NEWSCAST - an information bulletin for recreational fishers

[mrsswordfisherman]

Raiders here is the DPI information bulletin for those of you that are not receiving it.

I will post this up each time. You can subscribe at this link below

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There is good information in this - have a read!

NEWSCAST an information bulletin for recreational fishers   September 2020 Applications for Recreational Fishing Trust Grants Now Open! Do you have a great idea to improve recreational fishing in your local area? Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall is encouraging keen anglers and community members to apply for funding from the Recreational Fishing Trusts for projects that improve and promote recreational fishing across the State.   Anyone can apply for funding from the Recreational Fishing Trusts, including fishing organisations, councils, universities, community groups and individuals. Grants are available for both large projects valued at more than $10,000 in funding and small projects involving less than $10,000.   Project areas previously funded include: fishing access and facilities enhancing recreational fisheries recreational fishing education and any other projects that benefit recreational fishing   Funding guidelines and application forms are available at our website and applications close on 30 October. Grant ideas can also be discussed by contacting DPI Fisheries on (02) 4916 3835 or by emailing recreational.fishingtrust@dpi.nsw.gov.au. This is your fishing licence at work. Tweed Reef Deployment Underway! NSW’s newest offshore artificial reef is being deployed in 25m of water 7.5km south-east of the Tweed Heads river entrance!   The reef consists of a massive 10m-high steel “fish grotto” which forms the centrepiece of the new structure. A total of 32 concrete modules, each standing 5m tall, will surround the “fish grotto”.   This new reef – which joins other reefs already deployed at Sydney, the Shoalhaven, Port Macquarie, southern Sydney, Merimbula, Newcastle and Wollongong – is designed to increase fishing opportunities for recreational fishers.   This state-of-the-art structure is a fantastic example of recreational fishing licence fees at work – built using funds from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust to showcase how fees are being re-invested into projects.   The Tweed reef weighs in at 834 tonnes and has been carefully designed to provide generations of local and visiting anglers with enhanced opportunities to target a range of key species including Snapper, Mackerel, Cobia, Pearl Perch and Mulloway.   Given the reef’s location in sub-tropical Tweed Heads, it will likely also attract seasonal visitation from northern species including Mangrove Jack, Big Eye Trevally and various emperors.   With luck, the Tweed reef will soon start producing some great fishing action. It should really hot up as soon as the first push of warm water heads south with the East Australian Current over the next few months. This is yet another great example of your fishing fees at work! Reminder: September 1st - Bass and Estuary Perch – Open  Murray Cod and Murray Crayfish - Closed  Trout season about to open!   Australian Bass and Estuary Perch season open Just a reminder, a four-month annual fishing closure came to an end on 31 August, meaning anglers are now able to take Australian Bass and Estuary Perch in NSW rivers and estuaries. Both species should have finished spawning and will be returning to their spring and summer feeding grounds higher in the catchment.  Murray Cod season closed 1 September marked the start of the annual closed season for Murray Cod. The closure is implemented to protect cod during their breeding season. Anglers are still able to still target Murray Cod in Blowering Dam (southern NSW) and in Copeton Dam (northern NSW) during the closed season, as research shows these dams have very low natural recruitment and are very reliant on stocked fish to sustain the fishery. Anglers are reminded bag (two per day) and slot size limits (55cm and 75cm) still apply in Blowering and Copeton Dams. Murray Crayfish season closed 1 September also marked the start of Murray Crayfish season being closed in specified waters of the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers. This means that no fishing for Murray Crayfish is permitted until June next year.  Trout season to open NSW fishers are in for a great October long weekend on the water, with the official opening of the State's trout season for rivers and streams set for Saturday 3 October. The Fishing Stream 'Live' Events  Last month DPI held its inaugural 'The Fishing Stream' event with many interested anglers tuning in to watch Steve "Starlo" Starling interview DPI experts Phil Bolton and Chris Cleaver, while Gav from McCallum's TackleWorld's provided some Snapper tackle tips. This first episode was a hit, reaching over 75,000 people! If you missed it, watch it now by clicking below! Last week's episode ll uncovered the mighty Mulloway, reaching over 65,000 people. This episode featured presentations by DPI Fisheries experts Chris Cleaver and Phil Bolton, and Batemans Bay BCF's Adam Hughes covering the latest techniques, tackle and best practice catch and release skills! Check it out now. Become a citizen scientist and have the chance to win some great prizes! Introducing our new Research Angler Program citizen scientist fishing shirts! To be one of the first to get your hands on one, keep an eye on our Facebook page (https://bit.ly/3aS1SVE) in the coming days for a giveaway promotion! We will be testing your knowledge to see who knows their fish species.   Alternatively, you could also donate a frame from any Mulloway, Kingfish, Snapper, Dusky Flathead, Tailor, Black Bream, Spanish, or Spotted Mackerel and go into the draw for our monthly winner. Each frame gives you one chance to win either one of our new shirts or gift vouchers from our donation locations plus you can learn some interesting facts about your catch. To find out more about the RAP or your nearest drop off location visit https://bit.ly/31laTTW   The Research Angler Program is your licence fees at work! DPI’s Latest Catch and Release Video with Steve Starling! There are many reasons why you may need to return your catch to the water, including bag and size limits, protected species and closed seasons. However, many anglers also choose to release fish they could legally keep, especially important breeders and slow growing species. The good news is there is a lot of research which shows that most species have high survival rates when caught and released, meaning C&R is an effective tool for managing and conserving fish stocks.   Check out our latest video where fishing legend Steve Starling shows us some important tips on how to maximise the survival opportunities of those fish we choose to let go! Insight into Mulloway Movements! Did you know that there have been over 360 reported recaptures of tagged Mulloway? Recaptures of tagged fish give our fisheries experts valuable information about the movement and growth rates of the species.   The vast majority of tagged Mulloway are recaptured within 5 nautical miles of their original release point, but from time to time the Game Fish Tagging Program receives details of tagged Mulloway that have undergone significant northward migration. The details of one of these recaptures features below:    A solid Mulloway tagged by angler Mitch Maric has gone on to be recaptured!  Mitch landed the fish while fishing solo near South West Rocks on the NSW Mid North Coast on 29 September 2019.  The fish measured in at 103 cm and an estimated 9 kg before it was tagged and released it in excellent condition.   Mitch says that he ensures his fish are healthy for release by limiting the amount of time the fish spends out of the water. He also always ensures his fish are recovered well enough to swim away strongly before he lets them go. This is achieved by firmly holding them facing into the current, sometimes for a few minutes, before sending them on their way.    Moving forward to 15 August 2020, keen junior angler Beau Treveton (pictured) recaptured the Mulloway while fishing offshore of Brunswick Heads. Beau was so happy when he saw the tag and as he was excited to learn about where the fish had originally been.     The recaptured Mulloway measured 110cm and 12.4kg in weight. A seriously impressive catch for an 11-year-old angler!     The fish spent 321 days at liberty and was caught more than 145 nautical miles (~265km) from its original release location. These types of recaptures continue to show that Mulloway can be an excellent catch and release option if they are handled with care and returned to the water as quickly as possible.    If you're lucky enough to catch a tagged fish, please ensure you report it either over the phone on (02) 6691 9602 or online by using the online recapture form at https://bit.ly/2RRVvaB. Download your free 'Go Fishing' guides today! The popular DPI Fisheries ‘Go Fishing’ guide series handbooks are now all available online as a free PDF download for your smart phone, tablet or PC.   There are 10 great locations including Jervis Bay, Tuross Lake, St Georges Basin, Lake Macquarie, Botany Bay, Sydney’s Middle and North Harbour, Parramatta and Lane Cover Rivers’, Sydney Harbour, the Snowies and Blowering Dam.   Follow the link below and download one or all of them today. Make sure to click the ‘Go Fishing’ tab once you are on the page https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/info.   Each guide covers spots to throw a line, handy tips, techniques, tackle, seasons and regulations on key target species, dietary advice, responsible fishing messaging area overviews and much more.   More great news is there are two new exciting guides that will be available soon featuring the Coffs Harbour region, which has become a must try sportfishing destination and the mighty Hawkesbury River and its famed reputation for large Mulloway.   These two new guides will have an extra added feature which will be a must have for any keen fisher. We won’t reveal it just yet but stay tuned for more news on this exciting launch soon.   The DPI 'Go Fishing' guides are a great example of your fishing fees at work. Report Your Local Oyster Reef!   If you enjoy estuary fishing and wanted to get involved in citizen science, take a few minutes to check out our recently-launched "Shellfish Reef Reporter" online tool.   The Shellfish Reef Reporter is a simple online form which enables you to get involved with citizen science and habitat restoration by dropping a pin on a map, uploading photos and recording simple characteristics of any oyster reefs you see while you're out fishing in your local estuary.   Oyster reefs are unique marine ecosystems which once covered large areas of NSW’s estuaries, providing habitat and food for fish (including many prized recreational fish species such as bream) and other marine creatures.By mapping where these reefs still exist, we can better focus our efforts to restore them. Access your Recreational Fishing Licence on your Smartphone To help keep our recreational fishers and fisheries officers safe during COVID-19 consider downloading your recreational fishing fee receipt onto your smartphone or tablet device and assist with social distancing and minimise contact.   To access your digital licence, you'll need to have a MyServiceNSW Account and the latest version of the Service NSW app. Then just add your licence to your MyServiceNSW Account. Follow the link to get started! https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/get-started-digital-licences   Please note: A current email address and mobile number must to be listed on the NSW Fisheries database for any fisher to successfully link their fishing fee receipt digitally with the My Service NSW application. The same email and mobile number must be used for the My Service NSW application.   If you need to update these details, please call DPI Fisheries first on: 02 4424 7499 or email: recfish.licencing@dpi.nsw.go.au and advise your current email address and mobile phone number. It takes approximately 1 hour for these details to update once the amendment has been finalised.   For more information on NSW recreational fishing fees check out the DPI website. Buy or Renew your licence Fishing Rules and Regulations

© State of NSW through Department of Primary Industries 2020. You have received this newsletter because you are a NSW Recreational Licence Fee receipt holder, a former NEWSCAST subscriber or have opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: NSW DPI Locked Bag 1 Nelson Bay NSW 2315 Australia If a friend has forwarded this eNewsletter to you and you would like to subscribe please click the following link Subscribe to NEWSCAST

[Blackfish]

It's a excellent read.

Thanks for putting it up Donna.

[Rebel]

A lot of good info here. Thank you.