnered with SA Water and the not-for-profit Waterfind Environment Fund to make a chocolate Murray Cod which goes on sale tomorrow.

Part proceeds from the 20cm-long solid milk chocolate fish will help the Waterfind Environment Fund improve the health of Australian river systems and support the survival of native fish species.

Fund spokeswoman Suzanne Keith said the Murray Cod was a symbol of many native fish which are declining because of poor flows in the River Murray.

“The Haigh’s chocolate Murray Cod project shows as a community we can partner in creative ways to help reverse the effects of drought on native species,” she said.

Haigh’s chief executive officer Alister Haigh said the company was delighted to be involved.

“Most of us now understand the situation the Murray River is facing,” he said. “The chocolate Murray Cod has been created to highlight the plight of native fish species in Australia as a result of ongoing drought conditions.”

Source : Adelaide Now

Thanks TB for a great post on the Murray Monsters forums :

If you need, print out the following and hand it to someone you think may need it next time you are out for a fish.

CATCH & RELEASE info

The Murray Cod has recently been listed as a threatened species. It is important to know how to maximize a fish’s chance of survival after being hooked. Both small and large Murray Cod can be successfully released. The following is a few tips, pointers and ideas on how to increase its chance of survival upon capture.

• Do not over play a fish. Where possible retrieve the fish as quick as possible.
• Use an appropriate line class for the species you are targeting
• If you’re bait fishing and the fish has swallowed the hook deeply, don’t try to remove it. Cut the line, the hook will dissolve or be passed in time.
• Where possible crush the barbs on all hooks. This will aid for quicker hook removal and also comes in handy if you happen to hook yourself.
• Where possible, don’t remove the fish from the water. If possible remove the hook / lure while the fish is still in the water.
• If you intend to remove your fish from the water don’t use dry hands or a course landing net as both these methods will remove the protective slime coating on the fish’s body. Where possible use wet hands or a wet pair of cotton gloves. If you use a net, use a knotless fine meshed type like an ENVIRONET.
• If you don’t have a suitable landing net and need to remove the fish from the water, don’t directly lift the fish by its tail, gills, mouth or using tools such as gaffs, pliers ect.
• Do not place your fish on a hot dry surface.
• If you need to transport a fish, it is a must that you have either a live fish holding tank or an aerated holding vessel (minimum 60ltrs). At very least you should have a wet towel or wet hessian bag. Continually pour fresh water over the fish when it is being transported.
• If you intend to take a photo, have everything ready to go before you remove the fish from the water.
• It’s far more efficient to measure you fish than weigh it. Awkward fish measuring devices can greatly decrease the fish’s chance of survival. An approximate and accurate weight / length comparison chart can be obtained from NSW Fisheries or Fisheries Victoria.
• When you’re ready to release your fish, don’t just throw it back in the water. Gently place the fish in the water in an upright position moving it forward to create water flow over the gills. Continue to do this until the fish shows a strong sign of recovery and swims off under its own power.

These are just a few ideas to help you practice effective Catch & Release fishing. These few techniques will greatly enhance a fish’s chances of a full recovery and overall survival.

Cheers TB

THE Murray cod is on the verge of a remarkable comeback — just five years after it was declared a vulnerable species.

Over-fishing, the destruction of habitat and competition from introduced species — such as the European carp — pulled down the numbers of the iconic native fish to about 10% of original levels.

Yesterday, 800 anglers took to Australia’s longest and most famous river near the rural town of Mathoura in search of our largest freshwater fish species. What they found confirmed what people have been saying: the cod are back.

“There’s definitely more cod now than a few years ago. In fact, you’re probably more likely to pull out a Murray cod than anything else these days,” said Ben Starkey, who is on the committee of the Mathoura True Blue Fishing Classic, held 250 kilometres north of Melbourne.

While 30-year-old angler Owen Osborne took an early lead in the competition, local fisherman Dennis O’Riley explained how much progress had been made to ensure the Murray cod’s survival.

At 62, Mr O’Riley recalls when giant cod were common in the Murray and its tributaries. In his shed in Mathoura he has a picture from the 1960s showing a fishing line holding more than 20 huge cod, many of them larger than the children crouching underneath.

“You won’t see fishing like that again,” he predicts, but concedes that after too many lean years things are looking up for the cod.

“Ten years ago, they were very scarce,” says Mr O’Riley. “Now if you go out you will get a fish.”

Bill Classon, editor of Freshwater Fishing Australia magazine, confirms that the cod is back. “In the ’80s, the most likely fish you would catch in the Murray was the European carp. Now the fish you’ll most likely catch is probably a Murray cod, which is pretty amazing,” he says.

Others are more cautious. Peter Appleford, executive director of Fisheries Victoria, says: “We have no hard data on the changes in native fish populations.” But he says “all the indications are that the native fish populations are doing very well”.

John Koehn of the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research said there was no monitoring program of Murray cod in Victoria.

“Anglers, however, have consistently reported a resurgence of catches of Murray cod in the Murray River and its tributaries … with many reporting the best Murray cod fishing in decades,” he said.

The optimism follows years of conservation measures by state and federal government agencies and angling organisations.

The Murray Darling Basin Commission’s native fish strategy, launched in 2003, aims to restore native fish stocks to 60% of their pre-European settlement levels within 50 years. The commission has been putting thousands of snags in the river, replacing cod habitats that had been cleared to make way for boats.

They have also been building “fishways” to allow fish to migrate through weirs and locks.

Meanwhile, angling clubs along the river have been stocking it with hundreds of thousands of juvenile fish each year. Victoria’s Department of Primary Industries has also been stocking waterways with an average of 770,000 native fish a year.

The stocking has come on top of measures to reduce the strain on existing populations, such as the phasing out of commercial freshwater fishing, increasing minimum sizes and reducing bag limits. Governments have also been tackling introduced species such as the carp with devices such as traps at weirs.

The Co-operative Research Centre on Invasive Animals is developing technology using genetic modification to sabotage the ability of introduced species to reproduce.

But the battle to save the cod is not yet over.

“There’s no way I’d say they’re out of the woods,” says state MP Craig Ingram, president of Native Fish Australia. Ironically, he says, if carp — now a major food source — are removed, the cod will run short of food.
All about cod

■The Murray cod is Australia’s largest native freshwater fish.

■It can grow to 1.8 metres and 113.5 kilograms, but mostly to 55 to 65 centimetres, weighing two to five kilograms.

■It is found throughout the Murray-Darling system and has been introduced in some waters.

■ Females lay up to 40,000 eggs in logs or shallow water. Eggs hatch six to 13 days later.

■It likes to eat molluscs and crustaceans, many fish species and occasionally water birds such as ducks.

■Radio transmitters have tracked cod travelling up to 90 kilometres before returning to close to the original location.

Source: The Age

FOUR poachers have been ordered to pay thousands of dollars compensation for the loss of native fish.

The order, delivered in the Sunshine Magistrates Court yesterday, is a first for Victoria.

A husband and wife and two other men were charged with offences over the threatened Murray cod, Australia’s largest freshwater fish, and golden perch after a 2007 surveillance operation by fisheries officers.

Investigators found the four had laid 30 set-lines baited with live perch to catch cod and two long-lines with 41 hooks baited with yabbies to catch perch.

Prosecutor Ian Parks told the court Murray cod had significant economic, cultural, recreational and environmental value.

Thanh Quach, 55, Van Le, 50, and husband and wife Nhuan Nguyen, 46, and Khoe Dang, 40, were stopped at the lake near Benalla on May 18 last year.

They had seven cod and 57 perch. Five cod were over 75 centimetres long (the limit is one fish over that length) while the perch catch limit was exceeded by 17 and one was under the minimum length.

Mr Parks estimated the conservative replacement value of the cod at $11,340.

Each defendant pleaded guilty to charges that included unauthorised use of commercial fishing equipment.

In ordering each to pay $3738 compensation and the forfeiture of two boats, Magistrate Noreen Toohey said the “community is serious about this sort of offending”.

Quach, of St Albans, who has a prior conviction, was fined $1500 while Le, of Footscray, and Nguyen and Dang, of Braybrook, were fined $500. They were also convicted and ordered to pay a total of $3256 costs.

Source: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au

The NSW Government’s fish stocking program has reached new heights with a record 776,500 Murray cod released into freshwater dams across western NSW this year, the Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald announced today.

“This is great news for inland anglers who can look forward to catching the highly prized Murray cod when they reach legal length in about two to three years,” he said.

“The Murray cod have all been bred at NSW Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Fisheries Centre at Narrandera and were released into selected waterways during the past months.

“This year’s stocking beats the previous record set in 2005/06 by 107,500 fish and is a credit to the hard working staff at the Fisheries Centre’s hatchery.”

Murray cod are widespread throughout the Murray-Darling Basin - ranging through Queensland, NSW, into Victoria and South Australia.

The Iemma Government, through DPI, has provided more than $1 million for native and salmonid stocking programs this year, and the Recreational Fishing Trusts has contributed more than $500,000 to this year’s program.

NSW DPI Senior Fisheries Manager Cameron Westaway said the Trust matches funds from angling clubs and community groups to enable the purchase of native fingerlings from registered private hatcheries for stocking in approved sites.

“This year a further 136,300 Murray cod fingerlings will be stocked under the Dollar-for- Dollar program,” Mr Westaway said.

“This is another example of fishers’ licence fees working for them.”

Minister Macdonald said funds raised from the sale of the recreational fishing licence are placed into two Trusts, one for saltwater and the other for freshwater.

“Expenditure from both of these Recreational Fishing Trusts is overseen by expert panels on behalf of the recreational fishing community. Trust funds can only be spent on projects that improve recreational fishing,” Mr Macdonald said.

“Fishing is one of our State’s most popular pastimes, with more than one million anglers participating each year. The spin-off benefits to regional economies, in terms of tourism and employment, cannot be overstated.”

Media Note: Photos are available

Media contact: Lyndall Derrig 0400 462 447

Source: NSW DPI

TWO thousand baby Murray Cod were released in Chinaman’s Dam last week, as part of a conservation and breeding program within the Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
Every year fish are distributed to different dams, and two years ago several thousand baby Golden Perch were released at Chinaman’s Dam.

With the dam 90 per cent full and the water at 26 degrees Celsius, the dam creates a wonderful environment for the cod.

Each fish released was 35 millimetres long, weighing half a gram and in three to four years these fish will be table sized.

Assistant Hatchery Manager of the NSW DPI Narrandera Fisheries Mark Stimson said contributing factors to a fish’s survival include food supply and the water quality. If the water temperature is too different from the breeding site they may suffer from thermal shock.

On average between two and two and a half million baby fish are released around the state each year.

Mr Stimson said it has been a record season with 600,000 Murray Cod distributed to dams across NSW.

“It has been a great year for fish breeding,” Mr Stimson said.

“We release the fish in the warmer months, when the pond activity is more productive, producing zooplankton and algae for the fish to eat.”

The DPI also released Murray Cod in Temora and Wyangala dams on Friday.

It is currently fresh water fishing season at Chinaman’s Dam. A fishing licence is necessary and can be applied for through council.

Source: The Young Witness

A flush of water will be sent along two drying southern New South Wales waterways to prevent the deaths of native fish.

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) says six gigalitres of environmental water will be used to supplement flows from New South Wales reserves already sent into the Wakool River and Merran Creek.

The creeks had not had inflows for several months, but the the MDBC’s Wendy Craik says the extra eight gigalitres will extend the flows well into the new year and reduce the chance of fish kills.

“We understand they [the flows] are very important for some species, like murray cod, given there are some large holes there and large fish,” she said.

“The thing that’s really striking is that such a high percentage of the fish in there are native compared with other parts of the basin.

“The fish in these areas are regarded as important seed populations to recolonise other areas of the River Murray system once the drought breaks.”

Source: ABC Riverina News

New restrictions on catching murray cod will apply from the new year in South Australia.

The daily bag and boat limits for recreational fishing will decrease from two fish to one and the minimum size will be increased to 60 centimetres.

The annual closed season for murray cod will be extended to run from August until December.

SA Fisheries Minister Rory McEwen says the tougher restrictions are a response to a reduction in the species because of the drought.

Source: ABC Riverland SA

More than 400 recreational fishers were checked by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Fisheries Officers during an operation prior to and over the Murray cod opening weekend.

NSW Minister for Primarv Industries, Ian Macdonald, said five Fisheries Officers participated in the operation from 29 November to 2 December, which checked 418 fishers in the south west of the State, predominantly along the Murray River.

“Fisher numbers were lower than expected, and of those who were checked, there was an overall compliance rate of 88 per cent compared with 91 per cent last year.

“This operation is a timely reminder to fishers that NSW DPI Fisheries Officers regularly patrol waterways across the State and compliance with fisheries legislation is strictly enforced” he said.

“Fishers should check fishing rules and related closures. If people observe fishers doing the wrong thing they should report this illegal activity to the nearest Fisheries Office or contact Fisherman’s Watch on 1800 043 536.”

NSW DPI Manager Fisheries Compliance Glenn Tritton said 51 people were reported for fishing offences, mainly for fishing in the Trout Cod Protection Area before it opened. This area is closed during September to November to protect trout cod during their breeding season.

“Trout Cod Protection Area offences indicate that fishermen are not stopping to read the signage placed at most access entrances that promote angler awareness of the closure. Fishing guides and other advisory information also contain this important information,” he said.

On a positive note, Mr Tritton said it was pleasing to see that there was a high level of awareness of the new fishing rules, including positive feedback on banning of setlines and the increase in the size of Murray cod to 55cm.

After the operation, 32 infringements were issued ranging from $200 to $500. The maximum fines for matters that go before the courts are up to $22,000 or imprisonment for six months or both.

Offences included taking or attempting to take Murray cod during the closed season, taking fish from closed waters and the use of illegal fishing gear were detected during the operation.

Further reading: Summary of change to NSW size limits, bag limits and fishing methods

Media contact: Sarah Chester (02) 6036 2110 or 0417 207 669

The threatened Murray cod has been given a lifeline, with Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority increasing water flow into the Broken Creek to counter the effect of low levels of dissolved oxygen.

GBCMA asked GoulburnMurray Water to release some of the Goulburn water quality reserve down the Broken Creek to help restore the oxygen balance.

GBCMA representative Geoff Earl said the depressed oxygen levels were a result of warm weather and the low levels could cause fish to die.

Mr Earl said the release of additional flows had recently improved the situation and flows would continue this week before being reviewed.

Source: Country News