PRFMA ar NPD today 25/6/09.

[rayke1938]

After the recent overflow the PRFMA in conjunction with SEQ water rangers conducted another successful lungfish rescue operation this morning.

I am not aware of the total number of fish rescues as some were just returned to the river to survive in the waters below the dam and others were relocated upstream of the dam wall.

Maybe Shayned will have some numbers later.

There appeared to be less fish stranded this time as SEQ water instead of abruptly just closing off the flow now open a lower valve in the dam wall to allow the water level downstream to slowly abate.

The fish sense the falling level and make their own way to running water.

We would still lose the same number of fish from the dam but at least more survive to form a breeding population downstream and will also migrate to other streams that flow into the bay.

With the new moon last Tuesday and the full moon coming up all these bass are ready to spawn so what is a loss to NPD fishery will be a big bonus to the wild bass in other waters so we wish them well.

Bass that have escaped from the dam in one of the previous overflow events have been reported caught in a cast net off Woody Point Jetty.

Because of the lesser number of fish involved it only took around 2 hours to complete the operation.

Here are a few photos.

Tub full of live lungfish waiting translocation back into the dam.

Another one waiting see the colouring , they are an remarkable fish.

Steve with another one on the way back.

It was hard work clambering over boulders,wading through swiftly runny water and negioating fallen trees and debris.This short shows the level that the water reached whilst the water was being released.

.

AFO were represented by Dinodadog and myself. Dont know about Dino but I am knackered by just a couple of hours hard work. Left some of the heavy lifting to the younger blokes even then I was flat out crawling into the 4wd for the ride up the hill.

Still worth all the pain for the sense of something worthwhile achieved.

Cheers

Ray

[fishingnut]

good stuff fellas, seen it on the news tonight too

[Rocket75]

big effort by all concerned. well done. good to see so many of them prospering in the dam too.

[Angus]

Very worth while Ray.

Hats off to you.

That river could be a great little fishery for a while

And in the future with the fish spawning.

Angus

[shayned]

Thanks for the report Ray. The final wash up was approx 20 dead lungies and 30 salvaged lungfish. Unfortunately the numbers and reports in the media have been a bit of a beat up. What is funny in a sad way is that blokes like Ray and Dino from PRFMA have been showing up and doing this for over a decade because they care and the reports fail to mention it. In one quote from the green group promoting the story they ask for something like a formalised rescue package, something that already occurs. We get actively supported by DPI&F and Seqwater in the fish salvage efforts we make and over time the process continues to improve. Seqwater's recent efforts in altering the shutdown procedure to include a river valve release so as to help fish in entraining downstream and not becoming stranded is a great example of this.

Either way, when the media grandstanders go away, PRFMA will continue to do the actual hard work in saving these fish, same as we have in the past.

Lastly guys, just a timely reminder that any Bass that are now below the dam wall are considered "wild bass" and as such are protected by the current closed season. In posession rules apply and you can be fined.

[Little Grey Men]

Thanks for the report Ray

Were any little lungies found this time ?

[noname]

i was just wondering if/ or how many fish get tagged in there ray, a good time to maybe do this to see how many times the 1 particular fish goes over the wall, the smaller lungfish may be a start! dunno, just a thought.

rob

[rayke1938]

Still none under 50cm. We concentrate on getting them back as quickly as possible so no tagging is done.As an aside Peter Kind the principal scientist of freshwater fisheries will be giving a talk on the lungfish at the next meeting of the PRFMA and I will miss itas I am camping at Warwick next week.

Should be a interesting evening as Peter is one of only 2 experts on lungfish in Australia.

Cheers

Ray

[Keechie]

Just wondering how much it has rained here the last few days? I have been at maroon dam since monday and the water went up a further meter higher overnight.

[shayned]

noname wrote:

i was just wondering if/ or how many fish get tagged in there ray, a good time to maybe do this to see how many times the 1 particular fish goes over the wall, the smaller lungfish may be a start! dunno, just a thought.

rob

Hey Rob,

Unfortunately our fish do learn, otherwise we could keep using the same lures and fishing techniques over and over for great effect. I have no issues with the same fish going over the falls within a 5 months period as research shows it is very unlikely.

Cheers,

Shayne

[Cowfish13]

Great efforts again guys!

Do you think it will go over again with this rain today?