Netting & Fishkill

[millie]

Hi Bear & Trouty and others

Been following your discourse in a number of threads.
Couldn’t decide where to reply so I started this new one.
You both have valid points so no choosing sides but I do want to make a few observations.

The Blackwood was doing fine regards the average size of Bream when Price was only doing 1.5 tonne a year. (He knows what the river can handle.) The reason he went to 3 tonne last year was to inflate the price of his licence, as he knew of the pending buyout.

The resultant impact on the Bream population has been very noticeable to all who have fished the Blackwood this season.
Bream are not so abundant as in previous years; we are missing approx 10cm in average fish size, which equates to roughly 350 grammes and roughly three years growth.

Amateur netting does take place at the back of Malloy Island but they have yet to be caught in the act and don’t take many fish compared to the pro netter. But they are a worry.

Make no mistake Price is the main problem, but he is one and we are many. We need to keep the pressure up to make him pull his head in this season. Another 3 tonne haul will put the fish stocks back another three years and wipe out the trophy fishery.

The fish kill in the Swan has also distracted me in my efforts to spread the word lately so lets take inspiration from these threads for more emails and letters to local pollies and newspapers.

I will sponsor a weekend on the Blackwood for the person who has the best/most, letters/emails published over this winter, that have the most impact regarding the banning of netting in our estuarine systems.

If Breamaster will agree to be the Judge and set the rules

Cheers
Millie

There are no 'sides' Millie. I think we all want whats best for the future of our rivers and fishstocks, that much goes without saying.

I also think that largely were all pretty much agreed about how that objective might be met.

What we seem to lack is the vehicle / mechanism to achieve our ends.

I propose Millie - that what we need is a West Australian Riverkeepers Organisation.....exclusive of Govt, privately staffed and privately funded, & prepared to use the courts, media and every other mechanism available to us, to keep the rivers and ther fishstocks protected from the polluters and inaction of govt and their departments - and independant watchdog..

An independant watchdog with BIG teeth prepared to go to court to GET injunctions against Sewage spillers, Farms, Winerys, Light Industry, Local govt's, Netters and anyone else who threatens the future health of our waterways and fishstocks.

Take a look at the background (history) of some of the riverkeepers orgs in the USA. (Where it says Hudson Ri\ver just insert the WA river of your choice!!!)

Our mission is to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Hudson River, its tributaries and the watershed of New York City (protecting the city's drinking water supply) by tracking down and stopping polluters. Since 1983, Riverkeeper has investigated and brought to justice more than 300 environmental lawbreakers. Riverkeeper believes in the rights of every citizen to enjoy and defend our nation's water resources.


Our History
For over 35 years, Riverkeeper and its predecessor organization have been watchdogs for the health and protection of the Hudson River.

What We Do
Riverkeeper is an advocacy group that monitors the Hudson River ecosystem and challenges polluters, using both legal and grass roots campaigns.

Staff

Board of Directors

Funding
Over 50% of Riverkeeper's $2 million annual budget comes from individual contributors. We need your help!

Whatta ya reckon Millie, do we get federal laws enacted to empower riverleepers to take on our state and local govts who have clearly failed our rivers and fishstocks?

Anyone else have any worthwhile idea's / remedies / solutions to the dilemma's facing our rivers and fishstocks?

lets hear em..

Cheers!

sheesh pls excuse the typo's, I'm used to a edit facility where I can fix typo's after the fact, bad case of the Phat Phingers syndrome I'm afraid.

River leepers Maybe we all get decked out in leotards and use pole vault poles to jump the Swan R.! - Mim can be Tatiana Grigoria (sp?)!

Cheers!

added to my post Millie - that I think thats a worthwhile offer for you to have made and I would like to support you in your endeavor.

I will gladly donate/sponsor/supply, one of the two days on the Blackwood R for you, if you like, with my boat and my time...for the winner of your prize.

Just let me know, maybe you can get someone else local to sponsor the 2nd day for the winner!

Hopefully the Breammaster Directors here will be the arbiters of who wins?

Cheers!

[DAWS]

You might be in the running for your own prize Trouty.

Daws(Nannup Farmer)

Good point, obviously I have to disqualify myself from any prizes at this site - I'm not here to try and take anything away from the anglers who might win anything, in fact I hope I can perhaps "add" something of value to the site...for the members.

Hows it this morning - cold enough for you out Cundinup way?

Cold as my muther in laws kiss on the riverflats this morning - ice was still melting at 9 am...it was colder than a frogs tit. Lovelly weather but eh? You can hear the grass grow once the suns up!

I wish I was fishun today - but sadly I have some timber work to finnish. Too good to be indoors.

Stop n say G'day next time your out my way.

Cheers!

[Bear]

Trouty, as you seem to know a bit on the subject, do Rangers have the same powers as fishersies officers?

If not, why the hell can't we give them the same powers. On top of they, with a few more added, THEY could be our River Keepers.

JAT.

It has a lot of merit as an idea.

Theres lots of different kinds of rangers - council rangers, forest rangers and national parks rangers, supermarket trolley rangers (just kidding with the last one! hehehe).

I once had Wildlife Powers, and during a meeting with Fisheries inspectors asked the exact same question - why can't Calm Rangers / wildlife officers have crossover powers with Fisheries because we were the ones out in the bush and on the rivers/ streams every day seeing the offences (illegal marroning I was referring to at the time) yet were powerless to do anything about it.

Initially the Fisheries Inspectors straight up answer shocked me.

Because some of the CALM types people are the biggest poachers we have on our "list"

After intially being a little "offended' I thought about it....and it was basically true. Every forestry truck at the local depot had marron nets inside the crib locker, and they poached marron usually without licenses - all season long, every day of the week from every waterhole in the bush within cooee of where they were working either planting trees, controlled burning etc.

It's like a 'sport' with them, to see who can out marron / out poach each other to have "marron sandwiches" for lunch - just to nark the other crews! Farmers dams weren't immune either - they would get together at night to poach farmers dams, like it was a 'sport'- with a wink and a nudge. Heck - my 'district manager' had been known to poach the odd marron..

So the sad reality Bear, is that (like the royal commission is proving with our police force) - our rangers sadly, couldn't be trusted with the responsibility that accompanied the additional powers.

I see now that Marine and Harbours are trading powers with Fisheries and vice versa - which is a start I guess.....but you still have to wonder how wise it is...

Does anyone remember a few years back when one of Fisheries own vessels blew up with two guys on board on the river when they went to start it? Obviously some fumes below deck - that ignited with a spark, and boom - two Fisheries Inspectors in hospital with fractured lower leg bones, ankles and feet, and broken vertebrae, collar bones etc etc (he was under the alloy roof when it went...the other guy was thrown into the water).

Anyway - my point I guess Bear - is these same guys missed an obvious - 'blow the bilge' and inspect - open hatches etc before every startup rule, to check for fuel leaks. Supposedly their vessels meet strict survey requirements.. yet it still went boom!

Now, it's these fearless Fisheries inspectors who are going to tell me (a qual coxswain) or you - whether your boats safe or not?????

See what I mean Bear?

It's a sound idea and it SHOULD work - but sometimes the reality when you involve the human factor means that whats a sound idea fails at the implementation phase.

If the govt were serious about River degradation, offences for fisheries etc etc do you think they'd a closed down most of the CALM offices down south and have qualified wildlife officers like me with the skills of investigation and prosecution, redundant and sitting here typing this to you, rather than out catching crooks?

The reality Bear is our Govts about broke - (mostly thru corruption & waste) and they haven't got the resources to do the job they should. Anyone who was any good got out when the $ packages were there (including me) - the "dead wood" got left behind in the departments, and these gabfesters are all thats left to keep the sinking ship of state afloat!

Personally I think it's man the lifeboats and every man for himself time, in as far as fixing the problems. If the govt were going to fix em - they'd a done it long before now.

This is why I believe Riverkeepers needs to be a privately funded and run organisation Bear. Letting Govt anywhere near it will only bugger it up...

Maybe thats a jaundiced view Bear, but - I have the training and skill to enforce laws, I spend a lot of time on the river, and see all manner of offences from marine and harbours types (jetskis doing 30 knots in the Donnellys 5 knt zone) to people marroning on theDonnely from boats etc etc...and despite all that experience skill and qualifications - theres not a damn thing I can do about it when I see the laws broken every day.

In just the same way that say the RSL can keep the dept of "veterans affairs" on their toes as far as ensuring 'Vets get their just entitlements, I believe strongly that Riverkeepers could ensure the various laws and Govt Departments (and local govt) Rangers of all guises actually DID what their job precription says - that is - enforce the existing laws.

Heavens knows we need something, and so far all the govt departments in the world didn't stop the pipeline down the middle of the lefroy brook - or the fish kills in all the rivers etc - clearly bear Govt doesn't WORK for something this important.

I know how "flawed" the govt system is - I worked in it for 18 years and sent a few of my colleagues to jail for "corruption" during the WA inc days Bear - I know it's strengths and weaknesses...from first hand experience (which is why I have such little faith in it).

I believe we need a private body to look out for the Rivers best interests and the Riverkeepers organisation so far is the best model I've yet seen...as long as Govt don't get their mits on it and bugger it up...

Thats how I see it..

Cheers!

[millie]

Hi Trouty
Riverkeepers does seem like a good idea however at this point I think it would be divisive to go off on a tangent.
We have the SRT and the EPA to deal with this problem all we have to do is introduce accountability into the equation and get them all some new teeth.
I am sure the SRT also feel frustrated in the lack of support that their recommendations have received from various State Governments over the years. The EPA are conspicuous by their absence on this issue probably because the current laws do not cover fertiliser run off.
This issue has found its way into the too hard basket far too often and we need to let the pollies know how much it hurts to see the river die. So keep on spreading the word.
Millie

[Bear]

Something out of left field, but I wonder if any one has tried a Class Action against an authority who has these sort of responsibilities and failed to meet them.

Sure would wake them up wouldn't it

Bear, Yes a Class action sure would wake em up...probably the 'smartest' comment on the subject thats been posted yet - of course the "class" would have to be able to demonstrate "losses" (of $ tackle sales?) to go for compensation in their suit, and also need an angling lawyer prepared to take the suit on - on a contingency basis (no win / no pay).

Millie...

Re giving the existing agencys "real teeth"...

Whist it sounds good Millie - I fear in practice it stands little chance of success. Once upon a time the public service had some integrity...but that changed with the politicisation of the PS..

I think it changed way back in Burkes days when labor commenced the practice of parachuting labor people into top positions within the PS...and then the Libs applied the same strategys...and basically career PS's became a thing of the past - they soon saw that it was ones political ties that determined promotional success.

So it is today that the entire PS culture is highly politicised - and the top guns are the puppets of their political paymasters - no longer career public servants dedicated to a bipartisan ethic.

There can be no teeth when the upper echelon of the PS are to scared to bite the hand that feeds them..

It is a sound idea in principal Millie - but only an organisation independant of Govt, with grass roots $ support of environmentally concerned 'People' (notice I didn't say anglers because this issue is bigger than just anglers) to be able to keep the pressure on the PS types to actually do their job.

These PS types need to be MORE AFFRAID of the Riverkeepers org and bad press - than they are of their political pyamasters Millie.

Sadly - thats what our system of govt & PS system has deteriorated to...shouldn't be that way - but sometimes we have to face reality.

I don't see that Riverkeepers should take us away at a tangent Millie - I see it should be the umbrella under which all the concerned bodys & citizens (incuding angler groups) work together to bring about the environmental changes they all seek, bye forcing the relevant departments hands.

Imagine if it became "political suicide" for a minister to have their departments failings sheeted home in the press & in parliament and under the westminster system, they had to fall on their swords Millie - don't you think Ministers would then ensure their departments were held accountable???

If not it could bring about the fall of elected governments when they lost the numbers in the house and became minority governments...clearly SOMETHING has to be done Millie - but what?

I wan't to see a "better" option than Riverkeepers org, and so far Bears suggestion of a class action is possibly the closest to that,
BUT - the days not over yet!

Riverkeepers needs to be able to play against BOTH of the two current major political party's - and win, for the sake of the river and our kids futures in this state. It's too important to leave it to public servants & politicians IMHO......both have proved they arent up to the job!

Cheers n keep em comming!

[millie]

Hi Fellas
Here is a recent letter to the Minister
If you are in agreement, cut and paste, add your name and invest 50 cents in the future.
Cheers
Millie

Kim Chance MLC
11th Floor Dumas House
2 Havelock Street
WEST PERTH WA 6005

Dear Minister

Re: Algal blooms and Commercial netting

It makes me angry to see so many dead fish floating on the Swan River during this recent toxic bloom fish kill, and it makes me angrier to think that there will be no quick solution to this problem, since algal blooms are an annual event and the probability of a toxic bloom re-occurrence is extremely high.
I think it is outrageous that a succession of State Governments has failed to adequately address this problem and provide legislation to prevent the nutrient build up and the degradation of Perth’s greatest asset the Swan River.

Algal blooms also occur in the Moore River, the Canning, the Serpentine, the Murray, the Collie and the Blackwood Rivers. All of these eco-systems must now be considered as under threat and protected for the future.
The Blackwood Estuary, Mandurah Estuary, and the Swan Canning Estuary are also netted on a commercial basis for Black Bream and other species.
This practise must now be considered as extremely dangerous to the remaining fish stocks and should be stopped forthwith.
If we allow the fish populations to crash they may never recover.

The recreational anglers Internet forums contain many references to ecological and fisheries management issues and support for voluntary no take zones and re-stocking programs is growing along with the anger of the recreational anglers at the loss of the estuarine sportfish the Black Bream. The Fisheries proposal of a fishing ban is viewed as having little merit unless it includes the commercial netting operators, who annually remove 5 tonnes of Black Bream from these systems.

I call on you to show leadership on this issue by revoking the commercial netting licences in our endangered estuarine systems and to promote legislation that will reduce the flow of nutrients into these systems.

Yours sincerely