Aquaculture & fishing

Visitors at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre Open Day this Saturday will have the opportunity to see first-hand the important work done at the facility to research, enhance and protect native fish and fisheries in NSW. Activities will include kids fishing, hatchery and aquaria tours, research displays and the chance to meet Agro the famous Murray Cod.

Three Palmers Island prawn farms at the centre of the White Spot outbreak in the Clarence River have entered the final stage of decontamination as part of the NSW Department of Primary Industries DPI eradication response ... The extension of the Control Order was a devastating blow for the Clarence prawn trawl industry and trawler operators like Dean Opalniuk, who received no income from prawns this year, where he would usually average $3000 a week in season, leaving him with a business that was worth more than $200,000, now being worthless.

Western Australia's prized western rock lobsters will be even more readily available to WA seafood lovers, with a major boost approved for direct Back-of-Boat lobster sales this 2023-24 fishing season. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has increased the landing limit for back-of-boat sales from 200 to 999 lobsters per fishing trip.

The annual Casino RSM Social Fishing Club Carp Muster has been running since 2009. There were about 100 people fishing this weekend, September 16–17 and plenty of carp was caught ... “My kids say its easy fishing for them and they put on a good fight when you hook them”: Casino RSM Social Fishing Club secretary Kristy Martin.

Clever use of water for the environment in two northern Victorian wetlands is helping a critically endangered fish thrive.   The Murray hardyhead is a small native fish that has suffered from degraded habitat, altered flows, introduced predators, climate change, and water regulation.

The sun and the sea – both abundant and free – are being harnessed in a unique project to create vertical sea farms floating on the ocean that can produce fresh water for drinking and agriculture. In what is believed to be a world first, UniSA researchers have designed a self-sustaining solar-driven system that evaporates seawater and recycles it into freshwater, growing crops without any human involvement.

Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry are set to have the third-highest yearly gross value on record in 2023-24, with production value predicted to reach $86 billion. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said release of the ABARES Agricultural Commodities and Crop Reports shows the sector is remaining strong despite challenging conditions.

With help from recreational anglers, long term tag-and-release programs ... have revealed a level of connectivity of kingfish between states across mainland Australia, as well as offshore sites such as LHI and NZ. However, the frequency of such long-distance movements and the whereabouts of spawning-sized kingfish ... between release and recapture remain a mystery ... Project Kingfish aims to fill these knowledge gaps.

The State Government has recommended South Australia not be included in the Commonwealth’s proposed offshore wind farm zone that runs from Warrnambool in Victoria to Port MacDonnell … State Government has expressed concerns about the potential impact construction of an offshore windfarm in that area could have on South Australia’s southern fisheries and marine environment.

The revival of the Nymboida River, which was devastated by fires then floods over the past three years is well underway and the endangered Eastern Freshwater Cod are already benefitting from work by the Clarence chapter of Oz Fish … 5km of exotic weeds being removed from the riparian zone and 1000 local native plants established in their place. 

DAFF has opened consultation ... “The amount producers are being asked to contribute is equivalent to 6 per cent of Commonwealth biosecurity funding in 2024–25 ... By comparison, importers will contribute around 48 per cent and the taxpayer will contribute around 44 per cent ... From 1 July this year, the government increased cost recovery for delivering biosecurity activities for risk creators and importers, representing an average price increase of 28 per cent across biosecurity fees and charges" : Dr Chris Locke.

The Rookwood Weir project is helping fish species move safely and more freely in the Lower Fitzroy River system. As part of the project’s environmental offset strategy, a $7 million fishway is to be added to the Fitzroy Barrage, located at Rockhampton, downstream of the weir.

The Shire of Derby/West Kimberley is very pleased to hear the news that Tassal seafood producers will purchase Marine Purchase Australia, the company behind Cone Bay barramundi. Shire President Geoff Haerewa said that he was delighted to hear that the business will continue, and possibly even expand, and that 50 jobs will also be saved.

Tassal Group Limited (“Tassal”) has completed its acquisition of MPA Fish Farms Pty Ltd and MPA Marketing Pty Ltd (“MPA”), which operate Australia’s only ocean-based barramundi farm at Cone Bay, Western Australia ... Tassal remains focused on its purpose of ‘Sustainably Feeding Tomorrow’ and are delighted to add barramundi to its ever-growing list of products.

Recreational fishers and boaters from all corners of the state will again have the chance to discuss their much-loved pastimes and share ideas to make fishing even better at a series of free Fishing and Boating Forums. These forums, hosted by local fishing clubs, have become an annual tradition, with this year marking the third consecutive instalment.

On a visit to the Torres Strait, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner announced the composition of the new 10-person Cape York Special Fisheries Working Group to provide advice on fisheries issues in the region.

The Territory Labor Government is investing $2.2 million in the 2023/24 budget to establish a dedicated Fisheries Compliance Unit, comprising of one manager and eight officers, within the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade ... the unit’s core duties will include the monitoring of fishing activities in Territory waterways including catches of high-risk fish stock, such as black jew fish.

Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity and Compliance Dr Chris Locke said new fees and charges for importers would better reflect the true cost of delivering Australian biosecurity services. “While some importers will experience slightly larger increases in the prices, the average increase across all importers is around 28 per cent,” said Dr Locke.

From 7th July 2017, a temporary ban on the importation of uncooked prawn products was lifted and replaced with import conditions which have consequently failed and once again threatened our great seafood industry. Recent detections of White Spot Disease (WSD) at three prawn farms on the NSW North Coast have the SFF calling on the Federal Government to slam the door shut and permanently ban the importation of raw, uncooked prawns and decapod crustaceans into Australia.

A two-year control order preventing the harvesting of prawns from the Clarence River announced as part of a $21.4 million biosecurity response package to White Spot virus could be the death knell for an industry already on its knees, if not managed properly, says the Clarence River Fishermen’s Co-operative ... But Ms Adams said if the control order on the Clarence Estuary is not managed well, there won’t be a prawn industry on the Northern Rivers in two years’ time.