NEWSCAST - DPI info bulletin November 2024

[mrsswordfisherman]

 

NEWSCAST - an information bulletin for recreational fishers from DPI

NEWSCAST an information bulletin for recreational fishers   November 2024 Applications for Recreational Fishing Trust Grants Now Open Would you like to improve recreational fishing in your local area? Applications are now open for funding from the Recreational Fishing Trust for projects that enhance and promote recreational fishing across NSW. Funding is available in this round for the $2 million small infrastructure grants program, which is designed to make it easy to apply for projects like fishing platforms, fish cleaning tables, kayak launching platforms, fishing access tracks and more! Applicants are encouraged to contact the Department on (02) 4424 7428 to discuss their ideas and for assistance in applying for funding. As well as small infrastructure, funding is also available to promote participation in the sport and the mental health and well-being benefits of fishing, such as for free fishing events, fishing workshops, come and try fishing days, fishing for therapy initiatives, and the development of educational material to promote sustainable and responsible fishing practices. Funding guidelines and the new online application form are available here. Applications close on 18 December 2024. This is your fishing licence at work! 🎣 Anglers: Don't Take The Bait From Non-Government Websites When Buying Your NSW Fishing Licence! If you're planning to fish this summer, remember that the Service NSWwebsite is the ONLY official site for paying your NSW Recreational Fishing Fee.  Recently, non-government websites have been offering to purchase fishing licences for you – but they’re charging unnecessary service fees.  The official NSW recreational fishing fees are:  $7 for 3 days  $14 for 1 month  $35 for 1 year  $85 for 3 years  The Service NSW website does notcharge any extra fees, and the process takes just 3 minutes! Plus, you can link your 1-year or 3-year licence directly to the Service NSW app and fish instantly with your digital receipt.  🎣 Don’t fall for unnecessary fees! Only use the official Service NSW website to pay for your licence:  Service NSW Fishing Licence  For more info on NSW fishing fees and exclusions, visit:  NSW DPI Recreational Fishing Fee  Native Fish Benefit From Stocking Funds Boost Hundreds of thousands of Murray Cod, Golden Perch and Australian Bass will be released by recreational fishing groups and other community organisations under the NSW Government’s $2 for $1 Native Fish Community Stocking program  In 2024-25, a total of $500,000 has been allocated from the Recreational Fishing Trust to community stocking of native sportfish.   During the 2023/24 season, about 825,000 native fish were stocked under this program into impoundments and rivers across NSW. Fish are supplied by the NSW commercial fish hatchery sector, which works under strict controls to produce high quality fingerlings.    The $2-for-$1 community native fish stocking program is another great example of your fishing fees at work!  Gone Fishing Day 2024 Goes Off!  On 13 October, we celebrated Gone Fishing Day with a fantastic series of FREE events across NSW! Families and fishers turned out at 7 locations—Jindabyne, Wagga, Lake Keepit, Nambucca Heads, Taree, Narrabeen, and Merimbula.  From young beginners to seasoned anglers, everyone had a reel good time at our casting clinics and fishing sessions 🎣. We saw an impressive variety of fish being caught, including Cod, Perch, Trout, Snapper, Whiting, Bream, Luderick, and even a couple of Blue Swimmer Crabs! 🐟🎣  Over 700 visitors attended the Gaden Trout Hatchery’s open day on Gone Fishing Day, enjoying tours, fishing demos, food stalls, and family-friendly activities. The event showcased the hatchery's multi-million dollar upgrade and featured expert fishing tuition, wildlife displays, and a lucky door prize of a kayak. A huge thank you 🙏 to our crew of dedicated Fishcare volunteers who gave up their Sunday to share the joys of fishing. Your support made all the difference!    We also had 111 recreational fishing clubs and community groups receiving grants from the Recreational Fishing Trust and fishing packages to host their own events. This was the highest number of clubs involved to date making this Gone Fishing Day the biggest ever!   This is all part of ‘Fish for life – Building a healthy fishing future’.  Ferry Wharf Fishers! DPIRD would like to thank those fishers doing the right thing while throwing a line off the Sydney ferry wharves.  As the festive season approaches, we urge fishers to keep up the good work to help maintain the amazing access the wharves provide for recreational fishers.  When fishing the wharves, please remember these structures are a shared facility with a primary function to allow commuters to safely use ferries as transport.  Always remember ferries, ferry staff and commuters have right of way, clear your lines when a ferry approaches, do not use commuter seating, and ensure to keep the wharves clean - even if it is not your mess.  NSW Police are conducting regular patrols around the ferry wharves and heavy penalties can apply if you are caught doing the wrong thing.  Again, a big thanks to those who use the ferry wharves responsibly it goes a long way ensuring you can throw a line from these great places into the future.  Mulloway Tagging Insights Did you know that, since 2014, over 6,050 Mulloway have been tagged by recreational anglers in NSW? During that same period, there have also been 735 recaptures of Mulloway reported to the program. Recapture information of tagged fish gives our Fisheries researchers valuable information about the movement, growth, and survivability of key species. The overall recapture rate of Mulloway sits at 12.1%, which is considered high for a traditional mark/recapture program. Recapture rates, however, can be impacted by non-reporting of recaptures, tag shedding, fishing pressure, and fish distribution. The largest growth seen in a recaptured Mulloway was 52cm. The fish was originally tagged at 78cm and was then recaptured at 130cm after 1459 days (nearly 4 years) at liberty. The fish was originally released and then recaptured in the Hawkesbury River. Growth data from recaptures shows that there is high variability in growth rates between individual fish. Growth rates can be impacted by many different factors including (but not limited to): the sex of the fish, food availability, genetics, and other environmental conditions like water temperature. Stay tuned for more species insights from the Game Fish Tagging Program. Each reported recapture contributes to our understanding of fish species. If you are lucky enough to recapture a tagged fish, please ensure you report it using our online recapture form which can be found here. The Game Fish Tagging Program is a great example of your license fees at work! Bringing Back The Bruns - Last Fish Barrier to Fish Passage Removed!  The last barrier to fish passage has been removed on the Brunswick River opening up 25 km of habitat. Thanks to the collaboration between the landholder, Byron Shire Council and DPIRD Fisheries, this project has enhanced fish passage in the Bruns. Check out the video ‘Bringing Back the Bruns’ to see how teamwork can make a difference for our environment and community. Funding for the Flagship Fish Habitat and Habitat Action Grants Programs is provided from the Recreational Fishing Trusts and the Marine Estate Management Strategy.