Tilapia - Eat to help control?

[luigi]

Should current Queensland Law regarding Tilapia be changed to allow this 'cane toad of the waterways' to be targeted and eaten?


Tilapia (Tilapia, Oreochromis and Sarotherodon spp) are declared noxious in Queensland. Two species (Oreochromis mossambicus and Tilapia mariae ) have established in Queensland. It is illegal to possess, rear, sell or buy tilapia. It is also an offence to release tilapia into Queensland waterways or to use them as bait, live or dead. Penalties up to $150 000 apply.

The above quote is from the Queensland DPI&F fishweb. More info can be obtained from http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb/1406.html

Latest reports indicate that Tilapia are out of control in many, if not all Queensland coastal streams. This being the case, the above regulations seem to be a case of trying to close the gate after the horse has bolted.

A bit of research indicates that Tilapia is very good eating & is in fact the most eaten fish sourced from fish farms throughout the world.

To my mind, a good case could be made to allow recreational & commercial fishers to target this species without restrictions as to size & bag limits. Whilst this will not eliminate these fish from our waterways, unrestricted fishing for Tilapia will have some limiting influence on their numbers. The way this problem is tackled at the moment has proved ineffective with little chance of future improvement.

What do you guys reckon?

Cheers - Lou

[vb4me]

To my mind, a good case could be made to allow recreational & commercial fishers to target this species without restrictions as to size & bag limits. Whilst this will not eliminate these fish from our waterways, unrestricted fishing for Tilapia will have some limiting influence on their numbers. The way this problem is tackled at the moment has proved ineffective with little chance of future improvement.

Definately agree. A free for all. . The more people that target them for eating and recreational fishing with no releasing back to the water allowed means a better chance of eradicating this pest.

[Cammy]

yer i agree also, i fish at NPD and their are alot of suckers their, and it isnt hard to catch them so if ya dont catch any natives or the fish you are targeting, at least you got a tilapia lol

cam

[Chezzy13]

Ummmm Either Im having avery blonde moment or I'm not getting the jist if this story??H What are you supposed to do if you catch them??? It says you cant release them nor be in possesion, ( Scratching head)

[disorderly]

Hi Lou,
The last couple of years I,ve read reports in Fish'n'boat mag about an annual Tilapia fishing competition around Cairns and Gordonvale.The fishers are the kids from the local outlying small schools and the author was John Mondora.
It sounds like a fun way to teach the kids about both the environment and fishing at the same time.
Any initiative to reduce the numbers of this carp of the north should be considered.

Good luck trying to change a fisheries policy,though!

cheers Scott

[disorderly]

Chezzy,

When I used to fish the Gwyder River around Gravesend in NSW ,we used to catch heaps of carp.
The accepted form of disposal was to kill them and chuck them up on top of the river bank,where the crows or foxes presumably would have a feed .The carcasses were seldom there the next day.
I guess the same thing would apply for tilapia.

cheers scott

[FNQCairns]

My research 20 years ago below the pine dam at Young's crossing also indicated they were a good feed

Interesting about possession, just throw them back no-one is going to actually make a difference anyway, until the departmental bureaucrats can be bothered enough to put down their Chardonnay and consider laws that make sense and a difference.

cheers fnq

[Luc]

Catch, kill, fillet & eat.

The trouble with promoting people to catch them, is that some will think it's a shame they're not in this or that dam/river & so will transplant them.

Mind you, with Beaty's plan to link our dams, we might as well stock the bloody things everywhere.

They're here to stay. Every flood event in Qld gives them an opprtunity to colonise another piece of water. IMO, eventually every river on the east coast will have them.

The stupid thing is we're told we have to be so carefull so as to not translocate natives but this pest is colonising any waterway it can reach.

Luc

[disorderly]

Does anyone know how far to the south they have been found.?
Could they survive in temperate climate rivers?

Cheers Scott

[Luc]

From the DPI web site:

O. mossambicus are hardy fish and can survive temperatures between 8 and 42 degrees Celcius, although they require temperatures of approximately 16 degrees Celcius to remain active and feed. They can also withstand high salinites and low dissolved oxygen. T.mariae is less tolerant of cooler temperatures and therefore has a lower latitudinal range.

O. mossambicus is the main one in SEQ.

From that I would assume that they could spread almost along the entire east coast of Oz. Generally, it would need human assistance but given their tolerance of of high salinity, a major flood event in South East Qld could allow them to spread south.

Eg, due to rain/flood, the estuary system from Moreton Bay to the Gold Coast effectively becomes brakish and with tilapia washed out of the rivers and creek feeding Moreton Bay, they spread to the Broawater/Nerang river.

A repeat of someting like the 74 floods would, IMO, let them spread south.

Luc

[trueblue]

I used to catch the odd big one in the North Pine Dam about 15 + years ago - we ate them if there was nothing else on the offer.

Too long ago to remember what they tasted like, but I can't recall turning my nose at them on the table...

[oztrav]

yeah if this was to happen midnight stockers would get around yet they would be spread throughout the systems with the water grid I reckon that the laws be changed so that we can cull the species or lessen their numbers and let the natives fight back

would a bread float rig and some bread burly be sufficient to catch a dick load of these critters

[ssab1]

no way, some clowns are already moving them, imagine the consequences if it was made legal to keep them and move them, the bloody things are mouth brooders which in lay terms means the offspring and eggs can remain alive in an esky for a bloody long time,ask yourself how did they get where they are now they certainly didnt walk.god help the natives if they get into the darling.dont need a 74 flood for them to spread thru the east coast systems they can creek and river hop even after average rain.eat the bastards onsite if you're hungry.cheers alex

[Chezzy13]

Chezzy,

When I used to fish the Gwyder River around Gravesend in NSW ,we used to catch heaps of carp.
The accepted form of disposal was to kill them and chuck them up on top of the river bank,where the crows or foxes presumably would have a feed .The carcasses were seldom there the next day.
I guess the same thing would apply for tilapia.

Thanks for that Disorderly

[luigi]

no way, some clowns are already moving them, imagine the consequences if it was made legal to keep them and move them, the bloody things are mouth brooders which in lay terms means the offspring and eggs can remain alive in an esky for a bloody long time,ask yourself how did they get where they are now they certainly didnt walk.god help the natives if they get into the darling.dont need a 74 flood for them to spread thru the east coast systems they can creek and river hop even after average rain.eat the bastards onsite if you're hungry.cheers alex

An interesting post ssab1 & I tend to agree with much of what you have said.

The problem however, is that current control methods apparently aren't working and the Tilapia population is continuing to increase and spred. If this is the case, & with much evidence available to suggest that this is so, it seems to me that a change of direction is necessary. This problem will not just go away on it's own.

I would like to think that our fisheries managers & politicos can be made to have a real good look into this worrying situation & come up with some system to at least control the little buggers let alone exterminate them.

Maybe there is some form of control better than declaring an "open Season" & eating 'em - if so, I would love to hear about it & see it implemented as would everyone else I reckon.

Cheers - Lou