'Floods and Fish Kills'

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[CEO]

    Mark (Mono) Stewart's business, "Byron Professional Charters," is another casuality of the Government's mickey mouse marine park at Byron Bay. The commercial tally now stands at three bait shops and the one and only, charter business. Death by a thousand cuts!

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MEDIA RELEASE:   

RICHMOND  RIVER  RECOVERY.

Based upon scientific data gleaned from the 2001 disastrous fish kill, ECOfishers is able to inform the community about the likely rate of recovery.

  Millions of fish and crustaceans have been killed by ?anoxic water,? during this latest environmental disaster.

  After the 2001 kill, the river was closed to all forms of recreational fishing, for five (5) months. (Commercial fishing was prohibited for seven (7) months.) Despite the significant economic and social hardships this caused the community, it worked.

  Again fishers have put the welfare of the fisheries resource ahead of their own personal social and economic considerations.

  After the 2001, five months (recreational) closure, limited recreational fishing was permitted downstream of the Burns Point Ferry, during daylight hours, with a bag limit of ten (10) fish in total. No more than 5 Bream and 1 Mulloway per fisher, was permitted.
  Normal recreational and commercial fishing, throughout the river, was permitted after a seven month closure.

  Species such as Forktail Catfish and Bullrouts, were the first to return and recolonise the main channel in the lower reaches of the river.

Important forage fish in the estuarine food-chain, such as Silver Biddies, were quite slow to return.

  After six months, such species as School Prawns, Mud Crabs, Sea Mullet, Yellowfin Bream and juvenile Mulloway were returning. Other popular species like Sand Whiting and Luderick, took a lot longer to recover.

  Recovery conditions are weather dependent, especially during the next six months, right across the entire Richmond River catchment of  6,850 square kilometres. It takes more than six weeks of optimum conditions, for the water quality in the lower couple of kilometres of the river, to return to a relatively healthy condition.

  And in 2001, it took several months for the return of adequate salinity levels in the upper reaches, around Woodburn and Coraki.

  The impacts of floods on fish and crustacean stocks, includes de-oxygenated water, of lethal levels, (anoxic water) turbidity and later, vast volumes of ?acid water.? (pH 4) A lot of this ?acid water,? comes from behind the Baggotville Barrage on the Tuckean Swamp. This ?acid water,? causes fatal Red Spot Ulcers, in both marine and freshwater species. They die a slow and painful death.

  As the lower river slowly returns to a healthier condition, before the mid or upper reaches, should it be re-opened to some forms of fishing first? Will this initiative lead to excessive harvesting there, before other sections of the river can be re-opened in stages?

  These questions will be answered by the robust and reliable scientific sampling and monitoring techniques. ECOfishers and commercial fishers will be working closely with fisheries scientists on these questions, before any decisions are made.
            Ken Thurlow  CEO ECOfishers NSW.

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MEDIA RELEASE: 
                                 
                             ?RICHMOND  RIVER  RESCUE.?

  ECOfishers, the voice of NSW recreational fishers announces a $30,000 community contribution, to the ?Richmond River Rescue? project.
 
  This community initiative is the start of the ECOfishers, ?Richmond River Rescue,? project.

  The ECOfishers $30,000 contribution is targeted at fitting six drum gates on six of the worst drains, emptying into the Richmond River.
  Community representatives on the Richmond River Flood Plain Committee, have identified the drains to be fitted with the drum gates.

 Drum gates permit tidal flushing of the drains, controls weeds, allows fish and crustacean access and egress, and keeps drain water at sustainable levels.

  Many of the floodgates on the drains remain closed for months, causing the accumulation of toxic, anoxic, ?black water,? and acidic water. This stored toxic cocktail, is suddenly released into the river whenever there is a fresh or flood event. The consequences are devastating, as we have again just witnessed, with the recent environmental disaster.

ECOfishers? initiative, is the commencement of a long and expensive process, to rescue and resuscitate the river. It only addresses 15% of the floodgates, but it is a start and it is a community effort.

  The recreational fishing community, through ECOfishers, have put their hands in their pockets, to kick start this rescue program.

  Our Richmond River is a valuable community resource. Currently it is being battered to death by non-sustainable practices, which are killing the estuarine ecosystems. This is why it is becoming just another drain.

  ECOfishers urges the community to join them, in this ambitious initiative, to rescue the Richmond River.
                                                                   
 Ken Thurlow
CEO ECOfishers NSW.

[CEO]

  Fishers, see what a community can achieve when working through ECOfishers? No wonder ECOfishers is known far and wide as, "The Voice of NSW Recreational Fishers!"   CEO

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The following issues were put and discussed, by ECOfishers at the Ministerial and Fisheries Department meeting with ECOfishers today, 31/1/08.
Present at the meeting were the two ministerial "fisheries policy advisors,"
Fisheries Chief Scientist, Fisheries Director, Bill Talbot and ECOfishers NSW CEO, Ken Thurlow, representing NSW recreational fishers. There was a frank and fruitful exchange of views at the hour and a half meeting.
 ECOfishers thanks the Minister and NSW Fisheries for the invitation and the opportunity to meet again, to discuss NSW recreational fishers issues and
concerns.   


FISH KILL: RECREATIONAL FISHERS ISSUES.
 
  ECOfishers, submit the following issues to the Ministry and the Department, for their consideration, comment and where necessary, action.

     1)Transfer of Effort: There is concern that the current closure may result in a significant transfer of recreational fishing effort, to nearby estuaries.(eg Evans River.) While ECOfishers are monitoring this possibility, (29/1/08 am. 3 boats on the river and the usual number of rock and beach fishers) there may be a need, if the closure is extended, to reduce bag limits in adjacent areas, during the Richmond closure.

2)   Staged Re-opening: We recommend there be a staged re-opening of the Richmond, from the Recreational Fishing Haven (lower river) upstream.
 
3)   Reduced bag limits: Similarly, there may be a need to have a reduced bag limit of species, during the re-opening phases. From memory, in 2001, we had a bag limit of 10 fish per person, including only 5 Bream and 1 Mulloway. The same limits may need to be  re-applied, until the river and stocks, are sufficiently recovered.


4)   Fish Kill Over: There is a public perception that the fish kill is over.

5)   Acid Water: Yet the ?acid water,? which takes about 50 days to drain off the floodplain, hasn?t even been detected in the river yet. (The Tuckean, is currently loaded with acid water.) We can realistically look forward to a serious outbreak of, Red Spot Ulcers, on marine and freshwater stocks , as the river recovers.
 
6)   Closed Gates: Currently all the floodgates on the river are closed. Farmers, who manage the gates, don?t want ?dirty water,? in their drains. Recreational fishers wonder is this appropriate and best management practises. (Some drains and gates are on Crown Land, therefore in public ownership, yet adjacent landholders have sole responsibility for managing ?their gates.? Recreational fishers find this anomaly, curious.)


7)   Reduction in Recreational Licence Fees: ECOfishers has had a number of representations, concerning waiving part of their current recreational fishing licence fees, if the closure is to be extended beyond 18th February. And realistically, everyone  expects it will be!
    Perhaps we can make a case for those with annual licences    and with local postcodes, to receive some sort of dispensation, or refund.  Alternatively, a suitable reduction in next years licence fee, would be considered appropriate. We recognise it would be an administrative nightmare, but it is a real issue, for a number of recreational fishers. The Minister has already established a precedent, with a justifiable reduction in commercial licences fees.

   Commercial fishing in Recreational Fishing Haven:  As part of the sampling and monitoring program, commercial fishers will be working and harvesting in the Recreational Fishing Haven. There are two sensitive issues about this initiative. Firstly,  commercial fishers will be working in the RFH, albeit under scientific permit. Secondly, commercial fishers may benefit financially, from this exercise. There are some objection to these initiatives, from a single quarter, a small group of ?sports fishers.? We are dealing with it and are confident we can
     overcome it. As an alternative gesture, we suggest that               recreational fishers be involved and included in the sampling, to take   place in the RFH. It is seriously worth considering. It would make them feel part of the program. If necessary, ECOfishers is prepared to organize it.

9) Government Marine Park ? Cape Byron: Local communities still do not and will not support, the government?s marine park.
Non-compliance is organised and rife. Signs are continually vandalised. It is viewed as an unnecessary and unfair imposition, upon local communities. They feel no ownership of it whatsoever and consequently, ignore it. Succinctly, it?s not their park!

                 
Ken Thurlow
CEO ECOfishers NSW.  31/1/08.