mrmoshe
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Murray cod still fishing target despite closed season
A local fisherman says a number of people are still fishing for murray cod in South Australia despite the fact it is now closed season.
The murray cod closed season runs until the December 31 and during that time any fish caught must be returned to the water immediately.
But recreational fisherman Brian Bochow says a minority of people are breaking the rules.
"I, as well as a number of fisherman concerned with murray cod here in South Australia, have heard a number of reports along the entire length of the South Australian section of the Murray River where people are still purposely targeting murray cod during the closed season," he said.
He suggests people should try to reduce the likelihood of catching a murray cod during the closed season by using smaller lures.
The Department of Primary Industries says it has not booked anyone for breaking the ban on taking murray cod so far.
A spokesman for the Department says river patrols have been stepped-up in the past week.
The spokesman says people need to be aware that they face heavy fines and court action if they take murray cod during the closed season.
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The barra's view
Alex Brown
September 7, 2007
The fish are waiting for Alex Brown as he drops into remote billabongs by chopper during a week of luxury and adventure.
A helicopter descends. A city dweller alights. A metallic rod is produced. A tiny, helpless fish swims near the surface. No, wait, a lure! A net. A camp fire. A set of tongs. God.
That was the barramundi's view of it (assuming he was granted a final audience with Poseidon). From a vantage point a few rungs higher up the food chain, however, my heli-fishing trip to the Northern Territory had a more peaceful, less foreboding feel.
Perched atop a rocky outcrop on the Mount Borradaile estate, the only tourist facility of its kind in Arnhem Land, the serenity of the early morning is interrupted by the distant whirring of the helicopter's rotors. I check the running sheet one more time. Heli-fishing. I still can't visualise it. Is it some new-age hybrid sport, like kite-surfing or chess-boxing? I will find out soon enough, because there is the chopper, climbing over the horizon, lowering itself onto the sun-baked ground before us.
Lift-off. For those who haven't flown in a chopper, it's quite a rush. Sweeping low over the green canopy at first, then ascending to reveal a broader view of Arnhem Land's vast and vibrant wetlands, it is the closest thing to avian flight most of us will ever experience. The outlook over the cappuccino-tinged East Alligator River, with its plentiful birdlife and numerous crocodiles, will live long in the memory. Thoughts of the grey, frigid city I left behind just days ago are swept away in the warm Territory breeze.
Max Davidson operates Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris from a camp at Mount Borradaile with the permission of the traditional owners. He peers out the chopper's window and spies a waterfall he fancies might attract barramundi. Within minutes we have landed, prepared the lures and cast our lines into the crystal waters. This truly is fishing for the PlayStation generation: fast-paced angling without the Ritalin.
A hit. Within 30 seconds of my lure touching the water, I've hooked a barramundi. And again a minute later. And again three minutes after that. The barra, it seems, cannot resist the charms of my gold- and red-flecked lure, often swallowing the entire faux-fish in one greedy gulp, rendering useless all subsequent attempts to writhe for freedom. The credit for this barra barrage lies not with my fishing nous - which starts and ends with a cork reel dangled into the Lane Cove River - but with Davidson's choice of fishing hole. The man clearly knows his stuff.
It is at this point my mind turns to an old quotation I'd once heard about fishing, which, according to Google, was penned by Washington Irving, the American author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle: "There is certainly something in angling," Irving wrote, "that tends to produce a serenity of the mind."
Irving clearly never went heli-fishing. With my forearms and shoulders already burning after a few minutes' angling, and adrenaline coursing through my veins with each bite, this is anything but serene. Given the absence of visitors to the waterhole, the fish have apparently developed little in the way of stream-smarts. As soothing as the sounds of the waterfall are, they are all but drowned out by the grunting, reeling and whooping of this small troupe of fishermen.
Twenty minutes later, lunch arrives in the form of the barramundi mentioned in the first paragraph. He was a big bugger: the size of an adolescent boy, he was, with eyes the size of china plates and teeth that could chew through a car door. Sorry, that's the fisherman in me talking. He was about the 70-75cm mark (good, I'm told, if not great), presented an earnest challenge and was reeled in only with the assistance of Davidson's offsider. But it was my rod, dammit.
After a quick photo call, the barramundi is whisked to a waiting fireplace where the last rites are read and the salad prepared. Thirty minutes later, his higher purpose is revealed: lunch. Food chain superiority seldom tasted so good.
Thoughts of a quick post-meal swim are stalled by the sighting of a crocodile, whose appetite is probably nowhere near as sated as mine. No matter. A chopper flight to another waterhole, this one even more remote, places us safely out of his reach. And an already idyllic day continues uninterrupted.
Of the many and varied experiences on my five-day visit to the Top End, the heli-fishing wins, but only just. The quieter, more traditional barramundi fishing trip around the billabongs of Cooinda (in Kakadu National Park), the Aboriginal rock art excursions, the twilight champagne cruises and the deep-sea angling exercise off the Cobourg Peninsula will make the photo album in some guise. But the unlikely rush that came with the fusion of aviation and fishing will not easily be forgotten.
BEFORE this trip, my only experience of combining fishing with culture was when beer-battered whiting came wrapped in the previous day's arts section. Imagine the surprise, then, when a day of heli-fishing is followed by a tour of perhaps the most diverse and thought-provoking collection of Aboriginal art permitted to be viewed by non-indigenous eyes.
There are images that date back 50,000 years; a 51/2-metre rainbow serpent that has attracted viewers from across the globe; traditional hand paintings - drawings of prau, or sailing ships, of the Makassan traders who visited these parts long before European settlers. Millennia of history playing out before my eyes, in the shadows of the imperious Mount Borradaile.
As it turns out, the fishing-culture misconception was not to be my last. Take, for instance, my long-held notion that touring the Territory necessitates "roughing it", in keeping with the harsh, arid landscape. Wrong. The top end of the Top End is as well-heeled as a pair of Jimmy Choos, but with none of the pretension.
Exhibit A: a night at Peppers Seven Spirit Bay, set in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park and overlooking the Arafura Sea on the Cobourg Peninsula. Beautifully appointed and ideally situated Balinese-style bungalows are each adjoined by an outdoor, though private, bathroom. (Traveller's tip: keep the doors closed overnight or expect to be ogled by a kangaroo as you disrobe the following morning.) A short stroll down the "Yellow Brick Road" leads you to an equally plush dining area with views over the pool and out to sea. And dinner consists of a five-course menu so delicious you wish there was a sixth course. And perhaps a seventh.
Activities range from the energetic to the tranquil. In the former category, a day deep-sea fishing in the Arafura is every bit as fast-paced as the heli-fishing, particularly when bronze whaler sharks are making none-too-subtle attempts to pick off your trevally, queenfish, jewfish and mackerel as you reel them in. One unlucky trevally, which our guide dangled off the side of the boat with an executioner's delight, found itself the subject of intense interest from no less than six sharks, all of which charged and tore with such ferocity that the sound of teeth-on-flesh was clearly audible. Swimming is strictly reserved for the pool.
Not all is angling and Darwinism, though. Peter Doone was once charged with keeping the peace in New Zealand as the country's long-serving, and occasionally controversial, police commissioner. Now managing Seven Spirit Bay with his wife, Robyn, Doone has only to share the peace with visitors. A welcome change of pace, I'd imagine.
At the Doones' recommendation, I am driven 30 minutes through the slowly stirring bush to a balcony-del-mar. The sun is well advanced in its descent over the Arafura and, as my eyes follow the cerises and tangerines of the far-away horizon and along the pristine beach, I feel a sense of calm that seemed an impossibility several days ago, stuck in an office on the east coast. The scene is perfect, I think. Then I hear the popping of a champagne cork. OK, now the scene is perfect.
The Cooinda Lodge in Kakadu, a short charter flight from Seven Spirit Bay, might just be the perfect inland complement to the coastal delights of Seven Spirit Bay. With the Warradjan Cultural Centre and the barramundi-stacked Yellow Water Billabong, which feeds off the South Alligator River, within a short drive of Cooinda's comfortable lodges, it ranks among the country's better weekend escapes.
A typical day-long Cooinda itinerary reads something like this: cooked breakfast, a tour of Warradjan (with explanations of Namarrgon, the "Lightning Man" who features in several rock paintings), a dip in the pool, lunch, a fishing expedition with Dean Jackson (regarded as the grim reaper among the local barramundi community) and an evening cruise that takes in the many ornithological delights of the area (jabirus, brolgas, kingfishers, honeyeaters and more) and a few not-so-quaint reptilian inhabitants. Top that off with a few beers back at the lodge, a barra on the barbecue and a bit of banter with the locals and you might just have cracked the formula for heaven.
And that got me thinking. Why has it taken me so long to view the Northern Territory as an appealing winter destination? For years my credit card has been stretched to the limit, and occasionally beyond, as I have sought various overseas destinations as sanctuary from the east-coast frost.
Warmth, culture and some of the most amazing flora and fauna on the planet are all on my doorstep and at a fraction of the cost of a trip abroad. Somehow, I get the feeling a return visit is not far off. Barra beware.
FAST FACTS
Getting there
Qantas flies non-stop from Sydney to Darwin; Melburnians have one stop in Adelaide, Alice Springs or Sydney. Fares from $287 (Sydney) and $347 (Melbourne). Jetstar flies non-stop from Melbourne to Darwin, fares from $159; there are no direct flights from Sydney so you will have to fly to another port and change aircraft. Virgin Blue flies daily to Darwin from Sydney (from $199) and Melbourne (from $179), change in Brisbane. Tiger Airways flies from Melbourne non-stop to Darwin, from $160. (All fares one-way, taxes included.) We flew with JayRow helicopters (www.jayrow.com.au), which can be hired for about $1000 an hour, and charter flights with Direct Air (www.directairtours.com.au).
Where to stay
Gagudju Lodge, Cooinda (www.gagudjulodgecooinda.com.au), can handle small- and big-budget tourists. Max Davidson's safari camp at Mount Borradaile (www.arnhemland-safaris.com) starts at $500 a person a night; that includes all meals, accommodation and guided activities. Peppers Seven Spirit Bay (www.peppers.com.au/Seven-Spirit-Bay) has two-night stays and safari packages from $1385 a person.
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The search for missing adventurer, Steve Fossett has stepped up a notch with the
use of a Mechanical Turk loaded with new high resolution satellite pictures of Nevada
where he went missing, broken up into small frames.
This allows everyone who wants to help to review thousands of small sections of Nevada
about 275 feet square taken at an altitude of 1500 feet.
If you see any sign of the plane or wreckage, they ask you to flag it and it is reviewed
by experts to see if it merits further investigation.
You have to do a simple signup to send your flag to them and write a short note on what you see.
Here's a blurb on it in today's RealTechNews HERE
I've been playing with it most of today and have found five frames that had anomolies or white things
where they shouldn't be and sent them off.
Here is the site for the Steve Fossett Mechanical Turk FOSSETT
A worthy cause and technology being used in a unique way.
Who knows...if you are the one to find him, being a billionaire..he might sling you a quid if found alive.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Excellent reports fellas and a top score on the fins.
Hope this keep up.
Cheers,
Pete
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Well done fellas and congrats to Brett for breaking another species.
He's gonna be an expert fisho one of these days and to be guided
by Stewy...how can he go wrong.
Good stuff.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Reporter films China's 'Loch Ness monster'
A TELEVISION reporter claims to have discovered China's answer to the Loch Ness monster.
Chinese journalist Zhuo Yongsheng shot footage of six “seal-like” creatures in the north-eastern Tianchi lake, which local legend has long said is home to Loch Ness-style monsters.
“They could swim as fast as yachts and at times they would all disappear in the water,” the Xinhua news agency quoted Zhuo as saying.
“Their fins, or maybe wings, were longer than their bodies.”
Legend says that China's own version of Scotland's legendary monster has dwelled in the murky bottom of the volcanic lake for over a century.
The original “Nessie” dates back to the seventh century, when a water beast is said to have appeared before Saint Columba, the founder of Christianity in Scotland in the Highland lake's depths.
Zhuo said he had not previously believed in the lake monster legend, “but I believed my own eyes”.
However, scientists dismissed the reports, saying the lake was too cold for life.
Volcanic eruptions would also make life extremely hazardous for any animal making its home there, they said.
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Scientists crack oyster mystery
THE MYSTERY of the source of a parasite threatening to cripple the Sydney rock oyster industry may finally have been cracked.
In 2004 an outbreak of QX disease in the Hawkesbury River killed oysters worth $5 million. Although harmless to humans, QX, found from south-eastern Queensland to the Georges River, has killed up to 90 per cent of infected oysters.
Scientists have known since 1976 that QX involves a parasite. However, it cannot migrate directly from one oyster to another and, until now, its origin has left scientists baffled.
In a major biosecurity breakthrough, Queensland Museum researchers have identified a tiny marine worm as the carrier.
Rob Adlard, the museum's head of marine zoology, said yesterday the discovery opened the way for laboratory research to defeat the disease, as well as the development of QX-resistant oysters.
Dr Adlard said scientists had suspected the parasite was being carried in another marine animal, but had had no idea which was the host.
To make the hunt even more difficult, parasites can take on different physical appearances when inside different hosts, meaning researchers armed with microscopes could not even be sure what they were looking for.
"It became a nightmare when you saw just how many possible candidates there were," Dr Adlard said.
His team solved the puzzle using DNA analysis of worms in Hawkesbury River mud.
"Thank God for DNA," said Dr Adlard, admitting he was jubilant when he realised the carrier had been found.
"I was really excited. This is the culmination of 10 years of research - and gut feeling, if you will pardon the pun."
QX was so named because when it was discovered in Queensland scientists could not explain its cause.
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Enjoy your Birthdays guys.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Woman catches 283kg tuna
Te Aroha woman Wilma Robinson says she is "pretty rapt" to have caught a 283.3 kilogram Pacific blue fin tuna, which may set the world record for a female angler.
Robinson set out from Westport on Tuesday afternoon, reeled in the big fish 60km from the coast on Wednesday night and brought it in to be weighed at the wharf yesterday afternoon.
It took her an hour and 55 minutes to reel in the whopping fish. "It was a bit physical. I have discovered muscles on my biceps I didn't know I had," she said.
Robinson is a member of the Te Aroha Angling Club, which is affiliated with the International Game Fish Association.
She will have to send away the line, photos of the catch and copies of the scales certificate to the IGFA, for it to be assessed and verified as a world record.
She said the tuna would be filleted.
"It's too big to go on my wall, so we'll bring it home and eat it," she said.
NZPA
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to all three.
Hope you have a great day,
Cheers,
Pete.
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Eels with whopper choppers, all the better to eat you with
LIKE the predator in the Aliens movies, moray eels thrust a second set of jaws from deep in their throats to seize prey, scientists have discovered.
The animal kingdom is full of innovative mechanisms for ensuring that a meal does not escape and moves swiftly along the digestive tract.
Snakes unhinge their jaws, and most fish - along with some eels - use suction to draw in their victims. Some species, such as the parrotfish, have a second set of teeth-like bones between their gills.
But scientists at the University of California, Davis, were amazed to discover that at least one species of moray has a mobile inner jaw lined with razor-edged, hook-like teeth.
This "raptorial pharyngeal jaw" can thrust forward at lightning speed into the mouth, eliminating any chance a prey might have had of squirming free from the first set of jaws.
The discovery was made based on a hunch, the study, published in the British journal Nature, reports. Two marine biologists, Rita Metha and Peter Wainwright, recorded high-speed videos of muraena retifera, one of 200 or so moray species found in reefs around the world, feeding in a laboratory aquarium. That is when they discovered the inner jaw, which is clearly visible in the film.
To get an inside view of the mechanism, the researchers did an X-ray fluoroscopic analysis. The resulting images gave the first detailed view of the eel's hidden dental apparatus in action.
Almost as remarkable as the lunging jaw is that it went unnoticed for so long.
This could be explained, the authors believe, by the fact moray eels are rarely eaten by humans. They do not turn up often in fishing nets as they stay close to reef crevices.
Video of the jaws in action HERE
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The big fella certainly had a magnificent voice.
He will be missed by many.
Cheers,
Pete.
"I am a very superstitious person. " ~Luciano Pavarotti
When he performs, Pavarotti wants nails strewn all over the stage, and won't tolerate the color purple.
Why the purple? In former times, priests wore purple, and artists couldn't perform during the season of Lent.
So, purple, to an Italian, to an artist, means no eating, no money, no work, no women.
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Great stuff Steve...Love the video....nice fish.
Cheers,
Pete.
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does anyone know if the new stickers are out now for size and limits and where you can get them from?
i dont mind the new limits and sizes that much. When i go out i only want to catch the bigger fish anyway, if i get trevalley that are only 20cm i put them back already.
I do however along with most others disagree with how it was communicated.
cheers
Dan
The new stickers should be in tackle stores very soon.
Here is some additional info on the Fisheries website: Fisheries Website Info.
Cheers,
Pete.
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* Summary of change to NSW size limits, bag limits and fishing method
1. What are the changes to fishing rules in NSW?
After extensive consultation with the NSW fishing community about modifications to size limits, bag limits and fishing methods, a number of changes will be introduced to recreational fishing rules.
Some of the changes in freshwater include:
* Leaving a line unattended will now be prohibited; this aims to reduce the injury, stress and death of fish and invertebrates that result from being caught on unattended lines. However the distance a person can be from each line will increase from 10 metres to 50 metres.
* Increasing the minimum legal length for Murray cod, to provide better protection for immature fish. The current legal length will increase to 55 centimetres on 1 December 2007 and to 60 centimetres on 1 December 2008.
* A new closed season for Australian bass and estuary perch in rivers and estuaries from June 1 to August 31 each year to protect breeding fish.
* Simplifying the trout water classifications to two categories; artificial fly and lure only waters and general trout waters.
* The bag limit for unlisted native fish, which previously had no limit, will now be set at 10.
Some of the changes in saltwater include:
* Introducing a new minimum legal length of 30 centimetres for pearl perch.
* Increasing the minimum legal length for yellowtail kingfish from 60 centimetres to 65 centimetres.
* Increasing the minimum legal length for luderick (blackfish) from 25 centimetres to 27 centimetres.
* Introducing a minimum legal length of 60 centimetres for dolphin fish (mahi-mahi). Additionally, only one fish may measure over 110 centimetres.
* Introducing new combined bag limit of 20 for bream and tarwhine.
The changes will come into effect on September 3, 2007. A full list of changes can be found at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au. For further information phone DPI on 1300 550 474.
2. Why have there been changes to bag and size limits?
Recreational fishing is one of our most popular leisure activities, with about one million people enjoying this sport every year in NSW. These changes are about working with the community to progressively improve fishing rules to ensure the future sustainability and viability of our valuable fisheries resources
Fishing regulations ensure healthy and sustainable fisheries for future generations. Minimum legal lengths allow fish to reach maturity and complete their breeding cycle while bag limits help to give everyone a chance to catch a good fish and no species is over-fished. All regulations are reviewed from time to time to help preserve and maintain our recreational fisheries.
3. How were the new changes developed?
The general public were invited to have their say on proposals on modifications to size limits, bag limits and fishing methods. A total of 75,000 discussion papers were widely distributed across NSW.
The changes were formulated in light of the findings of environmental assessments of the relevant fisheries based on the best available science, the results of the National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (2000/01), the Palmer inquiry into illegal fishing, advice from expert committees of anglers and more than 3300 public submissions.
Public comments on proposal were reviewed by expert angler committees and the final set of bag and size limit changes were supported by the Minister’s key stakeholder Advisory Councils: the NSW Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing (ACoRF) and the Seafood Industry Advisory Council (SIAC).
4. How will the community be informed about the changes?
NSW DPI will undertake an extensive public advisory campaign over three months to promote the changes. Signage will be replaced progressively around popular fishing spots, including boat ramps – this is a major task covering much of NSW. Updated brochures and stickers will be available from recreational fishing fee agents (most fishing tackle stores) and DPI fisheries offices. Recreational fishing clubs in NSW will also be informed of the changes and Fishcare volunteers will be out and about advising anglers of the new rules. A full list of changes can be found at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au or phone 1300 550 474 for more information.
5. Will any of the changes apply to commercial fishers?
The new minimum legal lengths also apply to commercial fishers. Additionally NSW DPI uses other management measures such as commercial gear restrictions and closures to conserve fish stocks and fish spawning biomass. All NSW commercial fisheries have recently undergone rigorous environmental assessment in accordance with NSW and Commonwealth law. The resultant Fisheries Management Strategies set clear performance indicators and trigger points for reviewing commercial catch levels, and further management measures to reduce growth and recruitment over-fishing will be developed as required.
6. What is the Code of Practice for Fishing Competitions in NSW?
Recreational fishing representatives and DPI are working together to develop a Code of Practice for Competition Fishing in NSW. The joint vision is for all fishing competitions to follow a voluntary Code of Practice so that the organisers and participants in these events operate in a safe, environmentally and socially responsible way. Competition rules and activities should demonstrate best practice and where possible, enhance the economic benefit for the community.
And here:
03 Sep 2007
NSW fishers are reminded that changes to saltwater and freshwater fishing rules come into effect on Monday 3rd September 2007.
NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Director Wild Harvest Fisheries Management, Anthony Hurst, said bag and size limits are reviewed every five years to ensure a sustainable future for high quality recreational fishing in NSW. The size limits also apply to commercial fishing.
"The changes which take effect on Monday reflect the findings of scientific assessments, the National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey, the Palmer inquiry into illegal fishing, advice from expert committees of fishers and more than 3300 public submissions.
"Beginning Monday, NSW DPI will run a three month education and advisory campaign in a bid to ensure all anglers are aware of the new rules. This will include DPI officers and FishCare volunteers talking to people out on the water, at boat ramps and popular fishing spots.
"A full list of the changes can be found on the DPI website, by contacting your local DPI fisheries office or by phoning 1300-550-474. Information will also be available from recreational fishing fee agents (most tackle shops)," Mr Hurst said.
Around 800 new signs will be produced and erected outlining the changes to Saltwater rules and a yet to be determined quantity of signs for Freshwater changes will also be produced and erected over the coming months. In the interim stickers will be placed over existing signs to reflect the new information.
Thousands of sticky measuring rulers and information flyers have also been produced outlining the changes; these will be distributed to fishers as part of the education/advisory campaign.
"All of the changes will all be included in the new 2007/2008 Saltwater and Freshwater fishing guides which will be available in October. DPI and the Recreational Fishing Trust produce the guides which are available free of charge.
"The NSW recreational fishing sector is one of the largest in Australia and contributes around $500 million to the NSW economy. It’s estimated that around one million people throw a line in NSW each year.
"These changes are about working with the community to progressively improve fishing rules to ensure the future sustainability and viability of our valuable fisheries resources," Mr Hurst said.
New Recreational fishing rules - additional background information
The major changes to freshwater fishing include;
* Leaving a line unattended will now be prohibited; this aims to reduce the injury, stress and death of fish and invertebrates that result from being caught on unattended lines. However the distance a person can be from each line will increase from 10 metres to 50 metres.
* Increasing the minimum legal length for Murray cod, to provide better protection for immature fish. The current legal length will increase to 55cm after 1 December 2007 and to 60cm after 1 December 2008.
* A new closed season for Australian bass and estuary perch from June 1 to August 31 each year to allow the fish to spawn.
* Simplifying the trout water classifications to two categories; artificial fly and lure only waters and general trout waters.
* The bag limit for unlisted native fish, which previously had no limit, will now be set at 10.
The major changes to saltwater fishing include;
* Introducing a new minimum legal length of 30cm for pearl perch.
* Increasing the minimum legal length for yellowtail kingfish from 60cm to 65cm.
* Increasing the minimum legal length for luderick (blackfish) from 25cm to 27cm.
* Introducing a minimum legal length of 60cm for dolphin fish (mahi-mahi). Additionally, only one fish may measure over 110cm.
* Introducing new combined bag limit of 20 for bream and tarwhine.
* A bag limit reduction from 20 to 10 will now apply to bonito, dolphin fish, octopus, rubberlip and jackass morwong.
* A bag limit reduction from 2 to 1 will now apply to highly prized billfish species, including sailfish and swordfish. A bag limit of 1 will also apply to each species of marlin. Reducing the bag limit will still allow for a trophy fish to be taken.
* A minimum legal length of 30cm will be introduced for blue groper. These fish mature as females between 24 and 34cm and change sex to males at about 60cm. The new size limit will protect females prior to maturity.
* The legal length for rubberlip morwong has been increased by 2cm to 30cm and the bag limit reduced to 10.
* The minimum legal length for red morwong will be increased from 25cm to 30cm. This aims to improve protection of small fish in shallow water.
* A combined bag limit of 5 will now apply to all shark and ray species, including only 1 tiger, mako, blue shark, hammerhead and whaler species. A zero bag limit will now apply to wobbegong sharks.
A full list of changes can be found at http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/summary-bag
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Great effort Jim and Ay.
That's one nice jew and a ripper trevvor to Ay.
Worthy of FOTM
Cheers,
Pete.
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Done Reddragon.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Seal rescued off Sydney bites back
Water police have rescued a seal caught in a net off Sydney's northern beaches - but the ungrateful beast has responded by taking a bite out of their boat.
Surfers spotted the 2.5 metre seal trapped in a shark net 200 metres off North Narrabeen about 9am (AEST) on Monday, police said.
Water police and officers from National Parks and Wildlife freed the animal using long poles.
The seal was apparently unhurt and swam away, but not before sinking its teeth into the rescuers' inflatable boat.
The vessel, which has eight teeth punctures, is currently being repaired and is expected to be back on the water on Monday afternoon.
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Hey peoples.
Long time reader first time poster. I went down to Narrbeen on Friday night. I was fishing at the bridge just near Woolies. Was a little quiet to start with but I ended up pulling in 3 Bream. Two were about 22cm and one that was 29cm. These would have to be the biggest Bream I have caught in the lakes. I normally only manage to get little tiddlers.
I also pulled in a huge toad fish that was about 30 - 35cm! I felt the huge dead weight on the line with only the occaisional stuggle. Thought it might have been a big flattie at first but unfortunately not.
I was just using servo prawns and overall was quite happy with the session.
Cheers Graham
to the site Graham.There are lots of land based spots in the lake to try although I've seen some big fish taken at Wooolies bridge
so not a bad spot.
I guess you have already read the article on Narra Lake but in case you missed it HERE it is.
Look forward to some more of your reports from the lake.
Cheers,
Pete.
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I will be fishing also so add me to the list , hopefully I can catch a hhhuuuuggggeeee Trevor and go shopping at GoFish
cheers
GoFish Pete
You have been added Pete.
Hey, no using that big trevvor I saw in the freezer out the back Pete.
We'll be checking for freezer burn.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Hi All
Please add myself and Sorro to the list
then let the fun begin
Chris
Done Chris....see you there.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Well done Dave and crew. Some nice fish there and in hard earned conditions.
Good on Caige too...great effort mate.
Cheers,
Pete.
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count me in fellas + deckie
cant wait for this one
cheers patrick
You're in Patrick as well as your deckie.
The list looks more like a phone book now....Massive!!
It will be a great event not to be missed.
Cheers,
Pete.
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'Extinct' dolphin sighted in China
A white dolphin native to China's Yangtze River declared extinct last year has possibly been spotted swimming in the wild, offering a small shred of hope for the animal's revival, a researcher said.
Wang Ding, a researcher with the Institute of Hydrobiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that a man saw and shot a video of what appears to be a baiji, or white flag dolphin, in central China's Anhui province on August 19.
The baiji dolphin survived for millions of years but was declared effectively extinct in December after a fruitless six week search of its Yangtze River habitat.
Wang said the animal in the footage looks and acts like a baiji and was seen about 40 km downstream from Anhui's Tongling city - a section of river once known as a hotspot for the dolphins.
But he said he could not be 100 per cent sure because the video was taken from a distance of about 1,000 metres and is not very clear.
A team of scientists will travel to the area in September to look for the dolphin, he said.
If China were able to bring the dolphins back from the brink of extinction, it would help bolster a national image badly tarnished by severe air and water pollution.
The government says a quarter of the length of the China's seven main river systems are so polluted that even touching the water harms the skin. Seven of the nine major lakes the agency monitors were equally toxic.
August Pfluger, a Swiss economist turned naturalist who helped put together last year's expedition, called the possible sighting "a big surprise" and "incredibly fantastic news".
"We declared the animal extinct so if there is one left, that would be fantastic," said Pfluger.
But even if one or more baiji are left, Pfluger and Wang both said they still consider the animal "functionally extinct".
Any surviving baiji are unlikely to be able to find each other for breeding in the huge river and are threatened by ship traffic, overfishing and the degradation of their habitat, Pfluger said.
"We don't have good hope for the future of the baiji," Wang said. "It will be gone for sure pretty soon."
If any wild baiji are found, scientists will try to capture them and move them to a reserve where they would try to breed them if possible, Wang said.
The baiji dates back 20 million years. Chinese called it the "goddess of the Yangtze".
Around 400 baiji were believed to be living in the Yangtze in the early 1980s, when China was just launching the free-market reforms that have transformed its economy.
The last fully-fledged search, in 1997, yielded 13 confirmed sightings, and a fisherman claimed to have seen a baiji in 2004.
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to all four Raiders.
Hope you all get some nice presents (fishing gear) and have a great day.
Cheers,
Pete.
to the site Graham.
Scientists Baffled By Arrival Of Rare Seals
in The Library
Posted
Scientists baffled by arrival of rare seals
TARONGA ZOO marine specialists are fighting to save the life of the second Antarctic leopard seal to be washed up on a Sydney beach in a week.
Found stranded yesterday morning at Clontarf, the gravely ill female had been badly mauled by a cookie-cutter shark. The zoo is already nursing a male leopard seal that was found on Tuesday last week on a beach at Wattamolla in the Royal National Park. It had also been attacked by a cookie-cutter shark.
Leopard seals were very rare in Sydney's waters, said Geoff Ross, a wildlife management officer with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. "We might see one every two or three years," he said, adding that finding two in a week was extraordinary. "They are Antarctic ice dwellers which seldom wander further north than Macquarie Island."
Mr Ross speculated the seals might have been washed towards Sydney by the Southern Ocean storms that helped drive Sydney's unusually heavy winter rain.
"But there is a not a lot of food for them to eat in the deep ocean," he said, noting they normally dined on sea birds, including penguins, squid and fish that they would haul out of the water and onto the Antarctic ice.
As a result of being so far from home, both seals were malnourished, exhausted and near death when found. The one rescued last week weighed just 90 kilograms, about 50 kilograms lighter than normal for its age.
Besides the leopard seals, five sub-Antarctic fur seals have also been found washed up on the NSW coast this year, adding to the puzzle.
Australian scientists reported last month that they had used satellites to track southern elephant seals swimming up to 2000 kilometres through Antarctic waters to find a meal, raising suggestions something has disrupted their normal Southern Ocean food supply, and forced them to hunt further afield.
Mr Ross said one possibility was that climate change had reduced the Antarctic food chain. "It's still a bit of a mystery," he said. "We can hypothesise about why the seals are here, but we really don't have good solid answers."
He estimated that 95 per cent of Antarctic seals swept onto NSW beaches died. Under an international agreement, those that are rescued and survive cannot be returned to the wild because there is a risk they might have picked up lethal viruses while exposed to humans and other land animals.
Mr Ross warned anyone finding stranded leopard and fur seals to keep clear. "They have a massive set of jaws, with teeth like serrated knives."
Taronga's spokesman, Mark Williams, said that while the female leopard seal was very ill the male found last week was improving and eating fish by itself.