More funding for carp eradication teams
By SARAH GRAHAM | Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Bryan Green announced that an additional $400,000 will be provided for the Carp Management Program in this year’s State Budget.
The Service has invested heavily in the control of carp at lakes Sorell and Crescent over the past 15 years. It has received financial support primarily through State government funding and to a lesser extent, the Commonwealth government.
During this time, the Service has successfully contained the carp invasion to these lakes, which was its number one priority. It went on to significantly reduce the carp population in both lakes using innovative technology, and last year, appears to have achieved a total eradication of carp from Lake Crescent.
Favourable environmental conditions last year, however, led to limited spawning and successful recruitment of juvenile carp in Lake Sorell.
This was a major set-back for the carp team which was so close to achieving its long term goal of eradicating the pest fish from Tasmanian waters.
The additional funding in this year’s budget will buoy the spirits of the carp team and it will enable the implementation of further strategies to gain greater control of the carp population in the extensive waters of Lake Sorell.
This work will focus on the capture of as many of the juvenile fish from the 2009-10 spawning as possible, while preventing any further spawning or subsequent population outbreaks in the 2010-11 season.
Meanwhile, the carp team will continue to closely monitor Lake Crescent for the presence of any carp. — IFS
Woods Lake Road has been steadily improved since this photo in 2005
Road maintenance work on Woods Lake Road has been undertaken during the closed season and is now complete. The work, which involved correcting road side drainage, installation of delineators at culverts and the filling of potholes, was jointly funded by the IFS and Hydro Tasmania.
The extent of the work was from just past Yengena settlement at Arthurs Lake Dam all the way to Woods Lake Dam, a total distance of approx 12.5km.
Anglers can do their part in limiting damage to the road surface, their vehicles and boats by travelling at speeds conducive to the conditions. The recommended maximum speed, in ideal conditions, for this type of road is 20-40 km/h. — IFS
Willow removal on Macquarie River
The Inland Fisheries Service is continuing to remove willows on the Macquarie River as part of the Anglers Access program which has already improved onsite angling infrastructure, signage and information.
Additional funding provided by NRM North has enabled the latest work involving extensive willow removal and riparian remediation on two properties, Woolmers and Brickendon, near Longford.
Both properties are also involved in Angler Access projects to improve access and fishing in the Macquarie River. Mersey NRM services have been the principle contractor and used this as a valuable training site.
The removal of willow will considerably increase the extent of fishable water downstream from Woolmers Bridge and the fishing will be further improved with the installation of fence stiles, footbridges, off stream stock watering and riparian fencing.
Anglers will be able to experience the benefits of improved access at the start of the new season in August. — IFS
Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) has allocated $400,000 in funds this year derived from recreational boat registrations to develop and enhance recreational boating facilities around the State.
MAST called for public submissions for funding for suitable projects from January to March 2010 and held talks with applicants, including on site visits, to discuss the proposals during April. A full list of these proposals submitted to MAST can be viewed at www.mast.tas.gov.au.
A series of public meetings, listed below, is now being planned to provide the boating community in various regions with the opportunity to provide input the proposed projects within their local area.
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Distribution of transmitter fish in Lake Sorell between January and March 2010
The latest update on the Carp Management Program from Inland Fisheries Service reports:
Despite the Carp Management Team’s intensive efforts to prevent the remaining adult carp in Lake Sorell from spawning in late 2009, it became apparent just prior to Christmas that some carp had been successful.
Juvenile Carp were first found at the northern end of Silver Plains the week prior to Christmas. Further Sampling discovered more juveniles in the main Silver Plains drain, Robertsons, Kermodes, Duck Bay and Kemps marshes.
An intensive treatment operation was put in place to remove as many juvenile carp as possible while still inhabiting shallow vegetation areas before dispersing into deeper water.
Rotenone, a derris based fish poison, was used to kill over 14,000 fish during a 6 week period. Intensive fishing effort has since been undertaken to remove schools of juvenile fish and to gain knowledge and an understanding of this new population.
Early indications suggest that we may have already removed up to two thirds of this cohort. Lake Sorell was tracked a total of 21 times between January and March. Due to the majority of time spent catching juvenile carp tracking effort was subsequently reduced over this period.
Download the full report here [PDF 466Kb].
Lake Catagunyah boat ramp constructed last year. Photograph: IFS
MAST, Hydro and IFS have been working together over recent years to upgrade and construct access and boating facilities at a number of the State’s top waters, particularly in response to low water levels (eg Arthurs Lake, Great Lake, Lake Echo and Catagunya).
The Draft Boating and Infrastructure Plan has been developed in partnership between the three organisations to help guide funding priorities for boating facilities into the future. It is available for comment until 30 May 2010.
This is also a reminder to angling clubs that applications for MAST’s Recreational Boating Fund in 2010 should be submitted by 31 March.
Read more here
More space for kids to catch a fish at the Trout Weekend, Liawenee this May. Photograph: IFS
IFS has just completed the construction of a second juniors’ fishout pond at Liawenee in preparation for the IFS Trout Weekend on 22-23 May, which effectively doubles the space for kids to fish for trout.
Fishcare Volunteers have managed the kids fishout pond at the weekend event over the past two years and it is extremely popular, with many happy kids taking home their catch.
Read more here
Inland Fisheries Service (IFS) and Anglers Alliance Tasmania (AAT) have completed the Anglers Access project on the River Leven.
This project is building on the success of similar projects completed on Brumbys Creek, Macquarie River and the Huon River and is proposed for other rivers including the Derwent, Tyenna and Meander rivers.
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