Fish bites: Sound advice for Tassie boaters

“Mariners are advised that the vessel Freycinet Explorer [will] be involved in an on-water sound performance that is taking place as part of the MONA FOMA 2021 Festival,” the notice says.

“The performances will take place on Saturday, January 23 from 1530 hours to 1630 hours and on Sunday, January 24 from 1200 hours to 1300 hours.

“The performance will involve the vessel operating from Franklin Wharf, along the Hobart foreshore to Long Beach in Sandy Bay, with the possibility of travelling across to the Eastern Shore around Bellerive and Howrah and return,” it says.

“During this time, recorded and live streamed sound signals, including a foghorn, will be performed from onboard the vessel at a loud volume.”

MONA operates its own high-speed catamaran service between Hobart and its museum located 11km north of the city centre.

Boaters are asked to navigate with caution during the performances.

Still in Australia’s southernmost state, the Tasmanian Government has set a total allowable catch limit for rock lobster for the 2021-22 season.

The total allowable catch for the upcoming season will remain unchanged at 1220.7 tonnes, split between 1050.7 tonnes for commercial fishers and 170 tonnes for recreational fishers.

Tasmania is rebuilding its sustainable rock lobster stocks under a 10-year strategy launched in 2013 after research showed stocks were declining.

The Tasmanian Government has already started talks with key groups about what will happen with the fishery beyond 2023.

XHEAD: Patterson River shoal warning issued

Victorian boaters have been asked to keep on the lookout at the Patterson River entrance onto Port Phillip Bay after recent weather shifted a number of sandbars.

The Notice to Mariners states that significant shoaling has occurred around the entrance, reducing the depth of the channel used to access Port Phillip Bay.

The shoal has formed over the past few weeks, and means boaters will need to be particularly wary of running aground at low tide.

Scientists in Britain have been able to build a robot that can move through water with the same efficiency as a live squid, just by mimicking its physical appearance.

New Scientist reports that the robo-squid uses plastic ribs covered in an elastic skirt to suck in water and then quickly propel it out to provide thrust.

Tapping into a natural resonance, the robot can achieve a level of efficiency that matches that of the squid.

Researchers say squid power could one day replace propellers as a more efficient way to move boats and submarines around, not to mention causing less harm to marine life.

Queensland will be on the hunt for boat owners with incorrectly and unregistered EPIRBs after Cairns Water Police were called out to a number of incidents with little or no information at hand.

“With the cyclone season well underway it is unfortunate that vessel owners still take risks by not providing accurate and up-to-date information when registering their EPIRBs,” Queensland Police said in a statement.

“In the last three weeks Cairns Water Police have been involved in a number of incidents where incorrect details have been linked to EPIRB registrations.

“In some cases the distress beacon was not registered at all which can prolong the arrival of emergency and rescue teams when they are needed most.”

One incident resulted in emergency services searching for an unknown vessel for several hours. The signal was eventually switched off.

Police said it was common for new boat owners to not update EPIRB information from the previous owners, even though it was the responsibility of the new owner to ensure everything was accurate and up to date.

Tully Police senior constable Richard Hinrichsen said police and Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers would be out conducting checks of safety equipment, including EPIRB registrations.

“This may be done at the boat ramp or on the water, and fines may be issued in some cases,” he said.