Fisheries Victoria
'A fortnightly round-up of recreational fisheries management issues'
Fish-e-Fax Issue 178, 17 August 2006
Your fishing licence fees at work
A total of 25 projects and initiatives that will benefit and improve recreational fishing in Victoria have been announced by the Minister Responsible for Fisheries, Bob Cameron. The projects are funded by revenue generated from the sale of Recreational Fishing Licences (RFL) that are allocated to a trust account.
Each year the Recreational Fishing Grant Program accepts applications in the following categories:
Recreational fisheries sustainability and habitat improvement (including fish stocking);
Recreational fishing access and facilities;
Recreational fisheries research; and
Recreational fisheries related education, information and training.
Recreational fishing stakeholders on the Fisheries Revenue Allocation Committee (FRAC) assess applications every year and make recommendations to the Minister.
Many projects also include financial or in-kind contributions by the applicants who include local fishing clubs, Crown land committees or management groups, Catchment Management Authorities, local councils and other organisations.
The projects funded for this round (2005/06) are worth more than $1.2 million. This brings the value of projects funded by the Recreational Fishing Grant Program to more than $6 million since it was initiated by the State Government in 2001.
Type of water
Number of Projects
Total funding from licence sales revenue
Inland
9
$436,815
Marine / Estuarine
10
$424,956
State-wide / all-waters
5
$172,880
Fish stocking
1
$209,892*
Total
25
$1,244,543
* To supplement Fisheries Victoria's $1.1 million 2006/07 fish stocking budget.
All enquiries regarding the Grant Program can be directed to Mr Robert Krix, Executive Officer, Fisheries Revenue Allocation Committee, Po Box 4440 Melbourne 3001 (phone: 9658 4369) or email robert.krix@dpi.vic.gov.au .
Secret sex life of Murray cod exposed
Victorian scientists from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) thought that the Murray cod, one of Australia's iconic species, was monogamous. However recently they have discovered from a study of genes in larval fish that it is most likely to be polygamous, meaning the males pair with more than one female. They have found that pairings of two females to one male is not uncommon in several captive spawnings.
Researchers are looking to further their study by determining if genetically separate wild populations of cod exist or have existed in the past by analysing contemporary cod samples alongside historic fish scales collected up to 55 years ago.
The polygamous activity has surprised scientists. Knowledge of the sex life of Murray cod will inform management of the species at the population levels. Information on genetic population structure will provide recommendation for management strategies that aim to promote the long-term survival of wild populations, with flow-on benefits to anglers.
Fishing control measures for abalone
Fisheries Victoria has restricted the taking of abalone, all other shellfish and sea urchins along a stretch of the coastline near Port Fairy as a part of the stock management response following the outbreak of the abalone virus, ganglioneuritis, in that area.
The closed area is bounded by the high water mark from approximately 1 kilometre west of the Crags car-park to the Killarney Beach car-park and includes an area of marine waters extending seaward between 500 to 700 metres.
The ban introduced by a Fisheries Notice on 15 August 2006 is in effect for 60 days and applies to both recreational and commercial abalone fishers. It also prohibits the collection and removal of any substrate from the area. The Notice has been introduced to restrict abalone fishing activity to allow time to assess the impact of the virus on local populations, develop future fishing strategies and to help reduce the threat of the virus being spread by human activity.
Monitoring and surveillance of the abalone stock is continuing to determine the extent of the virus.
Compliance round-up
Three Melbourne men are to appear at the Bairnsdale Magistrates Court after their car was searched by fisheries officers near Bairnsdale. The officers recovered 63 undersized bream from a sleeping bag, hidden in another bag. The fish were taken from the Gippsland Lakes where the minimum legal length is 28cm and the possession limit is 10 per person per day.
A man from Corio was convicted on four charges of taking undersized fish and exceeding the legal catch limit. Fisheries officers observed the man catching small fish and placing them in a bag, which was concealed between rocks in shallow water. Upon inspection, 21 undersized snapper ranging in size from 19 to 25cm were found in the bag. He was fined $800, along with $59 costs and forfeiture of fishing equipment. Victoria's minimum catch size for snapper is 27cm, whilst the catch limit is 10 fish per person per day.
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