Droughts]]> Floods]]> Tobacco industry]]> Irrigation]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Fishing industry]]> Bait fishing]]> Fish kills]]> Pesticides]]> Stream flow]]> Tournament fishing]]> Fishing rods]]>
Lyall grew up in Merbien, and learnt to fish with his father. His uncle was a professional fisherman who built boats and sent his catch from Bourke to Sydney. He talks about irrigation; market gardens; how he uses different fishing techniques according to location and desired catch ('heavy gear' up at Merbein, hand lines or 'light gear' in the Ovens); catching trout cod; and fishing to eat.

Ollie grew up on the Ovens and learnt to fish with his father. He talks about the poor state of the river; and 'spinning'.

They discuss bait (yabbies, worms, bush crickets, grasshoppers); fires; 'cloud bursts' and de-oxygenated water; fish deaths; restocking; tobacco farming and the overuse of pesticides;
fish poisoning; erosion; the 1944 drought; 1956 and 1976 flood, logging; and talk about Valley Creek and Ovens River running dry; catch and release; changing motivations and philosophy (catching to feed and catching for sport); competitive fishing; transporting fish with a sugar bag; and fishing outside the local area.

Lyell also discusses making and fixing fishing rods.

Mention of Yarrawonga weir, Hume Weir

Mention of the "swimming pool", Marshall's Ridge (Lake Buffalo), "Horrie's Monshing", Healsville Sanctuary (Melbourne, Victoria) Maloney's Bridge on Buffalo Creek; Murray River Trust; Myrtleford Angling Club; Anderson’s Sawmills in Mildura; Red gum; Willow; Pelicans, Yabby, Tuna, Saltwater Perch
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Adam and Ron talk about the conditions that fish find favourable to breed in. They recall the effect of the Black Saturday Fires (2009), the 'chocolate river' event, and the Yarrabulla mudslide (2006/2007). They also make reference to the 1939 black water event. They speak of the decline of the tobacco industry and the anecdotal belief that fish have rebounded as a consequence. Ron remembers his time serving on the Ovens River Management Board, renamed Northeast Waterways and later the Northeast Catchment Management Authority. He talks about environmental politics and his experience advocating for the restoration of fish habitat and biodiversity. Adam talks about his involvement with the Northeast Catchment Management Authority and their efforts to replant native species and reintroduce snags.

They both talk about fishing lures, setlines, springers and keeper nets. They mention snakes, competitive fishing, snorkeling, and discuss what they like about fishing.

Mention of sugar gliders, platypus, phascogale, eastern water rats, bandicoots, tiger snakes, red belly black snakes, brown snakes, black snakes.

Mention of Arthur Rylah institute, Ovens River Improvement Trust, Ovens River Management Board, Northeast Waterways, Northeast Catchment Management Authority, Mulwala Classic Invitational, Cod Opening Classic, Myrtleford Fishing Club]]> CC-BY]]> 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]]> CC-BY]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Fish stocking]]> Fish populations]]> River engineering]]> Fishing regulations]]>
Keith shares the things he enjoys about fishing and tells stories about life on the River. He talks about his fishing holidays, how he 'reads' the water, variance in the water's quality and his efforts to restock the King River with Crayfish. He reflects on the variance of fish populations over time, and notes how the perception of introduced species has changed. He discusses the future of the River and the Basin's wider management. This includes reference to the draining of Lake Mokoan. He also touches on changes to fishing regulations and the evolution of illegal fishing surveillance.

Mention of: River Trust, Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Beech Grove Trout Farm.]]> CC-BY]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> Black-and-white photography]]> CC-BY]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Family life]]> Fisheries]]> Local history]]> Family histories]]> Marine ecology]]> Estuarine ecology]]> Salinity]]> Fishing regulations]]> Water--Law and legislation]]> Licenses]]> Introduced fishes]]> Aboriginal culture]]> Traditional ecological knowledge]]> Floods]]> Sustainable fisheries]]> Acid sulfate soils]]> Fishes--Identification]]>
Gary is a commercial fisher in the Lower Lakes and Coorong Fishery for 28 years; a third generation fisher on his father’s side, and a fifth generation fisher on his mother’s side (lineage to the Rumbelow family, and whalers from Victor Harbour, South Australia). His family came to the Lower Lakes in the 1930s. Gary lives and grew up in the Meningie area, four-hundred metres from Lake Albert. Gary discusses the three different habitats – marine, estuarine (the most productive system), and fresh water. He recalls life as a youngster working at his grandfather’s fish processing business. He has not been able to fish commercially in the Coorong south lagoon for 20 years due to hyper-salinity, and is concerned about the government’s targeting of commercial fishers and fisheries rather than habitat degradation. The low-tech, high physical-input nature and rotational harvesting of the fishing industry is a factor in its sustainability. The Lower Lakes and Coorong Fishery incorporates Lake Albert, Lake Alexandrina, the Coorong from Goolwa to Salt Creek, the ocean from Goolwa Beach Road to outside Kingston. The Coorong relies on Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.

Gary talks about: differences in fishing over 80 years from family history and personal observation ‘every year was different’; history of the Coorong and Lower Lakes Fishery, documented since 1854; the commercial fishing industry in Meningie (including when the coastal road through Meningie and Coorong was main route to Melbourne from Adelaide); history post World War II, including native vegetation land clearing; changes in licensing, which were freely available until mid-1970s when zoning occurred; commercial fishing registration, which influenced fishing behaviour (return on investment) due to administrative load; monthly ‘Catch and Effort’ data reported to government; health of region before construction of barrages 1935-40; the reduction in estuary size of Lake Alexandrina; changes to fish ecology separating salt from fresh water; changes to flood patterns; declining river flows; water extraction; degradation of habitat and lifecycles of estuarine-dependent species; bait fish industry (rock lobster market); the chain affect of water hyper salinity in the South Lagoon on species; brine shrimp – evidence of salinity and system collapse; rate of water release from lakes into the Coorong and sea; high percentage of carp in Lake Alexandrina; ground and surface water flows; 1981 closing of the Murray mouth; acid-sulfate soil; fishery closures in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia; Riverland Fishery (most sustainable model); importance of fish ways to their movement upstream; certification in 2008 of the Lower Lakes and Coorong Fishery; parallels in fishing methods with historical methods; traditional knowledge transfer, Ngarrindjeri peoples.

Gary also discusses the flood of 1956, and a severe drought in the last five years where water levels dropped a metre below sea level.

Other fish mentioned (unspecified species): Australian Salmon, soft-mouthed Hardyhead. Gary discusses an interesting relationship between Dandelion plants and fish movement.

Other mentions: President of Southern Fisherman’s Association (Gary has historical minutes of meetings); Murray-Darling Basin water management plan; Department of Environment; Department of Water; Riverland Fishery (South Australia); Fisheries Act; Marines Stewardship Council Certification; World Wide Fund for Nature, Scheme of Management; Department of Fisheries; South Australian Research Development Institute.]]> CC-BY]]> 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.]]> Sustainable fisheries]]>
Tracy is a business partner in the sustainable commercial fishery, which achieved Marine Stewardship Council certification in 2008.

The images show equipment inside the fishery and the process by which Coorong Mullet are packaged for sale.]]> Fishing industry]]> Fisheries]]> Ecological sustainability]]> Sustainable fisheries]]> River engineering]]> Water quality]]> Water resources]]> Fishes--Breeding]]>
Born in 1941, Henry is a sixth generation commercial fisher, and also ran a yabby restaurant for thirty years. He talks about learning to fish from his father, a commercial fisherman at Renmark, in the Riverland; and his grandfather, a First World War veteran. Henry is a member of the Community Stakeholder Taskforce for the Murray-Darling Basin Native Fish Strategy. His commercial licence covers Lake Albert, Lake Alexandrina, Coorong, and the Great Southern Ocean three nautical miles out from Goolwa to Kingston.

Henry talks about: his fishery's World First Environmental Management Plan and Marine Stewardship; the difference between fishing methods/equipment in the Riverland compared with the windy conditions of the Lakes, Coorong and ocean; sustainable fishing practice; effects of water over allocation (upstream); the lack of intermediate floods from the Murray and Darling, affecting the breeding cycle of fish; salt from irrigation; hypersalinity of Coorong, and possible solutions; the closure of the Murray mouth in 1981; counting bird species; and the increase of seals, sting ray, barnacles, and tube worm in the Coorong (now a marine environment); 1992 flood; plant species.

Other fish species mentioned: 'bull nosed mullet'.
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