fisheries – Page 8 – ANGFA Queensland

Warning to aquarium enthusiasts

aquarium, Australian native freshwater species, fisheries, government, pest species

Oct 172013

Media release from DAFF

Aquarium enthusiasts are being urged to take care when collecting or buying fish for their aquarium.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) officer Philippa Newton said QBFP have noted an increase in the number of recreational fishers catching illegal fish for their aquariums.

"All regulated fish must comply with size and possession limits regardless of whether they are kept for consumption or to keep in an aquarium," she said.

"Some fish, such as declared noxious fish and no-take species, cannot be taken and kept in aquariums.

"There are restrictions on the types of recreational fishing gear that can be used when collecting fish for aquariums.

"The most popular gear to use is a scoop net, which must not exceed 2m in any dimension, have a handle not longer than 2.5m and a minimum 25mm mesh size.

"It's also important to remember that you cannot collect aquarium fish to sell unless you have the appropriate licence.

"Collecting aquarium fish to sell without the appropriate licence could land you an $1100 on-the-spot fine or a maximum penalty of $110,000."

Ms Newton warned aquarium enthusiasts to also take care when purchasing aquarium fish, especially through online classifieds.

"People need to ensure the fish they purchase for their tank is legal.

"If buying a fish, check if the species is regulated and whether it has a size limit. If a size limit applies, ensure the fish meets the requirements.

"Always request a receipt to assist in identifying the source and legitimate sale of the fish.

"A $220 on-the-spot fine or a maximum penalty of $110,000 applies to people found in possession of an undersize fish."

"If anyone suspects that fish is being sold illegally, for example an undersize fish from Queensland waters or a noxious fish, report it immediately to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.

For more information on size and possession limits or collecting fish for aquariums, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.

Follow Fisheries Queensland on Facebook and Twitter (@FisheriesQld).

Media contact: Jodana Anglesey, 3087 8601

Evidence of unsustainable fishing in the GBR

fisheries, waterways/wetlands

Oct 162013

Media release from the University of Sydney

Maria Byrne, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Sydney has researched the unsustainable fishing of sea cucumbers.

Sea cucumber fishing in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park shows worrying signs of being unsustainable. Many species being targeted are endangered and vulnerable to extinction, as determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

This situation is outlined in a study recently published in the journal Fish and Fisheries by Maria Byrne, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Sydney and Deputy Director of One Tree Island Research Station, and lead author Dr Hampus Eriksson, post-doctoral researcher at Stockholm University.

"Sea cucumbers play a vital role in reef health and our previous research indicates that they may help reduce the harmful impact of ocean acidification on coral growth. The viability of their numbers may well be crucial to the condition of coral reef ecosystems."

"The crown-of-thorns starfish is often singled out as responsible for the decline in the barrier reef. This work suggests that overfishing of ecologically important species such as sea cucumbers, may have also contributed to this decline."

"Until we have a better understanding of levels of sustainable harvest - and the impact this will have on the reef - we recommend introducing precautionary reductions in sea cucumber fishing," said Professor Byrne. "Extending the current periods when fishing does not occur is also likely to have positive effects on stock recovery."

Sea cucumbers are harvested around the world to produce the product 'trepang' or 'beche-de-mer' which is especially popular in China.

In recent years more than 24 sea cucumber fisheries in tropical nations including nearby Samoa, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have had their fisheries closed due to overfishing.

Over 70 percent of tropical sea cucumber fisheries are now considered depleted, fully exploited or over-exploited.

Overfishing is often blamed on the limited capacity to manage fish stocks in these, often poor, countries.

"Tropical fisheries have followed a predictable path of responding to declines in catches of high-value species by switching to other, often lower value, species which are now also overfished," said Dr Eriksson.

"We conducted the study on this fishery on the Great Barrier Reef to see what Australia could share with low-income developing countries that lack management capacity."

Professor Maria Bryne said: "Sadly we found striking similarities with low-income countries. Our analysis of catch reports over a 20 year period (1991 to 2011) showed the same pattern of exploitation with no baseline data to assess change.

In the Great Barrier Reef fishery, the only industrial scale tropical fishery, the high value sea cucumber species, teatfish, has been replaced with lower-value sea cucumber species such as curryfish.

"Pursuing profits by targeting abundant species which sell for less while continuing to fish scarce high-value species is a pathway to their extinction ," said Dr Eriksson.

"This substantial shortcoming in fishery management is not appropriate for a fishery in the iconic Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, keeping in mind that UNESCO may declare the park as a 'World Heritage Site in Danger' and the recent downgrade of reef condition from 'moderate' to 'poor'."

"While most fisheries in developing countries struggle to monitor catches, in Australia the data exist but are confidential. We have to question whether this confidentiality in catch data - the main source of information for fishery management - is best practice", said Professor Byrne.

It appears that providing relatively few fishers with exclusive access to a large fishing area through licenses does not safeguard sustainable sea cucumber harvests.

Discovery highlights hazards of relocating animals among habitats

fisheries, pest species, threatened species

Oct 152013

Media release from the Newsroom at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Scientist Reports New Species of Giant Amazonian Fish

These arapaima, which were photographed in a public aquarium in the Ukraine, appear to be the new species recently described by Dr. Donald Stewart of SUNY-ESF. They clearly show the elongated sensory cavity as a dark bar on the lower side of the head, a feature that is known only for A. leptosoma.

A new species of the giant fish arapaima has been discovered from the central Amazon in Brazil, raising questions about what other species remain to be discovered and highlighting the potential for ecological problems when animals are relocated from their native habitats.

“Everybody for 160 years had been saying there’s only one kind of arapaima. But we know now there are various species, including some not previously recognized. Each of these unstudied giant fishes needs conservation assessment,” said Dr. Donald Stewart of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), who made the discovery.

The discovery was reported in a paper Stewart recently published in the journal “Copeia.”

For two centuries, arapaima have been among the most important commercial fishes in freshwaters of the Amazon. “Arapaima have high economic, cultural and scientific value, but their diversity has been overlooked for too long,” Stewart said.

Four species of arapaima were recognized in the mid-1800s, but in 1868, Albert Günther, a scientist at the British Museum of Natural History, published an opinion that those were all one species, Arapaima gigas. Over time, Günther’s view became the prevailing wisdom.

“Until this year, no taxonomist has questioned Günther’s opinion about these iconic fishes,” Stewart wrote.

That lack of inquiry changed, however, when Stewart began studying the genus in Guyana and Brazil. “If you’re going to do conservation biology, you have to be sure about the taxonomy of the animals being studied,” he said. “If each study area has a different species, then results from one area should not be applied to manage populations in the next area.”

Delving into scientific literature from the 19th century and examining original specimens preserved at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, Stewart concluded that all four of those originally described species were, in fact, distinct. Stewart re-described one of those original species (in a paper published in the March issue of “Copeia”) and summarized status of the other three species. Stewart’s most recent discovery came when he examined preserved arapaima at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia in Manaus, Brazil. This new description brings the total number of species to five.

The recently identified specimen was collected in 2001 near the confluence of the Solimões and Purus rivers in Amazonas State, Brazil. It is distinguished from all other arapaima by several characteristics, including the shape of sensory cavities on the head, a sheath that covers part of the dorsal fin and a distinctive color pattern. Its scientific name, A. leptosoma, is in reference to its slender body.

“Failure to recognize that there are multiple species has consequences that are far reaching,” Stewart said. “For example, there is a growing aquaculture industry for arapaima, so they are being moved about and stocked in ponds for rearing. Eventually pond-reared fishes escape and, once freed, the ecological effects are irreversible. A species that is endangered in its native habitat may become an invasive species in another habitat. The bottom line is that we shouldn't be moving these large, predatory fishes around until the species and their natural distributions are better known. Given the uncertainties, precaution is needed.”

There is also the problem that arapaima are the most historically overexploited fishes of the Amazon Basin, having been subjected to intense and largely uncontrolled fishing pressure for at least a century. “Abundances of arapaima in large expanses of their natural habitat today are near-zero, largely as a consequence of overfishing,” said Dr. Leandro Castello, an authority on arapaima in Brazil. “The likely impacts of this magnitude of overfishing on species diversity are not good.”

Stewart said the newly discovered species is on display in a public aquarium in the Ukraine, where it was identified as Arapaima gigas, the single name that has been applied to all arapaima for the past 140 years. It thus appears this new species already is being cultured and exported from South America, but under the wrong name.

Stewart’s work was supported by ESF and the National Geographic Society.

Boom for redclaw industry

Australian native freshwater species, fisheries

Oct 142013

Original story at the North Queensland Register

Redclaw farming is in the midst of a revolution to meet the growing domestic demand for the North Queensland native product.

QUEENSLAND’S redclaw crayfish industry is no longer confined to backyards, with the industry in the midst of a revolution to meet the growing domestic demand for its product.

Innovation, research and the revolution at large will be showcased at the upcoming Redclaw Revolution Conference, which will be held on October 25 at the Cairns TAFE Hospitality Centre and hosted by the Queensland Crayfish Farmers Association.

The QCFA have devoted themselves to innovation and research in the industry and, along with investment by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, are largely responsible for the revolution.

Redclaw Industry spokesperson John Stevenson said a highlight of the conference would also be presentations from James Cook University’s globally renowned researchers, who will detail their research and development innovations.

“The redclaw industry’s vision for the future is to build redclaw farming into a cohesive, thriving, and vibrant industry that is recognised as a significant player on the Australian Aquaculture scene,” Mr Stevenson said.

“Our vision is in mesh with the Queensland government’s “Food for a Growing Economy” initiative, as we are ideally placed to make a significant contribution to this strategy,” he said.

Already, the North Queensland native redclaw features on the menus of leading chefs in Australia’s most popular restaurants.

And, now with professional farmers embracing the new techniques developed in recent years, growth of redclaw farming is set to improve the prosperity of rural Australia in both employment and commerce.

“Redclaw farming is an energetic and rewarding business and continuation of the current research and extensive effort will demonstrate the industry’s progressive outlook.”

Mr Stevenson said research funding for projects such as animal behaviour, gender manipulation, and flavour enhancement will be pursued and domestic and export opportunities will be explored.

“People who want to be involved in a dynamic industry with great growth potential should take a serious look at Queensland redclaw, get on the website, and book a place at the Cairns conference.”

To register for the Redclaw Revolution Conference, visit www.queenslandredclaw.org.

Tropical life a grave threat to south coast

environment, fisheries, waterways/wetlands

Oct 132013

Original story by Larissa Nicholson, The Canberra Times

Tropical fish will reach the south coast of NSW in a matter of decades, posing a grave threat to local fish and native kelp forests.

A unicorn fish.

University of NSW research fellow Erik van Sebille says climate change is dramatically heating the ocean off eastern Australia, prompting tropical fish to migrate south to find waters of suitable warmth.

The oceanographer says unicorn fish, pictured, and surgeon fish, usually found in coral reefs, have been found near Sydney and, if nothing more is done to fight climate change, they will make it to the south coast of NSW.

"It's basically one big musical chairs, where all of the species living along the east coast of Australia have to move southwards to keep in line with their preferred temperature habitat," he said.

"Given how far [tropical fish] have come already in the last 30, 40 years or so, it can't be more than a few decades before they come to Batemans Bay."

Elsewhere tropical fish have devastated underwater kelp forests, leaving behind a "desert of the sea", he says.

Overseas examples show tropical fish are used to eating coral, which is hard to digest, so they eat the nutritious kelp forests quickly, destroying whole ecosystems.

"It might come back after a few years, maybe 10, 20 years, but particularly for the fisheries industry, of course, that's a long time to wait," Dr van Sebille said.

He is working with a team of UNSW biologists and climatologists and will present his research at this week's Greenhouse 2013 conference in Adelaide.

He says the stretch of water between Newcastle, NSW and Tasmania on the east coast of Australia is warming faster than almost anywhere else in the world.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's latest report, it has warmed 2C over the past century.

Modelling under the ''business as usual'' scenario suggests it will warm up an extra 5C in the next 100 years.

Dr Van Sebille's team is researching how Australian tropical fish interact with kelp forests and how the forests can be made resilient to their threat.

"You want the kelp to have its best possible defence and to be as prepared as possible, so anything that deteriorates the quality of the kelp wouldn't help, anything that overuses the kelp wouldn't help," he said.

If strong action is taken to prevent climate change, warming in the eastern current can be quite limited, Dr van Sebille says.

"There are a lot of things that are uncertain in the climate model, and probably the biggest uncertainty is really what the policy is going to be, how much CO2 is going to come into the atmosphere," he said.

Wild things get fish tongue-tied

fisheries, research

Oct 132013

Original story by Nicky Phillips, Sydney Morning Herald

If you're a fish, it's not a cat but more likely a bloodsucking parasite that's got your tongue.

Sucker: A tongue biter. Photo: Dr Daisuke Uyeno

The tongue biter, a crustacean related to crabs and lobsters, is a bizarre type of parasite that clings to the fleshy appendage of fish.

While the idea of a creature that sucks the blood from a tongue until it falls off is enough to make most people retch, biologist Melissa Beata Martin fell in love with the creatures when she was a biology student.

For more than two years, she has trawled through the vast collections of natural history museums documenting local species as part of her PhD.

Her research has uncovered two new species and four varieties never before seen in Australian waters.

''But there are likely to be more [new species] because I was only looking at museum collections,'' said Ms Martin, from the National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability.

Wild fish are known to transfer parasites to farmed fish so her research will help the aquaculture industry understand what species of fish different parasites prefer as hosts.

Tongue biters start life as a male and enter fish via their gills before making their way to the fish's mouth where they suck the blood from its tongue until it falls off. ''The parasite then becomes the tongue,'' Ms Martin said.

Once the parasite latches onto the tongue it turns into a female, she said. There have been cases of juvenile male parasites killing half a population of farmed fish. Other cases suggest fish can live with female parasites for years.

Barra off limits

fisheries

Oct 042013

Media release from DAFF

Fishers are being reminded that barramundi will be off limits in the Gulf of Carpentaria from noon 7 October 2013 until noon 1 February 2014.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district officer Owen Witt said the closure was in place to protect barramundi stock during their vulnerable spawning season.

"Barramundi typically aggregate in one area to spawn, making them more vulnerable to predators and fishing pressure,” he said.

“Closed seasons allow stocks to replenish to ensure there are healthy fish stores for current and future generations of Queensland anglers,” he said.

A barramundi closure will also apply in East Coast waters from midday 1 November 2013 to midday 1 February 2014.

For more information on closed seasons for fishing in Queensland, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov.auor call 13 25 23.

Follow Fisheries Queensland on Facebook and Twitter (@FisheriesQld).

Media contact: Jodana Anglesey, 3087 8601

Skippers convicted for taking undersized fish

fisheries

Oct 032013

Original story at Narooma News

COMMERCIAL fishers are being warned to adhere to strict fish size limits and licence conditions or face the consequences after skippers of two commercial fishing trawlers were fined over $7,500 for illegal fishing offences detected in Sydney.

TARGET TIGERS: Tiger and sand flathead such as these recreationally caught fish are one the species sought by South Coast fishing trawlers.

Department of Primary Industries, Director of Fisheries Compliance, Mr Glenn Tritton, said in one case the skipper of a South Coast based trawler was fined $4,000 plus placed on a good behaviour bond by Milton Local Court for selling prohibited size fish.

“Fisheries officers inspected the catch of a 49 year old man from Ulladulla in Sydney in December 2012, after they suspected the majority of the fish were undersized,” Mr Tritton said.

“On inspection it was estimated that 90 per cent of the 1,115 kilograms of silver trevally for sale were of a prohibited size.”

The fish were seized by fisheries officers and donated to Oz Harvest Food Rescue, a charity which collects food that would otherwise be discarded and distributes it to the disadvantaged.

Mr Tritton said in a separate matter a 54 year old man from Dee Why was fined $3,650 by the Downing Centre Local Court after he was found in possession of prohibited size and mutilated fish.

“An inspection by fisheries officers of the trawlers catch revealed a large quantity of prohibited sized flathead and a bag of flathead fillets,” he said.

“The skipper was apprehended on board the fish trawler just inside the heads of Sydney Harbour as it returned from fishing in ocean waters.

“The skipper of the vessel made admissions to possessing 151 prohibited sized blue spot and tiger flathead and mutilating (filleting at sea) a further 113 flathead (226 fillets).

“Fisheries officers suspected that the flathead were of a prohibited size before they had been filleted.

“The whole catch for that fishing trip was seized, totalling 151 prohibited sized flathead, 226 individual flathead fillets, 790 kilograms of whole legal size flathead, 433 kilograms of school whiting and 272 kilograms of mixed fish, molluscs and crustaceans.”

Mr Tritton said that fishers must adhere to the rules and regulations or pay the consequences.

“The retention of prohibited size fish and the filleting of fish at sea that are subject to a size limit will not be tolerated,” Mr Tritton said.

“Minimum size limits have been put in place to allow fish to reach a size where they can breed and taking fish before they have reached this size can reduce our fish stocks for future generations.

“Any fish that is caught in NSW that is of a prohibited size must be returned to the water immediately.

“Fisheries officers will continue to bring fishers who ignore the rules before the courts to face severe penalties.”

The NSW fishing regulations can be found online at www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au

Keep your hooks out of Murray cod this closed season

fisheries

Oct 022013

Media release from DAFF

Fishers planning to fish the Border Rivers over the long weekend are reminded that the Murray cod closed season is from 1 September to 30 November.

Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officer Coby Walker said Queensland’s closed season complements the New South Wales closed season that runs for the same period.

“During the Queensland closed season, Murray cod cannot be taken from the Barwon, Macintyre or Dumaresq Rivers,” Mr Walker said.

“The closure is in place to protect the species during the breeding season.

“The annual closed season is an important measure taken to allow the fish to reproduce so that there are future stocks of this fish for future generations to enjoy.”

Mr Walker said fishers can continue to fish for Murray cod at any of the State’s Stocked Impoundments.

“Murray cod are stocked in Glenlyon, Storm King, Connolly, Coolmunda, Leslie and Cooby Dams,” he said.

“A permit is required to fish at any of these dams. Permits can be purchased online or through a Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIP) agent.

“Money raised from the sale of permits helps fund the restocking of dams with native fish including Murray cod.

“SIP dams are a great sustainable fishing option for freshwater fishers.

“If you are fishing for Murray cod outside the closed area, a minimum size limit of 60 cm and maximum limit of 110 cm, and a maximum possession limit of two applies.”

For more information on closed seasons or SIPs, visit www.fisheries.qld.gov.au or call 13 25 23.

Follow Fisheries Queensland on Facebook and Twitter (@FisheriesQld).

Media contact: Jodana Anglesey, 3087 8601

Size Matters If You’re Fishing

fisheries

Sep 302013

Original story by Lily Hay Newman, Gizmodo

Apparently the size of the fish you fish matters if you're fishing on a large scale. You may not have thought about this, but it makes sense given broad overfishing concerns plus our knowledge of selective breeding. As MinuteEarth explains, there are laws that establish a minimum size for catching fish so young fish have a better chance of growing up and reproducing. Which sounds like it makes sense. But an unintended consequence of these laws has been fisherpeople catching the largest fish they can, thus creating a situation where small fish reproduce disproportionately with other small fish. And the issue there is that small fish don't produce as many eggs and don't equip their eggs with as much built-in food for the development process. Add that to genetic predisposition to be small and you've got small fish producing less total offspring but more . . . small fish. You know what, it's a whole big fish small fish thing, just watch the video.

Older Entries Newer Entries