queensland Alteration to Bass closed season Regs.

[rayke1938]

Australian bass closures

A spawning closure applies to Australian bass between 1 June and 31 August each year, including in a number of impoundments where Australian bass are stocked for recreational fishing purposes and where they are unable to breed. To ensure that the spawning closure applies only to wild Australian bass, an amendment has been made to limit the current closure on the take of Australian bass to tidal waters only. This will allow recreational fishers to continue to fish for Australian bass in impoundments where they are stocked, without impacting upon the annual spawning of this species.

Closed areas adjacent to dams, barrages and weirs

Further information

Fisheries Regulation 2008

[Dinodadog]

So by reading that you can now fish for bass above the tidal waters or is it only above barrages and weirs where they cant get to the salt like the upper brissy river. Nothing is ever clear and allows for loopholes.

Dino

[Binder]

I would read it as anywhere there is no tidal flow. EG above Youngs crossing on the North Pine would be fine.

But your right, typical fisheries - open to interpretation.

Just looked at the fisheries website. Their rules still read the same as always, no mention of any of these changes.

[Luc53]

Beg to differ on Youngs Crossing.

It is tidal, not by much, but still tidal especially when there's been no heavy rain and king tides.

[Binder]

there ya go, shows how hard it is to work out their boundaries

[Surfingant]

About time an amendment was made.

[Dinodadog]

Think about this, how are the bass supposed to know the rules have changed and they have to be in the tidal waters by the i st of june or risk being targeted. Idea is to not to upset the breeders, well what about the bass that are roed up but are a bit slow moving down stream, room for thought there.Will it efect anything, who knows.

Dino

[Luc53]

Quite simple IMO, bass in any waters below the last downstream permanent barrier to water movement are off limit!!

So for the North Pine, from the top of the pool above Youngs Crossing it is no go for bass.

[fenelious]

Quite simple IMO, bass in any waters below the last downstream permanent barrier to water movement are off limit!!

So for the North Pine, from the top of the pool above Youngs Crossing it is no go for bass.

Then.... wouldn't it be from the bottom of the pump house weir down that's off limits, because the top of the Youngs X pool isn't a barrier is it? Or is that what you meant?

Does this mean we can fish upstream of the Caboolture weir, and upstream of the Albert / Luscomb weir? (except 100m from the top side)

[T Fisher]

What about the bremer warrill creek catchment area . I know from kayaking where the tidal flow stops in the bremer but there is still nearly always flow from upstream which would still allow bass access to the tidal area. And I know of a couple of weirs includeing churchbank and another further downstream which actually has a fish ladder that can have .5 to 4 m of water over them a couple times a year not unusual to see 6m over the second one .surely any breeders above these weirs and any other barriers could then continue on their way down to breed if the rises occur at the right time .

I am not as familiar with the upper Brisbane river but wouldn't the fish ladder at mount Crosby and the gap in the old weir allow bass to move into tidal flow at any time.

Mabe I have misinterpreted these changes but here are my thoughts.

[rayke1938]

According to the new regs as long as it is not tidal its ok to fish.

i have rung call centre twice.

one answer was to taste and if its salty its tidal

second was if there are mangroves present its tidal.

I am waiting for a written ruling.

Cheers

Ray

[Luc53]

With the new 100 meters upstream and 200 meters downstream from dams, weir, barrages etc… On the North Pine, it puts the pool downstream from the pumping station weir out of bounds. If you want to be really picky, that pool also has a small weir across it so applying the 200 meters downstream exclusion would put the top part of the pool above Youngs Crossing permanently out of bounds

Personally, during the closed season, I would not be fishing for Bass below the last downstream dam, weir or barrage.

In addition, during the closed season, if a river holding Bass did not have any dam, weir or barrage, I would not fish it for bass at all as a relatively small amount of rain could allow bass to make their way downstream.

This is different to waters above dams (etc) which generally require heavy sustained rain to overflow which while it may happen in winter, is usually unlikely as our heavy sustained rains tend to occur during the spring/summer with our winters being fairly dry with no sustained heavy rain periods.

IMO, the new rules reflect this as by the 1 June, bass above dams weir etc, are unlikely to get a chance to breed as it’s very likely that they will not be able to go downstream .

The next conversation I’m expecting, which we seem to get each year around this time, is around “Does the closed season mean I can fish for bass but can’t keep any I catch?â€

[Surfingant]

I am not as familiar with the upper Brisbane river but wouldn't the fish ladder at mount Crosby and the gap in the old weir allow bass to move into tidal flow at any time.

The fish ladder at Mt Crosby is useless, I'd like to see a bass get back up there

The old weir is now redundant after the floods, the river runs completely around it courtesy of the floods.

To me the new regs seem pretty clear cut, if bass can gain access to the salt, then leave them alone.

[aussie123]

Tidal waters has always been defined by the presence of Mangroves.

It is a hard boundary to set as salt does push further upstream during dryer seasons but the mangrove border along a rivers banks does not change much at all.

Knowing where the last mangrove stands are is the hard bit.

[Dinodadog]

I went fishing yesterday and the first thing I done was to put a stick in the water where the water met the bank, there was no rise or fall or flow so I was OK according to the new rules. May find out more tonight at a meeting.At the moment it says you cant target bass in tidal waters full stop, nothing about you can only fish above barrages and weirs. Majority of these fish are from hatchery bred fish not natural wild fish.

Dino

[elops]

From DAFF

Tidal Waters Legal Definition:

Bodies of water within a state's territorial waters and that are subject to the ebb and flow of ordinary tides, whether navigable or not

[rayke1938]

Here is attached the answer to one of my Questions that I submitted.

As I get answers to the other ones I will also post.

Cheers

Ray

To: OQPC Legislation Queries

Subject: New fisheries legislation re closed season Australian Bass.

With reference to the new legislation re closed season for Australian Bass etc.

Could you please tell me how one determines whether waters are tidal.

is there a difference between tidal influence which can vary due to various factors and tidal waters as stated in the legislation.

Good morning,

It is an interesting area and I appreciate the challenge,

Essentially it relates to an area subject to tidal influence so will vary depending upon tidal conditions and topography.

As a general rule there are vegetation changes that can be used to indicate this are of influence/change in ecosystems. Any natural feature that separates bodies of water can also be of assistance.

See Survey and Mapping Infrastructure Act 2003 section 70 & 71

other similar language relating to a watercourse at a

place where the waters of the watercourse are subject

to tidal influence

See

/>https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/S/SurvMapInfA03.pdf

The fisheries Act referrers to Non tidal land

nontidal land includes land permanently or periodically

submerged by waters not subject to tidal influence.

And tidal land as

tidal land includes reefs, shoals and other land permanently or

periodically submerged by waters subject to tidal influence.

As always common sense applies to these situations.

( Name deleted )

District Manager North Coast Cluster Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol

Fisheries Queensland | Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Marine Operations Base Mac Arthur Avenue East Pinkenba Qld 4008

GPO Box 10 Pinkenba Qld 4008

[Gad]

Thanks Ray. I`m happy he stated 'As always common sense applies to these situations', before I read that, I found the rest to be as clear as an overcast, fog enshrouded pre-dawn morning

[Samrenny]

I'm with you on that one Gad, though unfortunately common sense seldom seems to hold up in situations were legalities are involved... If only they'd just write the regs in a clear cut way so theres no question!

[elops]

You can still fish in tidal waters nothing to stop anyone for example fishing at Youngs Crossing though now they would be targeting Flappy's or SWC or even Barra............