Aquaculture & fishing

The oyster production areas of Coffin Bay have been closed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) as a precautionary measure as part of an ongoing investigation into a recent rise in Vibrio parahaemolyticus cases.

A massive expansion is underway at the DPI’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre courtesy of a multi-million Government investment in native fish breeding. The world class centre is Australia’s largest native fish breeding and research facility producing hundreds of thousands of fingerlings annually to stock dams and waterways in the Murray-Darling Basin.

A high-tech underwater drone is helping protect Territory fish and marine life from harmful aquatic pests. The cutting-edge remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) takes monitoring to the next level, reducing the need for divers and providing a mobile camera capable of scanning large areas in limited time.

Ozfish volunteers and local community members have taken the first steps to make Lake Wyangan a stronger native freshwater fishery thanks to a serious habitat upgrade. A thriving and resilient aquatic ecosystem requires the nurturing of suitable habitats that will support the native fish populations. Without somewhere to hide, feel safe and breed and feed, fish numbers cannot be optimized.

With the impending commencement of the yabby season, recreational fishers are being reminded to do the right thing when fishing for the popular species on the state’s inland waterways.

A moving and original debut novel. Observant, warm and extraordinary. 'There is an other-worldly quality about the Abrolhos which is beyond the reach of ordinary storytelling. Emily Brugman has captured them, staked them to the page in all their isolation and aridity and scoured indifference, because her storytelling is extraordinary.' Jock Serong, bestselling author of Preservation.

The first Murray cod eggs of the season were collected from nesting boxes in the broodstock ponds at DPI’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre. The nesting boxes were put into the ponds in late August with hatchery staff checking for eggs from late September.

Researchers from The University of Western Australia recently completed the final report for the LHI Galapagos shark research project, which has been running since January 2018. This research used acoustic listening stations around LHI waters to track Galapagos sharks fitted with internal acoustic tags to determine their movement patterns, as well as identifying where, when and how frequently these sharks interact with fishing vessels.

Entering the market after almost 30 years, an expansive citrus farm and vineyard in the New South Wales Riverina region is ripe for picking, in the country’s largest citrus-growing and NSW’s largest wine producing region.

Globally, as the aquaculture sector moves operations further offshore, the sector is encountering new challenges to access clean and reliable energy ... Carnegie’s wave-powered barge concept, MoorPowerâ„¢  offers a solution to this energy challenge – providing clean, reliable, predictable energy to support the growth of a diverse sustainable blue economy.

The  Abrolhos Island and Mid-West Scallop Trawl Fishery  has achieved certification to the  MSC fisheries standard. It is the first scallop fishery in Australia and the eleventh fishery in Western Australia (WA) to gain this certification.

A new report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has found that fish stocks in Australian Government solely managed fisheries are not subject to overfishing.

The Australian and Tasmanian governments have agreed to support a framework to deliver offshore aquaculture in Commonwealth waters off the coast of Tasmania. Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries and Senator for Tasmania Jonathon Duniam and Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water Guy Barnett said the joint agreement between the Australian and Tasmanian governments will help examine the economic, environmental and operational feasibility of offshore aquaculture.

The World Fisheries Congress might be over, but all of the presentations will be available online for another six months, so it’s not too late  to register. In the meantime, if you missed it, here are some spoilers for you.

Precautionary fishing restrictions in waters immediately adjacent to Port Pirie have been extended for a further 12 months ... Put in place in September 2020 after the release of a scientific study into heavy metals in sediment in the area, the restrictions have been extended for another year while SA Health complete an in-depth analysis of sample results and consider the public health implications.

A significant milestone in building a future for the commercial and recreational fishing industries has been reached with the next stage of the Queensland Government’s Sustainable Fisheries reforms coming into effect on September 1.

Chris Murray. Mary Marlowe’s novel, Psalmist of the Dawn (published in 1934 but probably written in 1931) is set on Lord Howe and populated with real places, activities and people – that latter only slightly disguised behind pseudonyms ... Garfishing was an important part of the Islanders’ semi-subsistence lifestyle before World War II. Large quantities of gars were caught not only for local consumption but also for sale to passing vessels.

Deckhand Thomas Breeze has worked on an octopus fishing boat operating out of the Two Rocks marina for about nine months now. It is physically demanding work because even though the pots used to catch octopus are smaller than the ones used to catch western rock lobster they still weigh 30kg each.

Claire Rankin. Evans Head Fish Co-op may be forced to close temporarily because of covid, its chair Bill Litchfield said. He was “extremely concerned” about how the snap lockdown has impacted the co-op and fishing industry.

Australia’s aquaculture sector continues on a trajectory of steady growth, but the entire industry has experienced disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the  latest edition of ABARES’s  Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall has announced that anglers around the state could get back to reeling in some of our finest native sportfish when the Australian Bass and Estuary Perch season opens on Wednesday, 1 September 2021.

Developing a blood test to predict the stress of aquatic species and help industry develop a more sustainable fish economy is the focus of a new research project at The University of Western Australia in collaboration with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.