IFS News - News 2011 05 23

Trout Weekend at Liawenee - a Highland Success Story
by Sarah Graham
It was another brilliant Trout Weekend at Liawnee this weekend 21-22 May, with an estimated 6000 people attending the event over the two-days.
Visitors were enthralled to watch spawning trout being stripped of their eggs for cultivation by the IFS


It was another brilliant Trout Weekend at Liawnee this weekend 21-22 May, with an estimated 6000 people attending the event over the two-days. The Trout Weekend is based on the annual spawning migration of wild Tasmanian brown trout. Visitors and locals marvelled at the close up view of these mag­nificent trout. The Service demonstrated the fish trapping and stripping proce­dure, and the collecting of eggs for on-growing at the hatchery in New Norfolk. Highlights of the weekend included the kids fishout where children were able to experience the joys of catching a trout first hand. Fishcare Volunteers as­sisted each child to learn the skills of casting, hooking and landing a fish, then measured, weighed and dressed the catch for take-home. The bus tour of the Liawenee Canal, which ran from the station to the bottom fish trap near the en­trance to Great Lake, was also very popular for visitors. Other key attractions were the helicopter rides on Saturday, and fly-casting tuition and fly tying demonstrations. The weather was kind compared with some years, particularly on Saturday and visiotrs lingered until after the closing time to take advantage of the outdoor activities. The Service would like to thank all the sponsors and supporters of the event, and all the families and anglers who visited over the weekend.

   


Illegal Northwest Whitebait Fishers Cop Big Fines


by Sarah Graham

Penalties totalling more than $17,000 for inland fisheries offences were handed out in Smithton Magistrates Court on Thursday 12 May.

Penalties totalling more than $17,000 for inland fisheries offences were handed out in Smithton Magistrates Court on Thursday 12 May. Four Circular Head men pleaded guilty to charges of unlawfully taking or possessing whitebait. A fifth person was fined for making a false or misleading statement to an Inland Fisheries Service (IFS) officer. Peter Warren Lambert, of Marrawah, received fines and special penalties of more than $11,560 for taking and possessing 62kg of whitebait without a licence in November last year. The offences occurred in the Circular Head area and were uncovered during a joint operation involving IFS, Parks and Wildlife Service and Tasmania Police officers. Three other men were also penalised between $650 and $3,000 for whitebait-related offences in the same court. According to IFS Manager of Compliance and Operations, Stephen Hepworth, a special penalty of $130 for each kilogram of whitebait unlawfully taken or possessed is automatically added to any fine issued by the court. “Whitebait populations are still recovering from past years of overfishing when a commercial whitebait fishery operated in Tasmania,” Mr Hepworth said. “This is why the recreational whitebait fishery is so carefully managed now and why there are significant penalties for illegal whitebaiting. “This coop­erative operation between the three enforcement agencies also found alleged drug and firearms offences, some of which are still to come before the courts,” he said. Whitebait can be legally taken only by licensed recreational fishers dur­ing a specified season and in designated waters during October and November each year. A maximum possession limit of 10 kg per licence-holder applies.

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