Flop Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Dear All, I am a researcher at the University of Sydney and also enjoy fishing @Flop. In 2020 we started a project which aims to better understand the health of our freshwater fisheries in NSW about how we can better manage our fisheries to ensure they are there for our grandkids and their grandkids. We have been collecting local ecological knowledge from anglers across the NSW using an online survey as well as face to face (zoom) interviews. These surveys and interviews help us identify problems with river and fish health that may otherwise not be picked up by organisations responsible for monitoring water quality and fish populations in our freshwater systems. So far we have received close to 100 responses to the survey and also conducted many face to face interviews. Below is an example of some of the discussions (and pictures of fish caught) we had on a recent fishing trip with @DerekD and @big Neil. @DerekD highlights the importance of @big Neil knowledge in supplementing an electrofishing survey data. As with all research the more data we can collect the better we can understand of our freshwater systems are changing and so further promoting the survey through Fishraider with the approval of Donna @mrsswordfisherman We invite you to undertake the survey. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and if you provide your details you will go into the draw to win a $50 voucher. The survey can be accessed here https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6EUxNxq4j4nDhA If you have any questions or concerns I can be contacted via. email: floris.vanogtrop@sydney.com.au Telephone: 02 8627 1024 (if I am not in please leave a message and I will call you back) ethics: approval id 2020/514 Human Research Ethics Committee, The University of Sydney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Thanks @Flop Raiders please do this survey to help this important research. If you give your details you may win a $50 voucher 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastworm Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Done. The bit that asks for your fishing locations had me a bit worried... 🤨 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 13 minutes ago, lastworm said: Done. The bit that asks for your fishing locations had me a bit worried... 🤨 What worried you @lastworm ? 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastworm Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 It took me many years of research, trial and error, donut days and experimenting to find the spots I fish. This goes for most fresh water fishos. It would be a handy database for someone to get their hands on if they didn’t want to go to the effort the rest of us have. I have faith it’s for a good cause and is going to the right place though 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekD Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 (edited) 48 minutes ago, lastworm said: I have faith it’s for a good cause and is going to the right place though 😊 Hi Lastworm, My family has been friend's with @Flop 's family for most of my life and I vouch for him (I've been a member on Fishraider for over a decade). I've seen his passion for the environment and I wouldn't have suggested he approach Fishraider if I felt it wasn't for the right reasons or that he'd abuse the data. I get your concern about protecting those spots you have put in hours or days of research to find and work out (I feel the same about my Sydney locations). Floris and I discussed this before he posted and one of my suggestions was that even general areas/regions should be sufficient. I'll let him provide some more reassurance on this topic. BTW thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey. On a lighter note, between his family and commitments to the University I think he'd struggle to get out to fish any of the spots. Hard enough getting him a hall pass to come fishing with me in Sydney. Regards, Derek Edited March 17, 2021 by DerekD 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 1 hour ago, lastworm said: It took me many years of research, trial and error, donut days and experimenting to find the spots I fish. This goes for most fresh water fishos. It would be a handy database for someone to get their hands on if they didn’t want to go to the effort the rest of us have. I have faith it’s for a good cause and is going to the right place though 😊 You can definitely trust the integrity of both Floris and DerekD. bn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flop Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 (edited) Hi Lastworm, Thanks for taking the survey, really appreciated. The location data is stored in an encrypted database and we cannot release any exact location data as per our ethics agreement so any secret fishing sites are safe. You can provide approximate areas or hold back your secret locations and if you have any concerns please send me an email and I can remove any data at your request. I'm pretty incorruptible - no amount of coercion from Derek will work! I do not look at the location data unless there is reason such as fish kills reported. When I provide maps they are at coarse scale and we often jitter the points (move them a distance in a random direction). I'll keep all posted on some of the findings over the next weeks to months. All the best, Floris Edited March 17, 2021 by Flop 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastworm Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 5 minutes ago, Flop said: Hi Lastworm, Thanks for taking the survey really appreciated. The location data is stored in an encrypted database and we cannot release any exact location data as per our ethics agreement so any secret fishing sites are safe. You can provide approximate areas or hold back your secret locations and if you have any concerns please send me an email and I can remove any data at your request. I'm pretty incorruptible - no amount of coercion from Derek will work! I do not look at the location data unless there is reason such as fish kills reported. When I provide maps they are at course scale and we often jitter the points (move them a distance in a random direction). I'll keep all posted on some of the findings over the next weeks to months. All the best, Floris All good mate! Happy to help the cause, especially since one of the locations I provided has seen a depletion in both water and fish quality over the years. It’s just strange being asked for your fishing spots, kinda like if someone asked you for your ATM pin - although I’m not sure which is harder to hand over 😂 Hope you get some good info from the survey. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flop Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share Posted March 17, 2021 Thanks mate, maybe if you picture me as an ATM, might be easier, type some numbers in and hopefully something useful comes out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 I have filled out the survey and sent PMs to Floris and Derek. Look forward to hearing from you. bn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flop Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 On 3/17/2021 at 11:16 AM, Flop said: Dear All, I am a researcher at the University of Sydney and also enjoy fishing @Flop. In 2020 we started a project which aims to better understand the health of our freshwater fisheries in NSW about how we can better manage our fisheries to ensure they are there for our grandkids and their grandkids. We have been collecting local ecological knowledge from anglers across the NSW using an online survey as well as face to face (zoom) interviews. These surveys and interviews help us identify problems with river and fish health that may otherwise not be picked up by organisations responsible for monitoring water quality and fish populations in our freshwater systems. So far we have received close to 100 responses to the survey and also conducted many face to face interviews. Below is an example of some of the discussions (and pictures of fish caught) we had on a recent fishing trip with @DerekD and @big Neil. @DerekD highlights the importance of @big Neil knowledge in supplementing an electrofishing survey data. As with all research the more data we can collect the better we can understand of our freshwater systems are changing and so further promoting the survey through Fishraider with the approval of Donna @mrsswordfisherman We invite you to undertake the survey. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and if you provide your details you will go into the draw to win a $50 voucher. The survey can be accessed here https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6EUxNxq4j4nDhA If you have any questions or concerns I can be contacted via. email: floris.vanogtrop@sydney.com.au Telephone: 02 8627 1024 (if I am not in please leave a message and I will call you back) ethics: approval id 2020/514 Human Research Ethics Committee, The University of Sydney Thanks to all who have filled out the survey so far. Some very valuable data on how and why river health and fish catches are changing. We are getting close to having 100 responses aiming for 150, there are 5 gift vouchers worth $50 to be given away once we reach 150 surveys. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flop Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 PS, great activity for a rainy day https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6EUxNxq4j4nDhA help improve our knowledge of river health. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flop Posted September 1, 2021 Author Share Posted September 1, 2021 Been quiet for a while, Covid creates much work for teachers. We are still conducting interviews and continuing the research just at a slower pace. Thanks @lastworm for the chat, it was great to get your perspective on the state of some of the freshwater fisheries close to home. The online survey capturing knowledge about freshwater fisheries around NSW is still up and running https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6EUxNxq4j4nDhA Really appreciate all those who have responded so far. If you have not already done so, we really appreciate your taking the online survey. We will run it up until the end of the year and draw the prizes just before Christmas. In the spare minutes I've been heading down to the few stretches of water within 5km and working on my fly casting under the watchful eye of @DerekD, Thanks. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastworm Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 Was a pleasure to be part of it @Flop! I suggest everyone get involved, if you can’t get out and fish during lockdown, it’s nice to at least have someone to chat to about fishing 😂. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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