Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

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dannett
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by dannett »

Ben Jam wrote:Where are you fella's intending on staying. I'm not that keen on driving back each day or staying at shady camp considering the late start and early retrieval timings.


What are the times for launching and retrieving? The tides on the form don't relate to Willy Weather and the difference relative to Darwin seem to vary. What is the magic formula to work out the tides there? I am planing to fish the second weekend, Saturday and or Sunday.

Dan


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Ben Jam
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by Ben Jam »

Your right It seems back to front, I'll be launching between 0530-0600. but you should be right launching up to about 0630 @+4m with a 4x4.
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dannett
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by dannett »

Cheers Ben Jam, I have only done a couple of trips to Shady and they have all been in flood, so I am still very green. Is tidal difference from Darwin is about +5 hours at the barrage?

Is +4m the cut off? I don't want to end up high and dry.

Dan
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by ronje »

A timely event by NT Fisheries with AFANT participation.

NT Fisheries is keen to obtain useful data about a wide range of fishing sustainability issues.

AFANT has been involved in the responsibility of recording details of mainly recreational tagging.

Now AFANT and NT Fisheries have sought assistance from the recreational sector in a combined data collection event.

One could be forgiven for thinking that this survey could be seen as a test for how much support in the recreational sector exists for this subject and any further initiatives by either or both of the organistaions.

I'm sure that further initiatives are in train to involve the recreational sector more (after all its in the rec. fishings interests) and provide more feedback of outcomes/results from the data gathered.

Don't miss the boat on this (no pun intended).
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by ponyplay »

ronje wrote:A timely event by NT Fisheries with AFANT participation.

NT Fisheries is keen to obtain useful data about a wide range of fishing sustainability issues.

AFANT has been involved in the responsibility of recording details of mainly recreational tagging.

Now AFANT and NT Fisheries have sought assistance from the recreational sector in a combined data collection event.

One could be forgiven for thinking that this survey could be seen as a test for how much support in the recreational sector exists for this subject and any further initiatives by either or both of the organistaions.

I'm sure that further initiatives are in train to involve the recreational sector more (after all its in the rec. fishings interests) and provide more feedback of outcomes/results from the data gathered.

Don't miss the boat on this (no pun intended).



how many rec voulenters would they get if they where doing research at shoal bay or adelaide mouth , think the fishing on hand may be wats got the interest seen its normally closed this time year
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by trent »

Pretty sure its only open to limited numbers and what sort of useful data are they expecting,from all reports its been quiet out the front except for a few big fish, so far this years been void of any good numbers of fish in the 75 to 85cm class which usually are the bulk of the catch at sampan and tommy, probably handle and release a lot better than the big ones as well, any data on what catching,measuring,tagging,weighing breeding or about to breed barra does to the spawning process, would have thought it better to be out there during the run off (if we get one) to obtain some data from the 50-60 boats,100-180 people a day that will be there for 3-4 months of the year.
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by ghound »

you would think that they could get the guides to go out pro bono for a weekend. Least they could do for being able to be members of a fine association such as AFANT.
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by nomad »

I decided to help out with the AFANT/Fisheries survey for the Lower Mary (my main reason was selfish one – I thought I would have a good chance to hook onto a PB barra with little competition around)
So I rocked up at Shady with a mate and we headed down to the mouth. Things were very quiet on the way with little or no action.
Pulled up near the mouth and started out with high hopes of getting a few on board for the tagging program.
There were several other boats there as well and it started off slow and got progressively slower.
I tried trolling deep, shallow, big and small lures, for zip. As night fell, I tried some plastics and other lures.
Still zip
Headed over to Tommycut and continued but still struggled.

The following morning we continued and my mate hooked onto a thready for a short time but dropped it.
Still better than the day before I thought.
Pulled up and while my mate was cooking some bacon and eggs for breakfast I tied on a little Lucifer and hooked a small barra that was hiding in some tree cover. I dropped it just as quickly.
It was so frustrating.
So at least the data ill give to the fisheries might help in some way. Ie nothing biting around at this time. (I've seen the reports from others about good barra at other locations so maybe they will come on next week with the bigger tides)
The reports from others fishing around was very similar.
Maybe the survey could have been for jellyfish numbers. there were millions of them around.
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Re: Lower Mary Recreational Fishing Barramundi Survey

Post by Craig Ingram »

2013 Mary River recreational tagging survey final report

Background
The Mary River seasonal closure was implemented to protect spawning aggregations after a significant collapse in the barramundi stocks in the 1980’s, predominantly due to commercial fishing pressure and a number of poor wet seasons.
A number of changes were then made in the fishery including gear restrictions, river and seasonal closures and reduction in commercial catch effort through license reductions. The result of these changes was a substantial recovery of the Mary River Barramundi population over the next 20 years.
AFANT believes with the removal of commercial barramundi fishing from the Chambers and Finke bays the capacity exists to shift a portion of the commercial barramundi catch that was historically extracted (approximately 140 tonne of barramundi and threadfin or around 35,000 fish) from the new recreational only zone to the recreational sector.
AFANT strongly supports the removal of the seasonal closure combined with the retention of the current Mary River possession limits and the inclusion of a maximum size limit. This combined with a detailed angler catch and effort data and tagging program which includes specific tagging to gauge the survival rates of large fish, will provide sufficient information to monitor and manage the fishery.
The combination of these restrictions will allow the opening of the closed season while having a minimal impact on the Barra population in the system.
Scientific research on the impact on catch and release of spawning barramundi has not been conducted in any detail, although evidence from aquaculture processes indicates that handling does lead to egg reabsorption in large female barramundi and this does need to be considered. AFANT believes that even with some impact on egg production, the relative harvest rates apparent in the fishery make this a low risk scenario that could be monitored and responses put in place if harvest rates increase in the future.
According to the 2009 recreational fishing survey 70% of barramundi caught by recreational anglers were released.
The 2011 NT fisheries status report for the Barramundi fishery indicate that research shows 90% survival of all released Barra, although achieving this high survival rate is dependent on good handling practise and quick return to the water.

The October 2013 Mary River survey

AFANT received applications from 29 crews who registered to participate over the two weekends. All participants were required to complete an indemnity and registration form.
Based on the returned information from participants the following is a summary of the survey:
• Total angler/line hours 511 hours
• Barramundi caught and tagged 46
• King threadfin caught and released (not all were tagged) 47
• CPUE for barra and threadfin 0.18 fish per angler hour
• Average barramundi length 60cm
• Average FL threadfin 73cm

The largest barramundi caught was 117cm, two barramundi in the 90’s and 4 in the 80’s.
After the first weekend NT Fisheries reviewed the tagging protocol and tag placement for king threadfin and the new tag site is on the 2nd dorsal fin. Most of the threadfin salmon caught were tagged before being released on the second weekend.

AFANT is currently working with NT fisheries to implement a comprehensive angler catch and effort data and tagging program to be put forward as part of the package to monitor the removal of the closure.
Craig Ingram
Executive Officer AFANT
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