30 November 2013

Murray cod season opens at midnight

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For the hunter gatherers among you:

The Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate would like to advise anglers that the Murray Cod fishing season re-opens at midnight on Saturday, 30th November 2013.

“In order to maintain our Murray Cod stocks and allow the fish to spawn, the ACT season closed on 31 August 2013 for a three month period,” Daniel Walters, Director of Environment Protection and Water Regulation said today.

“During this time fishing for Murray Cod in all ACT waterways was prohibited.

“As with previous years, there is a daily bag limit of two Murray Cod per person per day and a minimum legal length of 60cm, however anglers may have only one over 100cm in their possession.

“It is important that anglers are fully aware of the fishing rules before dropping a line,” Mr Walters said. Anglers should be aware that fishing activities are regularly monitored in the ACT with fines applicable to those found carrying out illegal conduct.

Penalties of up to $5000 apply for contravention of the Fisheries Act 2000.

For more information, or to obtain a copy of the ‘Recreational Fishing in the ACT’ information sheet, contact Canberra Connect on 13 22 81 or visit www.environment.act.gov.au

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rigseismic678:51 am 17 Dec 13

I grew up fishing regularly and cannot understand why anyone would kill one of these great river monsters. Catch and release unless its an introduced species.

The ‘hunting/killing/food for the pot’ theme accompanying this post is out of place.

No thinking person would dream of killing a wild Murray cod out of the Murrumbidgee River.

In a responsible world with responsible, precautionary, pro-active government and management agencies, the Murray cod of the ACT Murrumbidgee would already be “catch-and-release” only.

Wild river Murray cod are precious, they are not common, and they are under a lot of pressure from introduced carp, the introduced anchor worm carp spread (an horrific parasite), introduced redfin, massive reductions in flows (from ACTEW’s environmentally indefensable water off-take and the grotesque environmental outrage that is Tantangara Dam) and massive siltation and pollution from both urban Canberra and poorly managed agricultural lands.

We hope they will yet be made “catch-and-release” only.

For those who MUST kill a Murray cod, there are stocked Murray cod in impoundments and taking one of them does far, far less damage than taking a wild river fish.

I will concede angling is ethically a touch grey. It’s an issue I’ve thought about a lot.

I have decided I am comfortable angling for native fish on a catch-and-release basis under the following “personal rules” that I follow at all times:

– strictly catch and release

– best practice catch and release — only lures with barbless hooks, only strong tackle (so fish are not “over-played” and exhausted), no use of landing nets, no placing of fish on hot/dry/rough surfaces (disastrous for cod species), no dangling of fish by their jaws or gills (proven now to cause ligament and spinal damage in fish), if fish are lifted from the water they are handled with wet hands and lifted horizontally with both hands supporting their weight, and only one or two quick photos taken.

– no long stupid brag-photos sessions

– fish are back in the water in 30 seconds or so

– closed season is strictly observed, and cod are also (voluntarily) not pursued in winter. (It is utterly proven, scientifically, that cod caught and released in winter will resorb their developing eggs and not spawn, but both the average fisherman and fishery departments *don’t wanna hear it* and *don’t wanna do something about it* (i.e. extend the start of the closed season back to 1 June, or at least 1 July.))

I will not whitewash the problems that come with angling, but I will point out there are benefits too.

The better fishermen become very passionate about native fish, their plight, their habitats, their survival.

To know Murray cod (to get specific) is to know how utterly magnificent, charismatic and inspiring they are, and how important it is to look after wild populations.

Out of sight, out of mind — I’m sorry, but I’m yet to meet a single inner-city, vegan, PETA-joining, anti-fishing type who knows anything about Murray cod, much less has a raging passion for their conservation.

poetix said :

Some people commenting on this thread are trolling…

‘Trawling’, even…

Some people commenting on this thread are trolling…

Antagonist said :

At one stage, ALL stocking programs in the ACT were paid for by local anglers (zero input from ACT Government). In fact, I am pretty sure we are still paying for 50% of the fingerling being released (although more than happy to be corrected).

I don’t think the stocking program has ever been entirely funded by anglers (also happy to be corrected). When was this period you speak of?
The ACT Gov currently spends an average of about $15k per year on fish stocking. The Canberra Fishermans Club has been contributing another $5k for several years now and the NCA occasionally fund stocking in Lake Burley Griffin.

gungsuperstar said :

Sorry, just further to that, I’ll note that Gungahlin Pond is a key site for the release of the baby fish because, at this stage, we believe it’s the only lake, river or pond in Canberra that doesn’t have European carp (who eat all the babies).

Gungahlin Pond does have carp. Up until 2 years ago, Yerrabi Pond was the only Canberra urban lake which didn’t have carp but someone has released them into there and the smaller ponds above it.

The Cotter River above Cotter Dam does not have carp. Googong does not have carp.

Carp do not eat fish (nicluding baby Murray cod). They are filter feeders – sucking up mud, sediment etc and filtering out larval insects and zooplankton. They do outcompete native fish for space/food etc however, destabilise bank vegetation and increase turbidity which doesn’t help natives either.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Don’t mind masquara, it loses its mind at any mention of anything that it could grab the opportunity to poop on labour or greens.

A brainwashed, uneducated bell end.

+1. While it may sound counter-intuitive, it is actually anglers who do the most to preserve stocks of endangered fish species. This is done through fish stocking programs, education of their fellow anglers, and promoting catch and release. At one stage, ALL stocking programs in the ACT were paid for by local anglers (zero input from ACT Government). In fact, I am pretty sure we are still paying for 50% of the fingerling being released (although more than happy to be corrected).

Shauno – you are a massive tosser.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd10:11 pm 01 Dec 13

gungsuperstar said :

Masquara said :

What the hell is with you, Shane Rattenbury? You made a song and dance about banning cage eggs, seeking a big pat on the back when there is no caged egg industry in the ACT – and now you’re letting the government get away with allowing this amazing fish to continue to be fished to extinction. Get with the Green program, Shane, you slacker! Use your balance of power influence and do at least one little thing for our environment while you can.

You nimrod.

I will never understand people prepared to express such strong opinions without having a clue what they’re talking about.

http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/esdd/2013/murray_cod_make_a_splash_at_gungahlin

The ACT Government, for such a tiny jurisdiction with bugger all carriage whatsoever over the Murray-Darling system, punches well above it’s weight in trying to help out the fight to save the Murray cod.

For those too lazy to open the link:

“Recreational fishers and the environment will benefit from the release of 6000 Murray cod fingerlings into Gungahlin Pond on 8 January (2013)… About 1.5 million fish have been introduced to Canberra’s lakes and ponds since the program started in the mid-1990s. Species for stocking are chosen following biennial fish surveys.”

Don’t mind masquara, it loses its mind at any mention of anything that it could grab the opportunity to poop on labour or greens.

A brainwashed, uneducated bell end.

gungsuperstar said :

Masquara said :

What the hell is with you, Shane Rattenbury? You made a song and dance about banning cage eggs, seeking a big pat on the back when there is no caged egg industry in the ACT – and now you’re letting the government get away with allowing this amazing fish to continue to be fished to extinction. Get with the Green program, Shane, you slacker! Use your balance of power influence and do at least one little thing for our environment while you can.

You nimrod.

I will never understand people prepared to express such strong opinions without having a clue what they’re talking about.

http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/esdd/2013/murray_cod_make_a_splash_at_gungahlin

The ACT Government, for such a tiny jurisdiction with bugger all carriage whatsoever over the Murray-Darling system, punches well above it’s weight in trying to help out the fight to save the Murray cod.

For those too lazy to open the link:

“Recreational fishers and the environment will benefit from the release of 6000 Murray cod fingerlings into Gungahlin Pond on 8 January (2013)… About 1.5 million fish have been introduced to Canberra’s lakes and ponds since the program started in the mid-1990s. Species for stocking are chosen following biennial fish surveys.”

Watch it, she will have you stealing her cashmere jumper next………..

gungsuperstar8:51 pm 01 Dec 13

gungsuperstar said :

Masquara said :

What the hell is with you, Shane Rattenbury? You made a song and dance about banning cage eggs, seeking a big pat on the back when there is no caged egg industry in the ACT – and now you’re letting the government get away with allowing this amazing fish to continue to be fished to extinction. Get with the Green program, Shane, you slacker! Use your balance of power influence and do at least one little thing for our environment while you can.

You nimrod.

I will never understand people prepared to express such strong opinions without having a clue what they’re talking about.

http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/esdd/2013/murray_cod_make_a_splash_at_gungahlin

The ACT Government, for such a tiny jurisdiction with bugger all carriage whatsoever over the Murray-Darling system, punches well above it’s weight in trying to help out the fight to save the Murray cod.

For those too lazy to open the link:

“Recreational fishers and the environment will benefit from the release of 6000 Murray cod fingerlings into Gungahlin Pond on 8 January (2013)… About 1.5 million fish have been introduced to Canberra’s lakes and ponds since the program started in the mid-1990s. Species for stocking are chosen following biennial fish surveys.”

Sorry, just further to that, I’ll note that Gungahlin Pond is a key site for the release of the baby fish because, at this stage, we believe it’s the only lake, river or pond in Canberra that doesn’t have European carp (who eat all the babies).

gungsuperstar8:49 pm 01 Dec 13

Masquara said :

What the hell is with you, Shane Rattenbury? You made a song and dance about banning cage eggs, seeking a big pat on the back when there is no caged egg industry in the ACT – and now you’re letting the government get away with allowing this amazing fish to continue to be fished to extinction. Get with the Green program, Shane, you slacker! Use your balance of power influence and do at least one little thing for our environment while you can.

You nimrod.

I will never understand people prepared to express such strong opinions without having a clue what they’re talking about.

http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/esdd/2013/murray_cod_make_a_splash_at_gungahlin

The ACT Government, for such a tiny jurisdiction with bugger all carriage whatsoever over the Murray-Darling system, punches well above it’s weight in trying to help out the fight to save the Murray cod.

For those too lazy to open the link:

“Recreational fishers and the environment will benefit from the release of 6000 Murray cod fingerlings into Gungahlin Pond on 8 January (2013)… About 1.5 million fish have been introduced to Canberra’s lakes and ponds since the program started in the mid-1990s. Species for stocking are chosen following biennial fish surveys.”

What the hell is with you, Shane Rattenbury? You made a song and dance about banning cage eggs, seeking a big pat on the back when there is no caged egg industry in the ACT – and now you’re letting the government get away with allowing this amazing fish to continue to be fished to extinction. Get with the Green program, Shane, you slacker! Use your balance of power influence and do at least one little thing for our environment while you can.

gungsuperstar said :

p1 said :

I’ve never understood the huge difference between what you can legally do to a land dwelling native species, and what you can do to a native fish species.

What a strange comment… what is this huge difference of which you speak?

I think the ‘huge difference’ P1 is referring to is that it is considered perfectly acceptable to torture fish.

Imagine the uproar if you dragged a koala around for ten minutes by a lump of steel you had forced through its jaw, and then slowly drowned it.

gungsuperstar12:54 pm 01 Dec 13

shauno said :

gungsuperstar said :

shauno said :

If its purely for food I dont think there should be any restriction at all be it land or river or sea. Why should a person be restricted to buying food. Should he not be able to catch and kill his own food is this not a natural right?

Why comment when you clearly don’t know a thing about fishing.

You clearly don’t understand 1) what eating a fish out of a Canberra lake would taste like and 2) the enormous pressure this iconic Australian native is after decades of overfishing and after the epic drought we had (and because European carp are like cockroaches in our fresh waterways).

Lol mate ive been fishing since I could barely walk and also hunt as well. Biggest Cod ive got in this area is around 60 pounds from the Murrumbidgee. I also no some places nearby where I can get a trout with every single cast but its a bit of a walk. Also eating fish out of the lakes here is perfectly fine haha what do you actually think is in the lake lol.

You are the worst buddy.

Firstly, because you claim to be a fisherperson, yet you clearly have no regard for the sustainability of an iconic fish under a lot of pressure.

Secondly, because there’s nothing worse than a full of shit fisherman who claims fishing is easy – there is no such spot in or around the ACT where you can “catch a trout every cast”. You just look like a liar and a douche bag claiming otherwise.

Thirdly, have you ever stopped to think what’s in the lakes here? It’s all the run off and all the pollution from the streets and drains in Canberra. Check out the eastern end of Yerrabi Pond or most of Gungahlin Pond, or research how often the fish in LBG are living among the blue green algae. Then tell me that the fish out of these waterways would be good to eat.

They wouldn’t, they’d be full of all sorts of garbage. So you’re eating fish who have been eating pollution for their whole lives – you probably don’t end up eating it, and you’ve killed an endangered fish for no reason at all.

I’ll be at Yerrabi Pond this arvo mate, probably on the dam wall. Please, come along and show me how easy fishing is.

shauno said :

If its purely for food I dont think there should be any restriction at all be it land or river or sea. Why should a person be restricted to buying food. Should he not be able to catch and kill his own food is this not a natural right?

Would make the Rangers job a bit difficult. “So I see you have ten fish there I assume they are all going to be eaten? Well you have to prove it. Here’s a fork”

gungsuperstar said :

p1 said :

I’ve never understood the huge difference between what you can legally do to a land dwelling native species, and what you can do to a native fish species.

What a strange comment… what is this huge difference of which you speak? I’m a fisherman – I’m not a shooter. But shooters are subject to closed seasons just as fishos are; endangered species are protected for both shooters and fishos; in neither case are you not allowed to engage in the activity – you just aren’t allowed to target the species subject to the closed season.

What is the huge difference? The only one I can think of is that fishos get a second chance if you accidentally catch something you’re not supposed to – you can put it back. That’s much harder for shooters!

Which makes the Murray Cod closed season is a bit of an anomaly anyway.

You will often catch Cod while fishing for yellow-bellies, you will occasionally catch Cod while fishing for European Carp – and you will catch them out of season. But I don’t know anyone in Canberra who takes fish out of our gross lakes anyway, so the closed season is a little pointless – for the rusted on fisho, there isn’t actually any difference at all between open and closed season.

If you’ve never caught one and you have a bit of an urge, wait til it’s daaaaaaaamned hot – and then take a rod down to a sheltered part of the lake for the hour or 2 before sunset. It’s awful fishing for kids because you can fish for hours and hours (and hours and hours and hours) without any action – and when you get some action, there’s a strong chance that the rod gets pulled out of the kids hands. So if you’re fishing with kids, stick with your corn and carp.

But for adults with a casual interest? Native fish are incredible to catch. Just remember – the Murray Cod is highly endangered, and under enormous pressure from the Carp who eat their babies. On top of that, the water run-off into the cod fishways is disgusting. There’s no reason in the world that any Cod you pull out of a Canberra lake shouldn’t go back. Please look after them and make sure that our grandkids still have the opportunity to catch these amazing fish.

I’ll see you on the water!

The huge difference is that you can’t shoot land dwelling native animals (except roos) which I understand was the the point p1 was making.

gungsuperstar said :

shauno said :

If its purely for food I dont think there should be any restriction at all be it land or river or sea. Why should a person be restricted to buying food. Should he not be able to catch and kill his own food is this not a natural right?

Why comment when you clearly don’t know a thing about fishing.

You clearly don’t understand 1) what eating a fish out of a Canberra lake would taste like and 2) the enormous pressure this iconic Australian native is after decades of overfishing and after the epic drought we had (and because European carp are like cockroaches in our fresh waterways).

Lol mate ive been fishing since I could barely walk and also hunt as well. Biggest Cod ive got in this area is around 60 pounds from the Murrumbidgee. I also no some places nearby where I can get a trout with every single cast but its a bit of a walk. Also eating fish out of the lakes here is perfectly fine haha what do you actually think is in the lake lol.

gungsuperstar9:34 pm 30 Nov 13

shauno said :

If its purely for food I dont think there should be any restriction at all be it land or river or sea. Why should a person be restricted to buying food. Should he not be able to catch and kill his own food is this not a natural right?

Why comment when you clearly don’t know a thing about fishing.

You clearly don’t understand 1) what eating a fish out of a Canberra lake would taste like and 2) the enormous pressure this iconic Australian native is after decades of overfishing and after the epic drought we had (and because European carp are like cockroaches in our fresh waterways).

shauno said :

If its purely for food I dont think there should be any restriction at all be it land or river or sea. Why should a person be restricted to buying food. Should he not be able to catch and kill his own food is this not a natural right?

Not if the animal could soon become extinct. There are alternatives.

If its purely for food I dont think there should be any restriction at all be it land or river or sea. Why should a person be restricted to buying food. Should he not be able to catch and kill his own food is this not a natural right?

gungsuperstar7:11 pm 30 Nov 13

p1 said :

I’ve never understood the huge difference between what you can legally do to a land dwelling native species, and what you can do to a native fish species.

What a strange comment… what is this huge difference of which you speak? I’m a fisherman – I’m not a shooter. But shooters are subject to closed seasons just as fishos are; endangered species are protected for both shooters and fishos; in neither case are you not allowed to engage in the activity – you just aren’t allowed to target the species subject to the closed season.

What is the huge difference? The only one I can think of is that fishos get a second chance if you accidentally catch something you’re not supposed to – you can put it back. That’s much harder for shooters!

Which makes the Murray Cod closed season is a bit of an anomaly anyway.

You will often catch Cod while fishing for yellow-bellies, you will occasionally catch Cod while fishing for European Carp – and you will catch them out of season. But I don’t know anyone in Canberra who takes fish out of our gross lakes anyway, so the closed season is a little pointless – for the rusted on fisho, there isn’t actually any difference at all between open and closed season.

If you’ve never caught one and you have a bit of an urge, wait til it’s daaaaaaaamned hot – and then take a rod down to a sheltered part of the lake for the hour or 2 before sunset. It’s awful fishing for kids because you can fish for hours and hours (and hours and hours and hours) without any action – and when you get some action, there’s a strong chance that the rod gets pulled out of the kids hands. So if you’re fishing with kids, stick with your corn and carp.

But for adults with a casual interest? Native fish are incredible to catch. Just remember – the Murray Cod is highly endangered, and under enormous pressure from the Carp who eat their babies. On top of that, the water run-off into the cod fishways is disgusting. There’s no reason in the world that any Cod you pull out of a Canberra lake shouldn’t go back. Please look after them and make sure that our grandkids still have the opportunity to catch these amazing fish.

I’ll see you on the water!

I’ve never understood the huge difference between what you can legally do to a land dwelling native species, and what you can do to a native fish species.

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