More fish for all

[rando]

Over the past few weeks Ive been following some of the threads,about locking up more & more of the available resource .
Pro's want a bigger piece , rec fishers want a bigger piece , and consevationist want to see pristine unfised environments.
S0 the goverments response is a process of passive recruitment.That is, to protect areas from fishing until the fish populations increase , and then infiltrate the fishable areas.
Surely it is obvious after 200 years of using this resource (and abusing it in some cases) there should also be an active recruitment program.Poor old mother nature needs a hand sometimes Hatcheries all over the state releasing replacement populations for that portion of the resource consumed. Imagine in 10 years time if we were putting back into the estuaries , a couple of 1,000,000 fingerlings each year of Bream, Whiting, Jacks, Snapper,Sweetlip, Parrot Sandies muddies.
I know the next Question is $$$$. But look at the Federal and state budget surplases since GST and still growing.... Thats our money.
In my view this is the answer to everyone wanting a bigger piece of the pie. Make a bigger pie!!

Now thats of my chest i can go and have a coldie,
$*!7 look at the time its beer O Clock
Cheers Rando

[Dug]

You get my vote, I have been thinking the same thing for years now!

The cheapest most effective form of Aquaculture has to be raising fingerlings of all species ( Grinners and catfish excepted) and releasing them into the wild. Then harvesting them when they reach maturity.

the problem comes with the ownership debate If I grow these fish why can't I own them. Again time for the government to make a stand and do something for the long term future not just the next 3 years.


Rant Rant Rant (sorry) doug

[Kerry]

So without hindsight, do you know if your actually helping mother nature or hindering mother nature and upsetting the balance ???

Cheers, Kerry.

[Gazza]

Imagine in 10 years time if we were putting back into the estuaries , a couple of 1,000,000 fingerlings each year of Bream

...etc,etc,etc

can the bream stockings, drop the sizelimit, increase the baglimit....pests!! for peasants!!

Put a couple of million snapper babies ,instead, in the Brizzy

[Cheech]

I'm with kerry on this one. Your thoughts and intentions are noble, but how you help out is a real tricky issue.

If you flood Morton bay with Bream, you will probably not gain many friends (me included).

From what I have picked up, it is only because of human interference/existance that grinners have become an issue in the first place. Possibly from fishing out other species that use to keep them in check.

Good thoughts though. but a tough one to impliment.

[Dug]

Putting a mixed bag of fingerlings into the system would stop this happening. We have upset the balance already and spawn stage of development is the most dangerous stage. Get fish over this and maybe 10% of the stock will survive, compared to less than 1% of naturally spawned fish.

That is 10 times the success rate.

[GES]

Survival of these stocked fingerlings that you propose would depend on available, appropriate, food stocks in the Bay or where ever. Would it not?
If the Bays' eco system is degraded through pollution, reduced mangrove areas, development and the like, one must assume that the ability for the place to generate sufficient, suitable food for juvenille fish is reduced considerably from what it was in the "old days". If you read historical reports on Moreton Bay when it was first discovered and after early settlement, you will find what a fish haven it was.
Human usage and taking of species which used to be a big part of the food chain (like prawns for example) reduces the ability of any area to produce and support fish stocks.
I wouldn't think that just stocking it without considering the ability of the Bay, in modern times, to support those stocked fish would be worth the effort.
Other considerations like a weakened genetic pool caused by the loss of natural selection is also a consideration when stocking into an open system like Moreton Bay.
Stocking works fine for closed systems like our fesh water impoundments because these fish, generally, are stocked on a put-and-take basis.
Bass, for example, must have access to salt water to breed and they just haven't got that in the fresh water dams and so will have no impact, genetically, on wild stocks. Same with Barra stockings and most others used in the stocking programs.

GES

[agnes_jack]

I heard some discussions on stocking fish into estuaries and open systems.
From what I heard on for example Barra, was that the return rate of those stocked fish was virtually nil. A lot of research would need to go into stocking open systems before it could be considered a viable or cost effective option.
Genetic differences between different areas would make it necesary to breed different batches for different areas. It is not a simple solution!!!

Regards, Tony

[Derek Bullock]

Does anyone recall the stocking of the Maroochy River a number of years back after a big fish kill. Somewhere in the back of the gray matter here is something about that.

I think the research station on Bribie Island had something to do with it.


Derek

[Derek Bullock]

Found it. http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/far/9321.html


Derek

[devocean]

The burdekin actually stocks there creeks with barra every year and asa reult good barra catches are ensured. It does help and work. Where I live we dont and as a result it is much harder to catch barra. As for upsetting the balance I think no one can judge that because there are to many variables involved. Im all for stocking in a big way because I have seen the results and it all win win

[PinHead]

Just think when something goes wrong..we release 1,000,000 fingerlings..all with some disease from the breeding ponds...straight into the open systems. The simplest way to increase fish numbers...fewer people fishing and taking less fish...so who here is going to be the first and say they are going to give up fishing so that the numbers can improve?????

[Derek Bullock]

Hey Dev

Is that fresh or saltwater stocking for the barra.


Derek

[dasher]

Can any of u guys explain to me how stocking is going to improve the fishing in an area that is NETTED

[dasher]

OK calmed down now and ready to listen. Theres no use jumping up and down as individuals. We must be as one, an organised group targetting the same result. I just attended the HB EPA meeting and honestly I was embarrased with the behaviour of some of the fishos. Carrying on like a spoilt school child will not get you any credence with anybody. A complete submission done proffesionally is something we can put our hand up and say we agree with. Hopefully this will eventuate after ther the Wednesday night meeting with the fishing party at the sportsmens club.