Re: IT'S TIME TO END COMMERCIAL NETTING OF FISH IN THE GIPPSLAND LAKES
Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:30 pm
Dear all I have not responded to some of the recent posts. I have had trouble logging on numerous times over the last few days which is why I asked the administrator to put up my last post. However today I am successful.
Firstly I would like to respond to "Mr Re-tyred" who thinks that the fish are owned by the community. They are in fact a natural resource not owned by anyone. Regarding the ability to transfer commercial access licences. My assertions are based on conversation with Mr Dallas D'Silva, Manager of Policy, Science and Licencing at the Victorian Fisheries Authority. If you want an access licence there is currently one for sale with boats and all equipment on the market for $378000 through Melbourne Ship Brokers. Good Luck!
So further to the other discussions....
The most reliable indicators of available fish in the Gippsland Lakes is provided by records of commercial catch rates. Since 1989 where the commercial landed catch was 1200 tonnes (all fish) the Lakes fishery has declined to 283 tonnes in 2016, 94 tonnes of this was carp. (ref Commercial Fish Production, Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) 2017).
While some of the decline in commercial catch can be attributed to the reduction in commercial licences, the VFA admits to the decline. The VFA state however that the fish stocks "were stable", although at a lower level of productivity compared to the 1970s and 1980's." ref. The Gippsland Lakes fishery-An overview 2016. This document can be found at the fisheries website.
Recreational fishing figures are based on interviews with anglers, creel surveys and diarists.
The Gippsland Lakes fisheries assessment 2016, Fisheries Victoria Science Report Series No 14 ( also available on line), contains a report on a local knowledge survey. In summary, 12 surveys were distributed to recreational fishers with 4 responses. The responses included 3 angler diary participants, who fish more than fortnightly for bream in the Tambo and Mitchell rivers as well as the Nungurner and Metung areas. These respondents believe the abundance of legal sized bream has decreased in the last year due to a number of factors including commercial fishing. These diarists are regular and experienced anglers and can be expected to catch fish in a sponge! They belong to the saying "10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish". It was disappointing that more anglers did not respond to the survey to improve the significance of the results.
I do not believe that conservation and sustainability are dirty words, those of you that resort to the term "greenie" as a form of personal abuse, says more about you than about me. I happen to believe that all the Gippsland Fisheries are an invaluable resource to be responsibly managed and not over exploited to protect them into the future.
For anyone who is interested there is a significant archive relating to the Gippsland Fishery Edited by the late Lynton Barr. This archive is available online by searching for "Around the Jetties by Lynton Barr". The issue list goes back to 2005 until the last just prior to his passing in 2016. 104 substantive newsletters are published with the archive held on the Lake Tyers Beach website. They give a great insight into fishing in the East Gippsland Fisheries. I hope some of you maybe already familiar with the newsletter or may access it in the future.
Signing out... Warrship
Firstly I would like to respond to "Mr Re-tyred" who thinks that the fish are owned by the community. They are in fact a natural resource not owned by anyone. Regarding the ability to transfer commercial access licences. My assertions are based on conversation with Mr Dallas D'Silva, Manager of Policy, Science and Licencing at the Victorian Fisheries Authority. If you want an access licence there is currently one for sale with boats and all equipment on the market for $378000 through Melbourne Ship Brokers. Good Luck!
So further to the other discussions....
The most reliable indicators of available fish in the Gippsland Lakes is provided by records of commercial catch rates. Since 1989 where the commercial landed catch was 1200 tonnes (all fish) the Lakes fishery has declined to 283 tonnes in 2016, 94 tonnes of this was carp. (ref Commercial Fish Production, Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) 2017).
While some of the decline in commercial catch can be attributed to the reduction in commercial licences, the VFA admits to the decline. The VFA state however that the fish stocks "were stable", although at a lower level of productivity compared to the 1970s and 1980's." ref. The Gippsland Lakes fishery-An overview 2016. This document can be found at the fisheries website.
Recreational fishing figures are based on interviews with anglers, creel surveys and diarists.
The Gippsland Lakes fisheries assessment 2016, Fisheries Victoria Science Report Series No 14 ( also available on line), contains a report on a local knowledge survey. In summary, 12 surveys were distributed to recreational fishers with 4 responses. The responses included 3 angler diary participants, who fish more than fortnightly for bream in the Tambo and Mitchell rivers as well as the Nungurner and Metung areas. These respondents believe the abundance of legal sized bream has decreased in the last year due to a number of factors including commercial fishing. These diarists are regular and experienced anglers and can be expected to catch fish in a sponge! They belong to the saying "10% of the anglers catch 90% of the fish". It was disappointing that more anglers did not respond to the survey to improve the significance of the results.
I do not believe that conservation and sustainability are dirty words, those of you that resort to the term "greenie" as a form of personal abuse, says more about you than about me. I happen to believe that all the Gippsland Fisheries are an invaluable resource to be responsibly managed and not over exploited to protect them into the future.
For anyone who is interested there is a significant archive relating to the Gippsland Fishery Edited by the late Lynton Barr. This archive is available online by searching for "Around the Jetties by Lynton Barr". The issue list goes back to 2005 until the last just prior to his passing in 2016. 104 substantive newsletters are published with the archive held on the Lake Tyers Beach website. They give a great insight into fishing in the East Gippsland Fisheries. I hope some of you maybe already familiar with the newsletter or may access it in the future.
Signing out... Warrship