More mulloway to catch for recreational fishers

[nsw_fisheries]

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/general/news/Newsroom/news_archives_2005/23_may_05_-_more_mulloway_to_catch_for_recreational_fishers_i n_nsw

"This document has been posted for information and to encourage discussion among yourselves. For more information from NSW DPI on the issue, please visit our web site on www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au"

[rando]

The tweed hmmm cant wait.
Too bad the Smart State is too stupid to follow suit.
Imagine 45000 juvenile jew in estuaries from noosa to nerang,to alleviate some of the pressure on SEQ wild stocks

[JewseeTHAT]

They don't get it mate, polluting the gene pool with imports from other areas.. where did the fingerlings come from, broodstock that would have been in the waterways breeding anyway? Why do the mulloways schools need propping up? Coz the pros have way too much latitude to go tearing the guts out of estuaries and other nursery areas, is why.Certainly not because a handful of amateurs spend time and money catching the occasional fish, that's for certain.

[rando]

I always thought that mixing up the gene pool was good for a populations genetic health.
You have to admit its a start. You wont get rid of the pros ,at best you may succeed in regulating their activity.The next best move is too give mother nature a hand. I reacon they should be doing it for all the popular species AND bait species too.
The argument that we shouldnt interfere with the balance of nature does'nt hold water,:weve been interfering for a thousand years. Time to top up the well, not just complain there is not enough water to go round.
IMO
cheers
rando

[basserman]

More mulloway to catch for recreational fishers in NSW
23 May 05
A major three-year fish stocking program of the highly prized sport fish, the Mulloway, is set to begin.

The project will initially see the release of 45,000 Mulloway early next year.

The project is funded by the Saltwater Recreational Fishing Trust, one of two independent bodies of expert anglers who decide where to invest the money collected from recreational fishing license fees.

The fish will be released annually into Botany Bay as well as northern NSW estuaries, including the Tweed and Richmond Rivers.

Importantly, the fishing community will be fully involved in the project, as local fishing clubs will be asked to take part through annual Mulloway angling competitions.

The project also includes research by scientists from the Department of Primary Industries which will help develop strategies to maximise the survival and growth of stocked fish before they are released.

The impact of the release on other fish in the areas involved will also be evaluated, and this will allow scientists to develop a formula for successful fish stocking and release programs for the species.

In a nutshell, we will be able to learn the ideal stocking densities for each ecosystem.

Anglers will be asked to help the research project by donating all Mulloway parts, except the fillet, to DPI scientists for further study.

Pre-stocking surveys will begin later this year and a release will take place annually for a three-year period at the beginning of 2006.

This project is another example of recreational fishers being able to see their license fees at work, and being given the chance to participate in important projects to boost fishing across NSW.



Yep i can't see anything wrong with that
we need to also remeber that alot of these river the fish will be relesed into are pro fishing free
alwasy good to hear things happening and to see how the licencing money is getting spent
hell i will more than happy give my fram to the fisherys ;D

[JewseeTHAT]

Not for me to tell you anything.. i suggest you do more research. Introducing farmed fish into wild stocks is not the godsend you may believe it to be.Diseases, acclimatisation, upsetting the natural cycle too rapidly, in ways it may not be able to respond adequately to.. all these and many more reasons are there to be considered before lumping your opinion in with a government department known for thinking about the consequences AFTER the facts come in.

[basserman]

and what about the bass they have been stocking for years???
sure may not be the best and natrual thing but better than nothing at all

[DICER]

I think this is a great research project. Surely the impact of 45000 fingerlings on the population structure will be assessed, and through this you will have an even better understanding of how to manage such a great table and recreational sport fish. If the result is better quantitative traits this would be even more excellent for us.

I doubt that such a release will cause increase in recessive deleterious traits. An increase in recessive allele frequencies in the total population would be completely dependent on the rate of interbreeding, the original population structure and the number of breeding adults. My guess is, as I'm not a fish population genetic person, the researchers know little about these three criteria in NSW. Research will help clarify the role of stocking these fish.

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

from what i understand the milk & eggs usually come from captured wild stock - any concerns about genetic undrmining of the population would be best emailed to contribute to what may be a worthwhile project - they may sample more parent fish to spread the base etc. Your assumption also is that the individuals milked are of weaker genetic stock ... if they are then competition & predation may well ferret them out anyway.

[Leo_N.]

Bass are generally stocked into impoundments, with little opportunity to move into natural waterways.

Stocking open systems indiscriminantly may be damaging if there are a lot of fish stocked into a particular area from particular parentage. This has the potential to increase inbreeding, limit the genetic base of the population and promote often undesirable recessive traits.

However if managed properly, there is no reason to assume that this will occur. They are only stocking 45 000 fish over a pretty big area.

[basserman]

well alot of the NSW river systems are stocked
not all however some are like Bulahdelah (spelling) river
nepeain i belive as well as Georges river
and many south also
mind you the stocking proble wouldn't of been needed if the goverment and other didn't block the fishes breeding path in the first place

i would hope that with the technology we have today the the goverment departments of others have run tests and as stated will mointor how this first batch goes

another fish we should also note is the trout as this is another fish that once again is widly stocked with good results
i just think we should be willing to give things ago before shooting them down in flames