Stories of the week from around Oz in the second week of June... (Fri 5 - Thurs 11 June)

QUEENSLAND

James Cook University (JCU) and Mainstream Aquaculture are initiating research into an aquatic evolution process of sorts to find the fastest growing families of barramundi. It's hoped the findings will assist barra farmers (how I'd love that title on my business card!) to reduce the number of inferior or stunted fish and to decrease the time it takes to rear and harvest their fish.

JCU values the barra farm industry at around $27 million with Queensland leading the states in production rates.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

South Oz is set to bring in a demerit points scheme for fishing related offences from 1 July 2009. The way the game is played seems simple and straight-forward: 

1. all players commence on zero; 
2. players found committing an offence are awarded points based on the severity of the offence; 
3. points for offences can found on the instruction sheet; 
4. points have a life of five years, points exceeding this period are deducted from the score sheet; 
5. players reaching 200 points receive a prize from the Primary Industries and Resources SA

OTHER STATES

No surprises that there is no shortage of busts going on around the country. Those significant enough to warrant fisheries office publication include:

WA - three separate fines for people fishing for crabs in Cockburn Sound outside of season (the intelligence of at least one group of offenders must be questioned due to them scooping at night with torches when they were caught!).

VIC - three guys were caught between Bairnsdale and Stratford with 108 black bream in the boot of their car, slightly more than the 10 per day bag limit, with 81 of them being under-sized. And a Portland commercial rock lobster fisho was done to the tune of $30,000 for illegal activities spanning across three years.

NSW - fisheries are clamping down on people jagging fish, an illegal practice involving throwing a large heavy-duty treble into a school of fish and ripping it through them. Four people have been fined recently for their involvement in it.





Feedback welcome: ben@fourfish.com.au