Issue 253, 24 September 2009 Thursday, September 24 @ 16:26:55 EST by mrfisho (149 reads)
Spring into the sea these school holidays
Discover some of Port Phillip Bay’s water wonders through fun family activities with Fisheries Victoria’s staff and volunteers at Queenscliff’s Marine Discovery Centre by joining its Spring Holiday Program.
The centre’s Spring Holiday Program runs from Monday 21 September to Friday 2 October and offers activities to captivate the minds of children of all ages.
The centre’s programs focus on providing participants with an in-depth understanding of marine and coastal resources. Outdoor programs include family fishing fun where participants learn about sustainable fishing practices, a marine biology cruise where you can observe the beauty of Australasian gannets, Australian fur seals and other creatures that call our bay home. Click Read More For Full Story
Fishing Resort Exposé: Your need-to-knows about the industry Wednesday, September 23 @ 16:00:46 EST by mrfisho (126 reads)
SalmonEye writes "They say ignorance is bliss, but if you want bliss on your next fishing trip, be sure to do your research. Some fishing lodges and fishing resorts have secrets – the kind of secrets that can make or break a customer’s experience. Here’s an inside look at some of questions to ask and things to be aware of.
Guided fishing trips can provide many anglers the best chance to keep the line tight and the coolers full, and many fishing lodges and fishing resorts do this. Unfortunately, many do not. Instead, some lodges are plagued by having a fixed location or substandard guides. In order to ensure the best possible fishing experience, potential customers should ask sufficient questions to find a guided-fishing experience that lives up to its claims.
Location, location, location. While location is not everything, when it comes to fishing it is definitely a big deal. When choosing where to go, investigate the catch quality of the prospective location. Many fishing lodges and fishing resorts have fixed locations, and to stay in business they aim to bring in as many customers as possible, whether or not the fishing is productive anymore. In some locations, fishing has declined drastically over the last decade or two, but fishing resorts still charge visitors thousands of dollars to fish mediocre areas.
Even some “floating lodges” have a similar problem. While they claim to move to the fish easily because they are built on a barge, large leasing space is difficult to come by in many areas. Because of this, some floating lodges occupy the same parking spot in the same harbor for many years, whether or not the fish are still biting there.
Finding quality, experienced guides can also be problematic for fishing resorts. In areas where fishing has declined and the bites are few and far between, the best guides have little motivation to stay. Instead, to keep staffed, these resorts pick up new guides or whoever will apply. The customer experience can decline significantly at lodges and resorts with high turnover rates and inexperienced guides. If an area has slow fishing and the guide has yet to master the art of when to wait for a bite or find a new location, there is a good chance that the cooler will stay close to empty.
Another possible guide-problem is substance abuse. While this issue is by no means exclusive to fishing lodges and resorts, it does seem to run rampant in the industry. Usually, if guides are hard to come by, troublemakers will be tolerated longer. Some guides wake up with hangovers on most mornings and still take out customers to fish.
Luckily, while some people’s lodge and resort experiences are impacted by these factors, there are still great options for guided fishing. By having awareness of these issues, potential customers can ask questions and read reviews that will help determine the quality of the lodge and guides.
Guided charters can offer an alternative to lodges as well. Some charter operations offer a lodge-like experience without being tied to a fixed location. Since charters can change their location to follow the productive fishing, they may have an easier time attracting qualified guides.
Whether fishing with a fishing lodge or a charter company, customers should do research and ask questions about the catch sizes and numbers throughout the season. Every location and lodge is different, as are customer expectations. Having an idea of potential issues helps possible customers ask educated questions to find the trip they want.
For further reading, visit www.salmoneye.net/fishing-resorts-lodges"
July 19th 2009 Squid Event details:
Date: Sunday 12th July 2009
Where: Stoney Point
Lines down: 7.00 am start
Radio Freq: 27MHZ Channel 94 and VHF Channel 72
Species: Squid
Limits: Bag is 10 per person per day
Tides: 0925 (0.75)Low 1621 (2.91)High
Biggest Squid: Per Person Measured.
SPECIAL JETTY/LANDBASED SECTION: Prizes for the best Squid catch from the ANY Jetty on the day!Only catch is must be at Crib Point for Weighin
Officials for the Day: WANT TO HELP OUT SEND ME AN EMAIL. Wanted Newer Members to Get Involved. ie: cooking, taking care of the trailer, prize presentation, raffle, FUN!
Lines Up: around 1.30pm for a 2.30pm BBQ!
BBQ will be $5 per head BBQ Held at park opposite Crib Point General Store ...
Fishing For Fun in Westernport:
Remember to do the right thing when crewing give as much help and respect the boat you are on and share costs.
Those new to the website just a little idea on how things work.
We try and get there around the same time for launching to help each other and those who are unsure can follow another member out for the day. If darkness is a worry MAKE SURE you ask for assistance with navigation. I like many other members here are willing to help those who are still on the learning path with boating. DO NOT be afraid to ask for help.
Remember to download the acceptable species list found under the Downloads link.
If you have a question do NOT hesitate to ask.
PRIZES
HEAPS AND HEAPS. Come along and find out ..
Prescision Marine Services
Rods and Reels and other prizes!
WANT TO BE A SPONSOR FOR THIS EVENT ? SEND AND EMAIL TO MRFISHO@MRFISHO.COM
BBQ WILL NOT BE CANCELLED
No matter what the weather still make time for the BBQ to meet members and allow newer members to get to know more members.
Please note this is a boating event and if any boat owner would like to take a non boating member please PM that member
Non Boat Owners PLEASE wait to be messaged
Event Guidelines
Event Rules Warning: Participation in any events organised using the this website is entirely at your own risk. Neither the organising member(s), nor the administration team of the MRFISHO.COM, can accept any reponsibility for loss, damage, injury or death arising from Events. Even where safety suggestions are offered within the forums, or elsewhere on the MRFISHO.COM website, it is up to the individual to ensure that precautions appropriate to your trip circumstances are undertaken, and that all legal requirements of your state or territory are followed.
If you do not agree to these guidelines, please do not attend events organised through MRFISHO.COM.
So long and thanks for all the fish - a crisis for recreational fishers Monday, April 27 @ 20:52:24 EST by mrfisho (398 reads)
Australia is in crisis with bushfires, floods, cyclones, oil spills and stock market crashes.
These have affected everyone and cost billions of dollars. Amidst all this chaos, recreational fishing is the most
recent casualty due to a lack of support by the Australian Government. It may seem a small crisis but
recreational fishing representation at a national level is almost gone thanks to lack of government
funding.
The peak national body, Recfish Australia has been told that the government will not provide any
funding in 2008/9. Formed in 1983, this peak body has existed on a government grant of $100,000 per
year to represent a $2 billion plus industry with diverse interests and major challenges. This is the
same federal government that has just handed out billions of dollars to jump start the economy and
spent over $100 million on elite sport. This begs the question of why several hundred elite sports
people are supported by the government but over 3.5 million recreational fishers have no national
support or national voice.
Recfish Australia has a proud 25 year history and many achievements. It continues to represent
Australia's 3.5 million recreational fishers at a national level on issues as diverse as loss of access;
shark recovery plans; management of Commonwealth fisheries and the development of best practice
guidelines for recreational fishing. Recfish Australia has also been at the forefront in battles over
Marine Parks, protected and threatened species and sustainable management of fisheries resources
and many more issues that impact on the future of recreational fishers.
One of the major national issues is climate change and its impacts on recreational fishers. The lack of
funding means that recreational fishers will have no coordinated body to represent them and no peak
body to meet with government on climate change implications and the impacts arising from natural
Marine industries applaud expert review of marine parks Monday, April 27 @ 20:27:23 EST by mrfisho (185 reads)
Peak bodies representing recreational fishing, the boating industry and the fishing trade industry today voiced their
strong support for a report recently published by environmental expert, Prof Robert Kearney.
The report, commissioned and paid for by the New South Wales Recreational Fishing Trust Fund reviewed “The Torn
Blue Fringe” published by the National Parks Association (a NSW conservation organisation) which calls for more
marine parks in New South Wales and greater restrictions on recreational fishing.
It seems that Australian fishing families are the soft target and governments are reluctant to tackle the real
environmental threats of pollution, habitat destruction and unconstrained urban growth.
Len Olyott, CEO of Recfish Australia, a qualified fisheries scientist, believes that the public is being duped into
believing the spin about marine parks and sanctuary zones. “The Torn Blue Fringe tells the public that New South
Wales fisheries are badly managed and unsustainable. This is simply not true, Australia’s fisheries are some of the
most conservatively managed in the world and continue to be sustainable.
The truth is that we have 65 million
hectares already in marine protected areas, how much more do we really need?”
The NPA issued a statement prior to the release of Prof Kearney’s review which called into question his credentials as
an objective reviewer. Despite claims that their report has been peer reviewed; there are no independent review
documents on their website.
The NPA have also accused fishing representative groups of “scare-mongering” and distorting the facts. While there is
no denying the fact that recreational fishing is still allowed in marine parks, up to 30 % of these areas are generally
closed to recreational fishing. To date, limited monitoring of existing marine parks in Australia has not been able to
prove the effectiveness of sanctuary zones in increasing biodiversity conservation.
With between 40 and 50% of boat owners purchasing a boat to go fishing, there are grave concerns that further
closures will see a downturn in boat sales. “In these tough times, people need the freedom to get away and go fishing.
If people stop buying boats, it’s not just the boating industry that suffers;” said Roy Privett, General Manager of the
Boating Industry Association of New South Wales. His concerns are echoed by Australian Fishing Trade Association
(AFTA) Executive Officer, Doug Joyner who had this to say, “The recreational fishing industry generates millions of
dollars and provides thousands of jobs. If fishing becomes too hard, people simply stop going and many of the smaller
operations will shut up shop. No government can afford this senseless loss of jobs.”
According to Prof Kearney, the review fails to identify the specific threats posed by recreational fishing and does not
address real impacts such as pollution and introduced species; “Pollution is clearly a great threat and its impacts are
obvious and, apparently, getting worse. It will not be addressed by more fishing closures masqueraded as marine
protected areas.”
Recreational fishers are not opposed to conservation measures but want to see the scientific evidence that
recreational fishing is the biggest threat to conservation and that sanctuary zones that only exclude fishers are the
answer.
Prof Kearney’s review can be downloaded from here: http://www.rfansw.com.au
Recfish Australia’s Policy on Marine Protected Areas: http://www.recfish.com.au/policies/
An independent review of the impacts of Marine Protected Areas: http://www.afta.net.au/mp.php
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