Long term locals tell of "Fish everywhere&quo

[nsw_fisheries]

http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/news...may30_fish.htm

"This document has been posted for information and to encourage discussion among yourselves. For more information from NSW Fisheries on the issue, please visit our web site on www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au"

[Lucky_Phill]

Long term locals tell of "Fish everywhere"

May 30, 2003

The Director of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn, today welcomed the publication of a book telling the history of fish and their habitats in the Gwydir River in the State’s north.

Mr Dunn said 33 long-term residents of communities downstream of the Copeton Dam have told their stories in “Fish Everywhere”, a book published by NSW Fisheries and the Natural Heritage Trusts’ Murray-Darling 2001 Fish Rehab Program.

“Some residents described the Gwydir as a most special place – one even described it as his church.”

“Many of them mourned the loss of native fish, river animals and vegetation, water clarity and deep river holes,” Mr Dunn said.

Some observations were:

There was a terrible lot more fish around forty, fifty years ago…..

In the Gwydir you could catch as many catfish as you wanted….they seem to have gone in the later years…….

…It used to be really clear once. You could see right down into the water, see the logs and fish under the surface

One resident spoke of the river teeming with thousands of little coloured fish - “shoals of them, all the different colours reds, silvers, golds, every colour…”

Mr Dunn said the book also contains valuable information on the biology of Gwydir river fish, factors that affected them and illustrations in the book depict fish that used to be plentiful.

Mr Dunn said the residents noted an improvement in Murray Cod numbers in recent times.

“This is due to the efforts of the Gwydir Restocking Committee, supported by NSW Fisheries, through its native fish stocking program,” he said.

Mr Dunn said documents such as “Fish Everywhere” were valuable for encouraging discussion within the community about options for river health and rehabilitation.

NSW Fisheries Senior Conservation Manager, Craig Copeland, is one of three authors of the book, which is being launched at the Moree Art Gallery next Tuesday (June 3) by local fisher and business man, Richard Ping Kee.


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[Gazza]

Well , as long as you navel-gazers plot that "fish everywhere" pat-on-the-back alongside the graph of "increase in water extraction profiles" in the last 50yrs.

p.s. what was the total fishkill this year , due to lack of waterflow ??
compared to 50years ago. ??

Guesses allowed ,and sure ,keep on restocking ,exponentially