Fish bites: Victorian anglers pinged over Murray River catch

The blokes, camped along the river between Yarrawonga and Cobram, were dobbed into NSW fisheries officers after someone noticed they’d taken a number of fish that they shouldn’t have.

The haul included four trout cod and a silver perch. Under NSW fishing regulations, trout cod is listed as an endangered species and must be returned to the water immediately, while silver perch is listed as vulnerable and can only be taken from stocked impoundments.

Only one of the trout cod was able to be returned to the river alive.

The fishing trip has resulted in two men receiving fines of $5400 for taking fish they should not have, as well as not having a NSW fishing licence. Four others were fined $200 each for not having a NSW fishing licence.

Victorians must have a valid NSW fishing licence to fish in the Murray River.

Western Australia has given itself a big pat on the back this week to celebrate 10 years of making fishing sustainable in the state.

WA now has 11 fisheries that are certified as sustainable under the Marine Stewardship Council guidelines, creating what it says is a “world-class sustainability program” for recreational and commercial fishing.

The last decade has seen the state become the first fishery to receive MSC certification for western rock lobster, and the first-ever joint commercial and recreational fishery certification for Peel-Harvey blue swimmer crabs.

"The [WA] Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has continued to work closely with the fishing sectors on sustainable fisheries management since first providing funding to support WA fisheries to undertake independent MSC sustainability assessments a decade ago,” Fisheries Minister Don Punch said in a statement commemorating the moment.

"Ten years ago, western rock lobster was the only MSC certified fishery in WA. It now shares the sustainability stage with 10 other fisheries and we now have more than 90 per cent of the value of our state's fisheries certified as sustainable.”

Victoria’s Golden Tag competition – which kicked off just as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the state for almost a year – continues to pay dividends for the state’s fishers.

The latest is a fish hauled out of Mallacoota, which earned the person who caught it $2000.

There are still around 900 tagged fish in the state’s waterways, including a small number of fish with tags that will earn the people who catch them a $10,000 prize.

The tagged fish have been released into waters across Victoria including the bushfire-affected areas in East Gippsland (Marlo, Bemm River, Tamboon Inlet, Lake Tyers, Gippsland lakes, Mallacoota), the North East and Alpine regions.

Trout have been tagged in South West Victoria’s famous crater lakes of Purrumbete and Bullen Merri boast golden tagged fish along with Bellfield Reservoir in the Grampians. Australian bass have been tagged in Gippsland’s Snowy River as well as Glenmaggie and Blue Rock lakes

In northern Victoria, Lake Eildon hosts a particularly valuable catch of cod and yellowbelly. Murray cod and golden perch have been tagged in the Sunraysia’s Lindsay River and Kings Billabong.

A Queensland court has fined a man $5000 after he was caught by fisheries officers in possession of a female mud crab.

Under the state’s recreational fishing rules, female mud crabs must be returned to the water as soon as they’re identified. 

Fisheries officers spring the man at Bribie Island, and he threw the mud crab away before running away. However, he later returned to the boat ramp where he was questioned and issued with a notice.

Officers also seized two stolen crab pots and a number of styrofoam floats.

The man was charged with interfering with fishing apparatus, using unmarked crab apparatus, and obstruction.

A pair of South Australian fishermen have had a close encounter with a shark measuring close to 4.0 metres.

The video, posted on social media, shows the shark cruising slowly past the boat.

It ends with one of the fishermen suggesting the shark “go and eat some seals”.