Casting Around the Internet with Recfishwest
Issue 20, 22 November 2007

200 years of confusion about fish names in Australia should end

Six years' hard work has produced a standard name for 4,500 varieties of seafood including 300 commercial species in Australian Standard AS SSA 5300, 2007 enforceable through Standards Australia. Not an easy task convincing people to let go of local names in favour of a single name across Australia. Fisheries managers will now be using the same names throughout Australia, improving assessment of fish stocks.

http://www.seafoodservices.com.au/news/news.item.php?pid=199 (link opens in a new window)


Fishers reminded about new look Fisheries and Marine Officers

FMOs now have a new uniform, different to what some people may be familiar with. A prominent Dept of Fisheries badge on the upper sleeve of the shirts will help identify these as law enforcement officers. 17 graduating trainees added to the number of FMOs from the start of the abalone and rock lobster seasons.

http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/media/index.php?0000&mr=503 (link opens in a new window) and http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/media/index.php?0000&mr=508 (link opens in a new window)


Researchers install underwater towers to track marine animals

Scientists will install more than 100 underwater receiver stations along the Ningaloo Reef and at Coral Bay to track marine life and investigate how far fish move and the area of reef they use for feeding and foraging. The sound towers will be operational by the end of January and the program will run for at least three years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/20/2095254.htm (link opens in a new window) and http://www.imos.org.au/facilities/tagging-monitoring.html (link opens in a new window)


Fish are the focus in new joint research into Swan river health

The Swan River Trust has joined forces with Murdoch University, Dept of Fisheries and Dept of Water in a $430,000 research project which will use fish communities as the main indicators of environmental health in the river. The study will determine how fish communities in the Swan River have changed since the late 1970s and whether any such changes can be directly related to the variation in the water quality.

http://portal.environment.wa.gov.au/pls/portal/
url/ITEM/3F5294D23D78F634E04010AC6E051411 (link opens in a new window)


Community recreational usage survey of South Coast marine areas

Recreational activities are a very important part of the use of the marine environment, but information is relatively scarce. The South Coast Regional Marine Planning process is asking for the community's help to say what you do, broadly where you do it, how often, and how you value it, not asking for your secret spots.

http://rmp.dec.wa.gov.au/south-coast/
community-recreational-marine-usage-survey.html (link opens in a new window)


Public comments sought on draft management plan for Stokes Inlet by 26 Nov.

Black Bream are the single most valued community asset in the inlet. Water quality is the major threat. Community perception is there needs to be greater sharing between commercial and recreational fishers, even though commercial fishing sustainability was not questioned. The draft has seven proposed actions on fish stocks which address the perceived threat of commercial fishing and resource sharing.

http://portal.water.wa.gov.au/portal/page/portal/Publications/Drafts
ForPublicComment/Content/Stokes_Inlet_Manegment_Plan_Draft_231007.pdf (link opens in a new window)


Heavy fines for breaching Wilson Inlet bar

Dept of Environment and Conservation says people caught attempting to breach the Wilson Inlet sand bar face fines of up to $65,000 under the Environmental Protection Act. EPA prevented the scheduled opening this year, saying it posed too much of a threat to the environment. Farmers are angry the EPA has totally misunderstood and claim flooding is only causing environmental damage and potential loss of their income.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/19/2094509.htm (link opens in a new window) and http://albany.yourguide.com.au/news/local/
general/inlet-decision-slammed/1071577.html (link opens in a new window)

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This page last updated on 22 November 2007.