Looking back: NT fishing reports starting from January 1999
Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:06 am
This old NT fishing report may be of interest ... more to follow.
Matt Flynn's reports, January 23, 1999
A friend from south said this week that while the success of two private secure boat ramps in the Territory was gratifying, it was a shame that some public ramps were shunned because of theft from cars.
We discussed possible schemes to stop the theft and vandalism problems, and the simplest idea we could come up with was to have an official paid attendant at problem ramps.
The position would be self-funded as boat users would pay (for example) $2 to have their car and trailer watched by the attendant, who would also be responsible for keeping boat ramp carparks free of rubbish.
On a weekend at, for example Buffalo Creek, that would be a reasonable earner.
Of course, nothing is ever that simple.
Some people might refuse to pay the $2 fee for launching.
And week days would see fewer boats, making the operational marginal for the attendant.
Perhaps the Government could offer a small subsidy, or retainer for six-days-a-week attendance at the most popular ramps.
This would require little infrastructure _ perhaps a public toilet would be needed.
I know my friend's own solution is to leave his car unlocked and with no valuables inside, which usually avoids the damage done when the thieves smash windows or jimmy locks to break in, but then he risks losing the car to a car thief.
I would certainly be interested in other ideas.
*The Shoal Bay prawn farm proposal was outlined in detail at a public meeting on Friday.
The meeting was told an environmental report on the proposal would be released next Friday.
The environmental report is what everyone is waiting for, and you will be able to read a summary of it here as soon as it is available.
*Here's a new angle on prawn farming that might catch your interest.
The prawns pictured are giant tiger prawns, or leader prawns, and they are found off the Territory coast, at times in shallow water.
In fact these big prawns are caught in just a few feet of water near creek mouths and foreshores along the Queensland coast.
The species is what prawn farms are growing for the seafood market, although this story has little to do with the Howard River prawn farm proposal currently in the news.
NT fisheries are trying to locate brood stock leader prawns for spawning purposes, to seed prawn farms around the country.
The prawns are caught by our northern prawn trawling fleet, but irregularly, and because they are caught using standard trawling techniques, the prawns are usually exhausted and dying by the time they are brought in to the boat.
Fisheries researcher Damian White is trying to identify where the prawns congregate so that specific trawling techniques can be used to catch these prawns in good condition, so they can subsequently be used as breeders.
Apparently there may even be room for a new type of fishing licence if someone can identify ways of harvesting these live prawns.
Damian also suggested that live milkfish might be a market for an enterprising (licenced) Territory fishermen, as the price for a live broodstock fish was at $1500 in Asia at one stage.
One milkfish can seed several farms, apparently.
Incidentally, Damian says the prawn shortfall in the United States is $2.4 billion annually.
That's what the seafood traders think they could sell if they could get them.
That's why recreational fishermen, who provide an economic benefit that is real but difficult to quantify, are going to face an ever-multiplying number of prawn farm proposals.
So if you know where these prawns live, and you can catch them live, you could sell them for up to $150 each ... if you manage to get a DPIF licence.
*The NT DPIF has released a draft plan for recreational fishing, and it's a document in which fishermen should take interest. Regional public meetings will be held for the fishing industry to discuss the plan with senior fisheries staff.
Matt Flynn's reports, January 23, 1999
A friend from south said this week that while the success of two private secure boat ramps in the Territory was gratifying, it was a shame that some public ramps were shunned because of theft from cars.
We discussed possible schemes to stop the theft and vandalism problems, and the simplest idea we could come up with was to have an official paid attendant at problem ramps.
The position would be self-funded as boat users would pay (for example) $2 to have their car and trailer watched by the attendant, who would also be responsible for keeping boat ramp carparks free of rubbish.
On a weekend at, for example Buffalo Creek, that would be a reasonable earner.
Of course, nothing is ever that simple.
Some people might refuse to pay the $2 fee for launching.
And week days would see fewer boats, making the operational marginal for the attendant.
Perhaps the Government could offer a small subsidy, or retainer for six-days-a-week attendance at the most popular ramps.
This would require little infrastructure _ perhaps a public toilet would be needed.
I know my friend's own solution is to leave his car unlocked and with no valuables inside, which usually avoids the damage done when the thieves smash windows or jimmy locks to break in, but then he risks losing the car to a car thief.
I would certainly be interested in other ideas.
*The Shoal Bay prawn farm proposal was outlined in detail at a public meeting on Friday.
The meeting was told an environmental report on the proposal would be released next Friday.
The environmental report is what everyone is waiting for, and you will be able to read a summary of it here as soon as it is available.
*Here's a new angle on prawn farming that might catch your interest.
The prawns pictured are giant tiger prawns, or leader prawns, and they are found off the Territory coast, at times in shallow water.
In fact these big prawns are caught in just a few feet of water near creek mouths and foreshores along the Queensland coast.
The species is what prawn farms are growing for the seafood market, although this story has little to do with the Howard River prawn farm proposal currently in the news.
NT fisheries are trying to locate brood stock leader prawns for spawning purposes, to seed prawn farms around the country.
The prawns are caught by our northern prawn trawling fleet, but irregularly, and because they are caught using standard trawling techniques, the prawns are usually exhausted and dying by the time they are brought in to the boat.
Fisheries researcher Damian White is trying to identify where the prawns congregate so that specific trawling techniques can be used to catch these prawns in good condition, so they can subsequently be used as breeders.
Apparently there may even be room for a new type of fishing licence if someone can identify ways of harvesting these live prawns.
Damian also suggested that live milkfish might be a market for an enterprising (licenced) Territory fishermen, as the price for a live broodstock fish was at $1500 in Asia at one stage.
One milkfish can seed several farms, apparently.
Incidentally, Damian says the prawn shortfall in the United States is $2.4 billion annually.
That's what the seafood traders think they could sell if they could get them.
That's why recreational fishermen, who provide an economic benefit that is real but difficult to quantify, are going to face an ever-multiplying number of prawn farm proposals.
So if you know where these prawns live, and you can catch them live, you could sell them for up to $150 each ... if you manage to get a DPIF licence.
*The NT DPIF has released a draft plan for recreational fishing, and it's a document in which fishermen should take interest. Regional public meetings will be held for the fishing industry to discuss the plan with senior fisheries staff.