Fish populations

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Streamflow]]> Irrigation]]> Water levels]]> Fishing industry]]> Fishing licences]]> Water quality]]> Introduced species]]> Floods]]> Siltation]]> Salinity]]> Fishing regulations]]> Tournament fishing]]> Blackwater]]> Fishes--Speciation]]> River engineering]]> Fish kills]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Baraba Baraba people]]>
Greg McNeil:, an irrigator, suggests that recent floods might have made unecessary plans to re-snag and reclaim the river. He advocates for a hands-off approach to river management and says that irrigation across the basin has matured while becoming more 'intense'.

Unannounced: recalls professional fishermen; swimming in the river; and observes that there was less recreational fishing in the past. Remembers that the Loddon was different when backed up by a weir from 1923 to 1964 and also talks about water levels and the river's improved health more recently.

Rodger Reilly: remembers fishing with his uncle. Mention of Woods Point. Worked with Fisheries and Wildlife, transferred to the Lands Department, and ended up in Kerang. He talks about needing to change where he goes angling because of the poor quality of water (caused by Cumbungi, siltation); frontage licenses and the advantage of local knowledge.

Esther Kirby; (of the Baraba Baraba people) used to fish at the weir with her brother sister and partner, catching Redfin and Yabbies and sharing the spoils. She talks about the decline in fish diversity (especially catfish) with arrival of Carp; and how she learnt a technique to call fish up from one of her Aunties. She has fished the Edwards, Wakool, Niemur, and Goulburn rivers, among others.

Elaine Jones; learnt to fish for Flounder on the coast and only later stared fishing on the Loddon. She discusses the 1973 flood and the arrival of European Carp; the disappearance of Tortoises; irrigation, water efficiency and the salinity problem.

Ross Stanton: remembers fishing for Redfin out of Gunbower Creek. and talks about schools of small Carp.

Rob O'Brien: learnt to fish with his Uncle in the lower Kerang. catching Yabbies with "roly-poly" woodlice. He talks about the colour of the water; fishing with spinners; and recalls that people used to fill half a wheat bag with Redfin dragging a spinner while walking from the old Kerang bridge to Kerang. He mentions the arrival of Carp in 1974; swimming; siltation; and using drum nets.

The group goes on to discuss the return of Murray Cod; the use of Murray Cod to control Carp; size limits; catch and release; changing attitudes; competitive fishing; blackwater (in 1986); different species of trout cod; and fish lanes.

Esther mentions that the (Wadi Wadi?, Wodi Wodi?) group met with Parks and Wildlife and the Water Catchment Authority to raise the issue of fish being killed by irrigation.

Mention of Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre; "Water Catchment Authority"; "Fisheries and Wildlife"; "Lands Department"

Also mentions: Red Azolla (Azolla filiculoides); Myriophyllum ("watermilfoil", "cat tail"); Cumbungi (Typha latifolia).]]>
CC BY-NC]]> Loddon River, Vic [stream]]]> Woods Point, Vic [point]]]> Wakool River, NSW [stream]]]> Merran Lake, NSW [lake]]]> Gunbower Creek, Vic [stream]]]> Barr Creek, Vic [stream]]]> Lake Charm, Vic [lake]]]> Kangaroo Lake, Vic [lake]]]> Barmah Lake, Vic [lake]]]> Moira Lake, NSW [lake]]]>
Fishes--Identification]]> Plants--Identification]]> Birds--Identification]]> Irrigation]]> Agricultural land]]> Siltation]]> Physical characteristics (Animals)]]> Introduced fishes]]> Artesian basins--Australia]]> Aboriginal peoples]]> Local history]]> Dust storms]]> Blackwater]]> Floods]]> Environmental flows]]>
Gordon has spent most of his life in the Eulo district, and thirty years on a cattle property at Wandilla on the eastern side of the Paroo River. The district is sheep and cattle country; the Paroo used as a water source for stock. He comments on the health of the river in comparison with Murray Darling rivers used for irrigation.

Gordon talks about: Yowah country; overstocking and changes in vegetation and siltation as a result of smaller land settlement blocks; recreational fishing methods and popular water holes for Murray cod; different types of Yellowbelly species in the Murray Darling compared to Balloo; siting carp in the late 1970s, early 1980s; Eulo spring systems; interconnection between Artesian Basin and springs (Stratton Basin controversy); GABSKI Scheme and government subsidies for Artesian bore closures; Aboriginal peoples in the district; history of local land owners; dust storms from western New South Wales; changes in water bird life and a noticeable decline in ducks; black floods; Eulo in the 1930s and its highest population in its opal mining days, early 1900s; Kopai clay mineral; floods and the pattern of water flow from Warrego.

Mention of: Mulga weed, Lapunyah; water birds; 'moon fish'.]]>
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Local history]]> Family histories]]> Environmental flows]]> Livestock]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Floods]]> Fishes--Breeding]]> Blackwater]]> Siltation]]> Fish stocking]]> Artesian basins--Australia]]> Introduced fishes]]> Plants--Identification]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Irrigation]]>
First interview with Ron Heinemann, in three parts.

Ron Heinemann was born in 1922, and grew up on a sheep property in Springvale, west of Eulo, on the Paroo River. Ron’s parents moved to the area in the 1920s. He was taught to fish by his mother and cousins’ family.

Ron Heinemann talks about: 1942 and 1964 floods; Aboriginal knowledge of vegetation and floods; a black flood in 1935 which killed fish in the local water holes; how fish spawn before they die (before a flood); kangaroo and emu shooting; the 'diaries of Caiwarro Currawinyahere', written 1860-1950s, from a sheep and cattle property; siltation in Warrego River; restocking Warrego River with Murray Cod fingerlings in 1985; artesian water and basin; introduction of European Carp 1950s (originally brought to clean irrigation channels); bird life.

Mentions 'grunter' fish, however species unspecified. Also mention of: Cane grass, Mitchell grass, Flinders grass, Yapunyah tree, Hyacinth, Duck weed, Didgee tree, Lucerne.]]>

Ron Gardiner, the cousin of Ron Heinemann, was born in 1918 in Cunnamulla. Ron learned to swim in the Paroo River. In 1980 Ron moved from Paroo to Clifton, on the Condamine River.

Ron Gardiner talks about: history of the Eulo bridge, built in 1928; history of families and people in the area; abundance of Yellowbelly fish at Caiwarro; black flood at Five Mile hole; abundance of crayfish yabby and shrimp post-flood; saving sheep stock; two times the Paroo River reached the Darling; how vegetation requires rain to survive after a flood to remove silt; salty and freshwater bores; mud springs in Eulo; introduction of European Carp; concerns about irrigation; the relationship between the Warrego and Paroo Rivers.]]>
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Tournament fishing]]> Bait fishing]]> Lure fishing]]> Fishing nets]]> Floods]]> Water resources]]> Water--Law and legislation]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Blackwater]]> Salinity]]> Fishes--Identification]]> Riparian areas]]> Fishes--Breeding]]> Environmental flows]]> Water quality]]>
Brian talks about: native fish activity in the Sturt Reserve, in particular Murray Cod and their habitat; the importance of river flow on fish breeding cycles; the changes in baiting methods from live bait to lures; banned fish net practice; petitioning against commercial fishing in South Australia; the changes he has observed in water levels in the Murray River, including vegetation; 1956 flood; blackwater; water salinity; traditional knowledge (pinpointing the birthplace of a Murray Cod from its stomach lining); and the different species of Callop in South Australia.

Mention of a silver fish 'tookeri' and a 'scarfish'.]]>
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Fisheries]]> Sustainable fisheries]]> Marine protected areas]]> Salinity]]> Licenses]]> Marine ecology]]> Blackwater]]> Introduced fishes]]> Fishing regulations]]> Acid sulfate soils]]> Fishing nets]]> Fishes--Identification]]>
Tracy is a partner in a sustainable commercial fishery, which achieved Marine Stewardship Council certification in 2008. She lives in Meningie and is a member of the Women’s Industry Network and Vice President of the Southern Fisherman’s Association. Tracy expresses concern about the misinformation in discussions around commercial fishing, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and the imbalance in commercial and unregulated recreational fishing. She also discusses the activities of the Women’s Industry Network.

Tracy talks about: the significance of wind power on water movement and fish catch in the water systems; hypersalinity of Coorong South Lagoon; difference between brackish and salty water; brine shrimp – evidence of salinity and system collapse; history behind the construction of barrages, and the sudden changes in fresh/salt content with their opening/closing; Total Allowable Catch (TAC) quotas; Riverland Fishery; Lakes and Coorong Fishery; changes in commercial licensing and fishing methods (e.g. type of nets used); impact of fur seals in the area; harvest rotation (freshwater, estuarine, saltwater) and low-tech, low-impact fishing; management of the Narrung bund (between Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina); acid sulfate; blackwater from anabranches; public outreach about commercial fishing activities; carp extraction. Other species mentioned: tubeworms (build ‘bombies’ or coral-like tubes), crab, rock lobster, fur seal. Note: Yellowbelly (Golden Perch) are known as Callop in this region of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Tracy also mentions: South Australian Research Development Institute (SARDI), Pew Trust, Marine Scale Fishery, Murray-Darling Basin Plan, Water Act, Women’s Industry Network, South Australian Seafood Industry Awards, Sea Net (Ocean Watch), Regional Development Board, Marine Stewardship Council, PIRSA Fisheries, Ramsar Treaty, National Parks Act, Lower Lakes and Coorong Infrastructure Committee.]]>
Fish surveys]]> Blackwater]]> Rivers]]> Freshwater ecology]]> Environmental conservation]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Fishing regulations]]> Riparian restoration]]>
Born in 1964, Greg Grew up in Croydon, Melbourne, before working as a fisheries officer in northern Victoria. He shares his experience in freshwater fish research and surveying, and explains the influence of fires, farming, pests, weeds and floods on the river ecosystem. He mentions a big Yabby catch in 1994 and a particularly destructive black water event at Broken Creek.

He discusses changes in fishing culture, noting an increasing awareness and concern for the continuity of species and environmental sustainability. Greg says that these attitude shifts express themselves in different ways, from the sponsorship of vegetation regrowth programs, the introduction of catch limits and size restrictions, and to the practice of catch and release,

He also talks about fishing further afield in California, Mexico, Canada, England, Kenya, and Juneau, Alaska, where he ate fermented raw fish with indigenous people.

Mention of Yarra Valley Fly Fishing Club, Deepdene Fishing Club, Monash University, Healsville Sanctuary, Fisheries and Wildlife, Californian Conservation Core, Freshwater Fishing Australia magazine, Murray Cod Classic

Mention of Garfish, 'Rainbow Fish', and bardigrubs, Willows]]>
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Fishes--Identification]]> Plants--Identification]]> Water resources]]> Water--Law and legislation]]> Water quality]]> Floodplains]]> Weirs]]> Cotton]]> Vertisols]]> Blackwater]]> Introduced fishes]]> Aboriginal culture]]> Eucalyptus camaldulensis]]> Grazing]]> Livestock]]>
Peter and Margaret (Pop) Petersen were the former managers of Brenda Station in Goodooga. On the Culgoa River, it spans both New South Wales and Queensland. Previously owned by the Church of England, Brenda Station was primarily involved in grazing sheep and cattle. The Culgoa River which runs through the property, was a major source of feed and water for the Petersen's and their community. Peter and Pop reminisce about the pleasant experiences had on Brenda Station and discuss the course of events leading to the less than ideal conditions that the river is currently in. They also talk about: the long term benefits of floods; the changes in flows as a result of irrigation and intense agriculture; differences in water colour (red Maranoa, black Darling Downs); Artesian bore drains; Aboriginal tools found on the property.

The Petersens have maintained records of rainfall, river height, and floods that date back to 1872.
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Fishes--Identification]]> Plants--Identification]]> Siltation]]> Blackwater]]> Water quality]]> Droughts]]> Weeds]]> Weirs]]> Livestock]]>
Henry and Joan Cross live at Goonaroo Station, an 11,000 acre sheep and cattle property. The property is located north of Hebel on the New South Wales and Queensland borders and was purchased by Henry's father. The Bokhara River cuts through their property.

Henry was born at the property 85 years ago. In the river he has caught Catfish (5-6 lbs), Yellowbelly (3-5 lbs), and many Crayfish. One time, he was stung by a Catfish barb. Henry used to use cloth line for fishing, and would bob for fish as there were no lures back then. He could even tell the different fish species from their bites (bite impressions).

The rivers used to run clean. Big worms (up to 2 feet long) were the best bait to use for fishing, and he still sees these worms around.

'Tea Tree Hole' was the most popular place to fish before the weir was built. In the drought of 1958 the hole went dry, and he remembers pulling dying Murray Cod out, but didn't like to eat Cod as they tasted bad.

Henry spent a considerable amount of time on the river with family. Most picnics were on the Culgoa River where the fish were better, the Narran River even better than the Culgoa.

He first noticed the fishing holes fill with silt about 30 years ago. Now trees fall into the holes, which hold up the silt and built-up material. Siltation began before European Carp arrived. The river ran clear before the 1970s and 1980s. Weeds used to grow on the water, but do not any longer.

Siltation now blocks the weirs. Blackwater (black) floods take the oxygen out of the water, killing fish. Dirranbandi saw many dead fish. Thousands of fish died there, including Cod 3 feet long. Trucks were used to load and bury the fish.

Now Culgoa River gets the most water. The weed is dead and it used to have [Red Carp/Spangled Perch/'puppy dogs']. Vegetation on the river used to be River Red Gums, Coolabahs, and the occasional Tea trees and Lomandra.

Today's fishing is very poor. The river has dried out many times - three times after the weir was built in 1958, however, on the property the water is 'very good'.]]>
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Fishes--Identification]]> Crustaceans]]> Birds--Identification]]> Reptiles--Identification]]> Plants--Identification]]> Dams]]> Blackwater]]> Water--Law and legislation]]> Droughts]]> Weeds]]> Fish stocking]]> Billabongs]]> Introduced species]]> Water quality]]>
Born in 1955 at Mildura, Rodney grew up on the Darling. He has witnessed the changes in the native fish population, particularly relating to the arrival of the European carp; the decimation of Catfish; restocking; fish kills at Wakool; the removal of Willow trees; the disappearance of bird life following the wave of the calcivirus; blackwater and its impacts on the region; yabbying; fishing techniques; the way fish behave during droughts; the Darling floods of 1956 and 1976, and the various flora and fauna present in the region.

He also shows the research crew Fort Courage and talks about fishing at the junction of the two systems, including a description of a "mini delta" in the Anabranch when it runs.

Mention of 183 Dam and a fish species 'Minnow' (unspecified).]]>
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