Fishing and conservation news articles and events in Western Australia

FFC state pages are a new addition to the site

if you have news or events to contribute please Email: fisherfc@internode.on.net

 

25/2/11 - FFC Sustainable Fishing Education for Roebuck Bay (WA) project launched!!

The sustainable fishing project education is a collaborative project that aims to provide the most current and scientifically up to date information possible to assist the recreational fishing community and others to fish sustainably and look after the Roebuck Bay region. Read more here or at www.sustainablefishing.net.au (coming soon).

 

22/10/10 WA Governmnet releases indicative Camden sound Marine Park management plan.

There are two main ways that a submission on the indicative management plan can be made: 1. download the ‘Have your say’ questionnaire from www.dec.wa.gov.au and post (no stamp required) to Proposed Camden Sound Marine Park Have Your Say Department of Environment and Conservation Marine Policy and Planning Branch Reply paid 83569 Bentley Delivery Centre WA 6983 or email to haveyoursay@dec.wa.gov.au The closing date for submissions on this plan is 1 February 2011.

Download the management plan here: Department of Environment and Conservation (2010) Proposed Camden Sound Marine Park indicative management plan 2010 Prepared by the Marine Policy and Planning Branch for the Marine Parks and Reserves Authority, Fremantle, Western Australia

23/08/10 Roebuck Bay Working Group (RBWG) newsletter. The RWBG is a fantastic example of marine stakeholders working together to achieve positive outcomes. FFC is a member of the working group. Check out the latest newsletter, it is a great read.

RECOGNISING that Roebuck Bay was without management plans to protect its high values, the Roebuck Bay Working Group (RBWG) formed in 2004 with the objective of developing a values based community driven planning process to protect, restore and maintain the catchment into the future. The RBWG, which is a not-for-profit community based group of 47 members, won a State Coastal Award in 2007. With a strong emphasis on partnerships, the RBWG has been working with landholders, community groups, non-government organisations, industry, the Australian Government, Government of WA and local government to develop management

18/09/10 Latest scientific report on Threadfin Salmon - Important scientific confirmation that Threadfin salmon stock are separate populations, much like Grey Mackerel. This recent collaborative project between Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory has provided some insight into the scale at which threadfin stocks should be managed. The report indicates that both the blue and king threadfin fisheries across northern Australia are comprised of many separate stocks that are highly localised. Within this project, threadfin stocks between Roebuck Bay and 80 Mile Beach were found to be separate stocks, with limited gene flow between the regions. Defining the stock structure of northern Australia’s threadfin salmon species Fisheries Research & Development Corporation Project No. 2007/032 D J Welch1,2, A Ballagh1, S J Newman3, R J Lester4, B Moore1,4, L van Herwerden5, J Horne5, Q Allsop6, T Saunders6, J Stapley7 and N A Gribble7

12/07/10 When will we learn? - as the gulf of Mexico chokes, Australia is opening up more territory to deep water drilling - this risk to our fish and fishing is just not on!

Tell PM Julia 'No oil drilling - protect Margaret River' - " Oil is devastating the Gulf of Mexico right now, and we had our own spill off the Kimberley coast just last year. With 31 new oil leases approved this year, this scenario is now even more possible in our own backyard. But we have a fresh opportunity to stop this. With a new Prime Minister and a Federal election just around the corner, it's now up to us to make this an election issue. Political parties are currently deciding on their election commitments, so if ever there was a time to be speaking up, its NOW."

 

03/03/10 Marine Parks and recreational fishing in WA - These pages have been put together to address some of the concerns of rec fishos about the impacts of MPAs, and in particular sanctuary zones, on their lifestyle and fishing future in Western Australia.

 

22/02/10 - Gas hub concerns - Abc online - A state government report has found that a gas development near Broome could have a major impact on the region's fisheries. The development at James Price Point will process gas from the Browse Basin. The report, which has not been released publicly, suggests fish numbers will decline and that will affect the local economy. Also Kimberley gas hub threatens fish: report.

 

17/02/10 - Feedback sought on lobster resource sharing plan - abc online - A new scoping paper examining the sharing of resources between different lobster fishing sectors has been released for public comment. Department of Fisheries' spokesman Chris Reid says currently 95 per cent of the rock lobster fishery is allocated to the commercial sector and 5 per cent to recreational fishers. He says the paper will have implications for all fisheries. "There's a limited amount of catch that can be taken and so obviously you need mechanisms to allow the different sectors to access the catch that can be taken and the paper examines different approaches that can be used Fishers are being asked to make submissions to the paper by April 23.

Don't bother trying to find the paper on the Governement website - it is there but it is not easy to find - looks like they are trying to slip this one under the radar... here is how to find the scoping paper-and Potential reallocation mechanisms for the transfer and/or adjustment of catch shares between sectors with application to the Western and South Australian rock lobster fisheries

04/02/10 Kimberley fishermen ask PTTEP Australasia to accept liability for any long-term damage to fish stocks. Fishermen in the Kimberley, who have commenced legal action over the Montara oil spill, say they are yet to receive a response from the company responsible.

30/01/10 Video of camden sound to view - From WA DEC. This is a flyover of the Camden Sound region in the Kimberley WA. The WA Governement has announced that there will be a marine park declared in this region, to protect the Humpback whales that breed and calve there...

 

23/01/10 New review paper: Temperate marine reserves: global ecological effects and guidelines for future networks

Extract: Available evidence indicates that temperate no-take marine reserves have higher densities, biomass, and species richness of marine biota within their boundaries compared to areas outside reserves. Fish density and biomass in particular are higher in no-take than in adjacent areas, which is consistent with previous analyses (Mosqueira et al. 2000; Côtéet al. 2001; Halpern 2003; Micheli et al. 2004; Claudet et al. 2008). We also found that algal densities are higher inside reserves, which may indicate a trophic effect. In temperate systems, the common grazers such as sea urchins often reach high densities in the presence of fishing because their predators are removed from the system, and thus this result suggests a return to a more intact ecosystem state inside reserves (Behrens & Lafferty 2004).

17/01/10 Play the sandy the seal game

 

 

 

 

 

 

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