Big fines faced for King George catch

January 15, 2004

WHAT: An Albany man faces more than $35,000 in fines after being charged with illegally operating in the South Coast Estuarine Interim Managed Fishery and using an unlicenced Fishing Boat.
Fisheries and Marine Officers allege Bernard Francis HILL sold at least 29 King George whiting to Bardies Fish Supply in Albany on August 14, 2002 without holding a commercial fishing permit.
Officers also allege Mr Hill caught fish on August 17, 2002 from an unlicenced fishing boat operating in Oyster Harbour.

WHERE: Albany Court
184 Stirling Tce, Albany

WHEN: 10am
Thursday, January 15, 2004

BACKGROUND:

Offence 1 (contravention of management plan)
o Max $25,000 fine plus mandatory penalty by number of $580 (10 x $2 x 29)

Offence 2 (Failure to licence boat)
o Max $10,000

Checkpoint chase could prove costly

January 15, 2004

WHAT: Fisheries and Marine Officers were forced to pursue a 34-year-old Northcliffe man after he allegedly drove through a Fisheries roadside checkpoint on Windy Harbour Road near Northcliffe on December 22.
Paul RUOCCO faces possible imprisonment and a $10,000 fine after being charged with obstructing a Fisheries Officer in the performance of his duty.
Fisheries Supervising Officer Peter Godfrey said the actions of the man were considered extremely dangerous.
"Not only does it prevent our Officers from carrying out their duties but they could get seriously hurt by this sort of action," Mr Godfrey claimed.
The Department alleges the man failed to stop at the checkpoint and was pursued for almost 2km before stopping his vehicle.

WHERE: Manjimup Court
Mount Street, Manjimup

WHEN: 10am
Thursday, January 15, 2004

o Max $10,000 fine and 1-year imprisonment

Extra patrol presence on South Coast

More Fisheries mobile patrols are in operation on the State's south coast as part of an education and compliance campaign now in full swing.

An additional Fisheries mobile unit was funded from recreational licence fees this year, with Fisheries and Marine Officers (FMOs) on hand to help educate the community about sustainable fish management while ensuring compliance with new rules.

The patrols will have an increased presence in the South Coast region as part of Statewide changes to recreational fishing rules and the marron season opening on January 23.

Fisheries Southern Region Manager Phil Shaw encouraged fishers to fish for the future by complying with new possession and bag limits and size specifications for recreational fishing introduced last October.

"It is important people are aware of the conservation needs of certain fish species and abide by the new rules to ensure the long-term sustainability of recreational fishing," he said.

"In particular, the bag limit for greenlip and brownlip abalone has been reduced from a combined limit of 10 to a combined limit of five per person.

"FMOs will be on hand in the South West to educate fishers about the rules and the increasing vulnerability of fish stocks in the region."

For more detailed information about the South Coast recreational fishing region visit the Albany branch of the Department of Fisheries or the website at www.fish.wa.gov.au

The Department of Fisheries' Mobile Patrols will be in Albany from Friday, January 16. Southern Regional Office Regional Manager Phil Shaw and Fisheries Marine Officers will be available for interviews and photo opportunities from this date. Please contact Mr Shaw on 0429 936 189 for further details.

Environmental factors lead to Argyle fish kill

13 January 2004

The Department of Fisheries says significant environmental change during the Christmas-New Year period led to a large fish kill at Lake Argyle barramundi farm run by Lake Argyle Industries Pty Ltd.

Thousands of barramundi died after contracting Streptococcus iniae, a tropically endemic bacterium that multiplies rapidly when fish become stressed.

The Department's Principal Senior Pathologist, Dr Brian Jones, said factors contributing to the bacterial outbreak included highly turbid water conditions.

"Increased rainfall, muddy waters and high temperatures from unusual wet season conditions resulting in unseasonal high run-off in December stressed the fish and led to bacterial infection," Dr Jones said.

"The gregarious nature of barramundi coupled with the high-stock density of their environment also contributed to the outbreak."

Senior pathology experts from the Department inspected the barramundi farm last weekend to provide an incident report and help formulate a management strategy.

Analysis of fish samples sent to the Department last week found Streptococcus iniae was the cause of the mortalities.

"This bacterial organism is endemic and exists naturally in soil and water across Northern Australia," Dr Jones said.

"The Health Department has advised us that there are no public health issues associated with the infection, so harvesting and marketing of healthy fish will continue."

Incident Coordinator Greg Paust said the Department was advising the barramundi farm on ways to reduce the risk of recurrence, and will continue monitoring the situation.

"Arrangements have been made to relocate some of the fish cages within the Coolibah Pocket area of Lake Argyle to reduce the potential spread of the disease between the cages," Mr Paust said.

BACKGROUND

Streptococcus iniae is a bacterium associated with fresh-water runoff, muddy water and high temperatures. It can cause large mortalities of fish and amphibians, both in aquaculture and in the wild.

Outbreak of disease in fish often follows stressful events, such as low dissolved oxygen, increases in turbidity or increases in water temperature.

As with many environmental bacteria, Streptococcus iniae can also cause infection in humans through abrasions or puncture wounds associated with handling fresh fish.

The disease has been reported in fish in many countries, including the United States, India, Japan, Italy, the Middle East and Australia.