Tilapia for sale

[wrip109]

Laws must be different in NSW...

Phil

[tailorboi99]

Me and a few mates could beat that price. ;)

No, but in all seriousness - a Wiki entry states that you need a permit to buy and sell Tilapia. So I don't know why they would be selling them if a permit is required to buy them. :o

Good find, thanks.

[pubgolf]

I think there was a mistake on the price tag should have read 6.99 p/tonne

[wrip109]

Under Section 89 of the Fisheries Act 1994, a person must not possess pest fish such as tilapia. The maximum penalty is $150,000.

[Luc]

Qld fisheries legislation does not apply in NSW.

Now if the tilapia had been caught in Qld & shipped interstate then whoever did it is in the poo real deep.

Luc

[jimbamb]

surely dead fish aren't a risk????

[OISTA]

I think they are regarded as bad when freshly dead as they are mouth breeders and the young can survive in the mouth for a while after death. Thats why they need to be disposed of far from the waters edge where critters can't drag them back in.

[FNQCairns]

They are good eating too! Shame QLD fisherys doesn't have it's head screwed on regarding the private/boutique consumption of this fish throughout certain ranges....not much within the current regulations regarding dead tilapia can actually make a difference...excepting of coarse degrees of less than a difference.


cheers fnq

[Luc]

THe trouble is that if you allow private/boutique consumption, it will simply encourage people to spread it faster.

Recently, fisheries got rid of some infestations in private dams around Gin Gin and there were several instances that the coppers had to go along so the job could get done.

I agree that it's a rear gard action (and I suspect so does fisheries) but I'm all in favour of delaying the spread as much as possible.

Not so long ago, an ANSA club tried to get tilapia on the ANSA Qld eligible species list using the argument that encouraging fishing for them would help to keep numbers down. The answer from fisheries was NO as they don't want anything in place that would 'promote' tilapia especially as their research shows that fishing has virtually no effect on the population numbers. The things simply breed faster than you can catch them.

Luc

[bondy99]

If the Queensland Government really wanted to to get rid of most pest fish such as Tilapia, Gold Fish, and European Carp from the dams , they can take a leaf out of DPI Fisheries Victoria. They have successfully eradicated carp from one dam (sure it took time and sure people bitched and whined because they were banned from fishing in the dam for a period of time).

Fisheries in conjunction with research scientists developed a few radio collar transmitters that were injected into the fish (Female fish ) and therefore were called Judas. All the males congregate around females as you would know...you are a male.

Dam exists were covered with fine gauze etc, etc, electrofishng commenced in every corner of the dam and every nook and cranny on daily, weekly and monthly cycle during all phases of weather.

They are not 100% removed but 99.99% have been.

Fisheries Qld obviously have their own agenda and never done a complete marketing or survey (except to a select amount of people) and then so probably demographically.

I would like to know what research they did to come up with the conclusion "Fishing has virtually no effect on the population numbers". Cobblers.

Fisheries Qld will always look for an excuse for an easy way out and will always carry out the whims of the Government irrespective of what political pursuation is in power at the time.

This state have a lot of people out of work and with sheer volume of people the Govt could utilise this manpower (woman included) to good use and assist in eradicating these pests as well as noxious and feral weeds that overrun streams and bushes...the legacy of the original pommies that brought their rabbits, sparrows, foxes to name a few so they make Australia like England...(pricks).

Now this would be more beneficial under the "Work for the Dole Scheme"

Peter

[Mike Delisser]

Bondy everyone wants to get rid of them. Are you familiar with the extent of the Tilapia problem in some of the states largest dams? On a golf course pond in NQ 5 tilapia became over 1 ton of fish in 2 years.

I wonder if those Tilapia were imported into NSW from o/s as frozen fish?

[FNQCairns]

If the Queensland Government really wanted to to get rid of most pest fish such as Tilapia, Gold Fish, and European Carp from the dams , they can take a leaf out of DPI Fisheries Victoria. They have successfully eradicated carp from one dam (sure it took time and sure people bitched and whined because they were banned from fishing in the dam for a period of time).

Fisheries in conjunction with research scientists developed a few radio collar transmitters that were injected into the fish (Female fish ) and therefore were called Judas. All the males congregate around females as you would know...you are a male.

Dam exists were covered with fine gauze etc, etc, electrofishng commenced in every corner of the dam and every nook and cranny on daily, weekly and monthly cycle during all phases of weather.

They are not 100% removed but 99.99% have been.

Fisheries Qld obviously have their own agenda and never done a complete marketing or survey (except to a select amount of people) and then so probably demographically.

I would like to know what research they did to come up with the conclusion "Fishing has virtually no effect on the population numbers". Cobblers.

Fisheries Qld will always look for an excuse for an easy way out and will always carry out the whims of the Government irrespective of what political pursuation is in power at the time.

This state have a lot of people out of work and with sheer volume of people the Govt could utilise this manpower (woman included) to good use and assist in eradicating these pests as well as noxious and feral weeds that overrun streams and bushes...the legacy of the original pommies that brought their rabbits, sparrows, foxes to name a few so they make Australia like England...(pricks).

Now this would be more beneficial under the "Work for the Dole Scheme"

Peter

None but it's simple they mean that while we ensure through punitive regulation no one will be bothered to fish for them in a dedicated way and that just suits us fine because there is not enough money in it for us to care.

For sure and without doubt fishing will have positive local impacts on population numbers, fishery's stupid is as stupid does. Ideology rules in fishery's first.

[Fitzy]

I really am sorry, but I cannot agree, even remotely with some statements above. Rediculous & un-educated info can cause alot of damage to the cause.

I 100% support the concept that recreational fishing will have little or no impact on the population fo tilapia in a river or lake scenario with standar fishing practices.

We've had thousands of anglers every week fish at Lake Somerset, to name one example. This, combined with a heavy stocking program of native predator fish has impacted on tilapia numbers in any way shape or form. In fact, tilapia managed to become established with very high recreational fishing pressure AND a highly stocked dam.

These fish are super super competitive, highly adaptive and can breed far faster than any natives.

In our community fish hatchery at Ipswich. Someone threw THREE (3) tilapia into one of the above ground pools we use as grow out tanks when we finished construction. We left them there thinking they'd die in short order. In 6 months, with no food, only occasional leaves falling into the water & some algal growth, these 3 fish turned into thousands in several distinct generations.
1 barramundi fingerling at 25mm was added at the start of winter & by spring that barra had munched its way upto a foot long. The tilapia were still just as thick. We killed the lot off with chlorine, some had eggs in their mouths which, if thrown in the water could have hatched, even several days afterwards.

Tilapia are a very serious threat to our waterways & native fish. Their ability to dominate a waterway is very real & should not be underestimated.

************************************************** **

The reason for not allowing them to be harvested in Qld waters is that as soon as someone backs a buck out of catching or selling them, there will be the temptation to drop a few in every dam, river, lake & pond. Turn a small business into a massive operation overnight..

fitzy..

[FNQCairns]

I really am sorry, but I cannot agree, even remotely with some statements above. Rediculous & un-educated info can cause alot of damage to the cause.

I 100% support the concept that recreational fishing will have little or no impact on the population fo tilapia in a river or lake scenario with standar fishing practices.

We've had thousands of anglers every week fish at Lake Somerset, to name one example. This, combined with a heavy stocking program of native predator fish has impacted on tilapia numbers in any way shape or form. In fact, tilapia managed to become established with very high recreational fishing pressure AND a highly stocked dam.

These fish are super super competitive, highly adaptive and can breed far faster than any natives.

In our community fish hatchery at Ipswich. Someone threw THREE (3) tilapia into one of the above ground pools we use as grow out tanks when we finished construction. We left them there thinking they'd die in short order. In 6 months, with no food, only occasional leaves falling into the water & some algal growth, these 3 fish turned into thousands in several distinct generations.
1 barramundi fingerling at 25mm was added at the start of winter & by spring that barra had munched its way upto a foot long. The tilapia were still just as thick. We killed the lot off with chlorine, some had eggs in their mouths which, if thrown in the water could have hatched, even several days afterwards.

Tilapia are a very serious threat to our waterways & native fish. Their ability to dominate a waterway is very real & should not be underestimated.

************************************************** **

The reason for not allowing them to be harvested in Qld waters is that as soon as someone backs a buck out of catching or selling them, there will be the temptation to drop a few in every dam, river, lake & pond. Turn a small business into a massive operation overnight..

fitzy..

Above ground do you mean turkey nest? i have spent a little time around native hatchery's gaining a government paycheck and to my knowledge all ponds are productive and have food just like a puddle will given a few weeks, it's just the food is not added by humans to force growth rates at any tropic level.

i agree lakes are a waste of time line fishing is such a grossly low impact, almost hunter gather in extent especially on large continuous surface areas.

An example youngs crossing, below north pine dam, species I remember in there where mosquito fish, rainbows, tandanas, lungfish, spangled's, tilapia, eels, these are what i remember from snorkelling the region 20+years ago. ideology aside why not open this LOCAL waterway to the transport of DEAD Tilapia and their consumption/use as private plant fertiliser/whatever?

Caboolture river may be another now although I cannot remember seeing Tilapia there in my many snorkelling adventures back then.

Short length (in a generic sense)waterways leading to brackish water below infested impoundments is ideal for this purpose. water ways leading to infested areas may also benefit.

there is no competent reason not to allow this in selected areas but for dogma, i do agree that some areas are a no win situation but in others defined quite easily no harm above that already regulated can happen (if one believes in the regs we have ATM make any difference anyway) and given fisherys lack of effective management to date some good will become done.

A good analogy is national parks...lock them up via punitive regulations and force them to explode with introduced flora and fauna species, in effect gutting them forever from what they where before the lockouts..never to be the same and protected from less than nothing....ideology first with ecology running a distant last.

I can also see where fishery's management might consider that natural fishing it's self should be discouraged wherever possible and any added amenity that allows it is simply not on unless forced but it's hard to respect this general blanket standing of theirs.

[Fitzy]

Above ground do you mean turkey nest?
No, as in 10 meter diameter swimming pool. 1 meter deep with lining etc.
Water water straight out of the tap & dechlorinated, no earth in the bottom.

How those buggers survived is beyond me...

fitz..

[wrip109]

If fishing for tilapia has no impact then why bother with no fish zones and fish number limits?

Agreed that there are many anglers in Somerset, but not that many of them target tilapia. Every now and again one will take plastic, but really worms are the ideal bait. Never caught a bass on worm...

Phil

[Si]

If the Queensland Government really wanted to to get rid of most pest fish such as Tilapia, Gold Fish, and European Carp from the dams , they can take a leaf out of DPI Fisheries Victoria. They have successfully eradicated carp from one dam (sure it took time and sure people bitched and whined because they were banned from fishing in the dam for a period of time).

Fisheries in conjunction with research scientists developed a few radio collar transmitters that were injected into the fish (Female fish ) and therefore were called Judas. All the males congregate around females as you would know...you are a male.

Dam exists were covered with fine gauze etc, etc, electrofishng commenced in every corner of the dam and every nook and cranny on daily, weekly and monthly cycle during all phases of weather.

They are not 100% removed but 99.99% have been.

Fisheries Qld obviously have their own agenda and never done a complete marketing or survey (except to a select amount of people) and then so probably demographically.

I would like to know what research they did to come up with the conclusion "Fishing has virtually no effect on the population numbers". Cobblers.

Fisheries Qld will always look for an excuse for an easy way out and will always carry out the whims of the Government irrespective of what political pursuation is in power at the time.

This state have a lot of people out of work and with sheer volume of people the Govt could utilise this manpower (woman included) to good use and assist in eradicating these pests as well as noxious and feral weeds that overrun streams and bushes...the legacy of the original pommies that brought their rabbits, sparrows, foxes to name a few so they make Australia like England...(pricks).

Now this would be more beneficial under the "Work for the Dole Scheme"

Peter
yeah i agree better than at least sitting on your hands saying it wont have an effect and then not doin anything at all. at least have a go. Problem is state government has no money and has interests or issues eleswhere that they deem more important. i dont really want to imagine what state our freshwater native species are going to be in intwenty years. its kind of depressing. those tilapia are aggressive, look after their young, displace and eat nativ species. they have everything going for them to really stuff up our waterways.

[aussiebasser]

Tilapia are a feral fish which adapt well to our conditions. They breed, they displace native species and they move through all sorts of means to adjoining water ways. I suppose they are a bit like the trout in southern states, except down there the Government are breeding them and purposely releasing them. We asked Qld. DPI & F to help us with an old quarry in Ipswich (Haig Street Quarry). They poisoned it with Rotenone and got about 5 tonne of Tilapia out of it. We then stocked it with native species. Who wants to bet me what we'd find there now? As for the successful eradication of European Carp in Victorian waters, you've got to be kidding.

[FNQCairns]

No, as in 10 meter diameter swimming pool. 1 meter deep with lining etc.
Water water straight out of the tap & dechlorinated, no earth in the bottom.

How those buggers survived is beyond me...

fitz..

Seriously hardy for sure, the detritus became the key I suppose.....finally oz has a species that can feed the nation when the next financial? crisis happens upon us, they largely took away rabbits and other game but cannot outlaw fully a stick with string and a bent nail:)

[wrip109]

Can anybody point me to a good tilapia spot in Somerset so I can help clear them out and have some fun at the same time?

Phil

[Mike Delisser]

Can anybody point me to a good tilapia spot in Somerset so I can help clear them out and have some fun at the same time?

Phil

For Tilapia at Somerset just try anywhere that's wet! ;D

Seriously, around the flooded timber upstream from Kirkleagh would be ok, worms, shrimp or pealed prawns, small hook and under a float with a long dropper.

[wrip109]

Ok, I will try tomorrow...

Phil

[davez104]

Did they ever fix the laws in regard to these fish? When the issue first came up, you were not allowed to have any Tilapia in your possession, dead or alive. You were also not allowed to release the fish. This left you in a bit of a dilemma when boat fishing, you couldn't keep them in the boat, couldn't let them go, I don't think you were even allowed to throw them up the bank.

Not sure how the rules are worded now though.

Dave.

[wrip109]

Still the same...

[aussiebasser]

I heard from a bloke who knew his stuff that the Tasmanian Fisheries spent $100 million trying to eradicate carp from one lake down there. They thought they'd succeeded, but later found some more. The cost of this eradication over all of Queensland would be huge. It'd make the national budget choke.

[wrip109]

Hi Mike

Fished Somerset all day with $20.00 worth of worms. Not one tilapia.

Phil
:)

[red toga]

tilapia are probably the most economically viable form of food fish in the world.
just the other day i was speaking to a pro who told me he gets ten bucks a kg for snapper and he got that 10 years ago. it hasnt gone up in ten years, but bait, fuel, ice, transport ( fuel) all have gone up. this means he barely draws a wage lets alone make a profit to buy new gear. i talk to silver perch farmers and many of them are going under or working for next to nothing. if they get 11 bucks a kilo and can make a buck or so a kilo then we have to pay a lot more at retail.
i reckon what should be done, is take a river that the tilapia are established in and allow the culture of the fish in that zone on a big lanbased set up, that does not have any waste water reach the waterway. netted, screened etc. thats in the qld laws to make sure its safe already for potential risky species and if tilapia are already in the local waters then there is no great problem if done properly.
combine it with aquaponic plant culture. use the sametilapia genetics as whats in the rivers.
then any fish that gets grown on the farm has its head cut off or sold as fillets.
i hear they taste great and the economics are there cause they yeild a lot per hectare.
they also dont need a high protein fish diet. save the oceans for trash fish meals.
i wouldt say to do this if tilapia werent already there..but hey, now they can actually meet the socila responsibility of feeding people for cheap with good food.
maybe save medical/hospital costs because people are nourished..
if you take a look at the farms around the world, the stocking rate is massive, the fish tolerate conditions that your native fish cannot hope to. just watch the barra farms and silver perch farms struggling to the point they shut down and people go hungry.
wouldnt you buy tilapia fillets if they were 5- 8 bucks a kilo cheaper?
we should be encouraging the culture of this species, then, if there are commercial fishermen in the area allowed, they can remove the head, send it to offal bin for a food source and sell the fish flesh through the farm. only licensing can occur on areas with tilapia. they will be doing this in thirty years youll see. the problem is we have a great opportunity in qld in the meantime.

[red toga]

oh and fitzy, the reason why they survived with no food is because they can eat algae but will get the odd insect too. ive seen culture sytems based entirely on algae blooms from farm runoff into rivers. that is why you can grow them so cheaply. they have evolved to do well in high nutrient/algae water.

[red toga]

eradicating carps is a dream, they should know that it would be a waste of money.
100 million is a lot of money to spend on the unlikely chance of eradicating and then them never coming back.
you only need 1 male and 1 female and a spring time and you are back to where you started. human pressures on rivers has done a lot more harm than we realise.
does anyone consider the amount of pesticides that are sprayed on our plant crops that make its way into the waters? well this can be crucial because most native species have a stage where they need zooplanktons. without that, they fail. i could go as far to suggest that the carps and tilapia are filling a neiche. only i do agree that they do make things slightly worse for natives than what we humans do alone.

[rayken1938]

"Recently, fisheries got rid of some infestations in private dams around Gin Gin and there were several instances that the coppers had to go along so the job could get done."

These translocations were done by local farmers who were fully aware of what they were doing.
The ones in eureka creek actually crossed the dividing range watershed. It is hard to imagine how this happened naturally.
We can only hope that an effective mode of controll can be discovered soon.
CHeers
Ray

[red toga]

there arent many natives around that can grow as fast or breed so young and produce so many young that can feed on most things. so bag limits or no fish zones are needed for natives to keep populations ok but this is another kettle of fish. its all about the fish biology and sadly, our natives no longer have what it takes to handle built out areas so well. we are going to go from trying to stop them, to accepting they are here to stay and then our kids will probably embrace them and make money off them or eat them. us older generation will scream murder and the kids will think they are native just like they will think our society is native to oz too!