Three recreational abalone fishers paid a heavy price for illegal hauls of abalone when they appeared in Joondalup Court recently.

Arnold Bruce LITTLE, 30, of Waterman, Luan Minh NGUYEN, 32, of... (more...)

With six weeks remaining until the end of the 2001-02 Western Rock Lobster season, recreational fishers are being reminded that large fines apply if they are caught breaking the law.

In Joondalup... (more...)

Women in the seafood industry are being given the chance to develop their business management skills at a series of free workshops being run in Western Australia this month. (May)

The two-day... (more...)

Exmouth, Ningaloo Reef on show to world
The Gascoyne, Western Australia, town of Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef will be showcased to the world, following the success of the international Sea Life... (more...)

A coordinated Queensland Government summit held in Brisbane has announced two working groups will be formed to address the irukandji jellyfish problem in the State.

Tourism Queensland says while... (more...)

A total ban on the use of hide baits in both the commercial and recreational rock lobster fisheries has been introduced after concerns about threats to overseas markets.

The ban extends to both... (more...)

Recreational fishers from around the world will converge on Darwin this week - not to capture a prized barramundi - but to attend the 3rd World Recreational Fishing Conference "Regional Experiences... (more...)

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) board of directors will hold their board meeting in Darwin on 23 May in conjunction with the 3rd International Recreational Fishing... (more...)

Thirty commercial fishers operating in the Solitary Islands Marine Park have been bought out by the NSW Government at a cost of $4 million, the Minister for Fisheries, Eddie Obeid said today.

Mr... (more...)

AFP - Whalemeat is so laced with mercury that Japanese who eat just a mouthful of it run the risk of brain damage or poisoning their unborn children, New Scientist says.

University of Hokkaido... (more...)

Coffs Harbour has become the base for a world class research unit created by the NSW Government to develop environmentally friendly fishing gear, the Minister for Fisheries, Eddie Obeid said... (more...)

Storm clouds are brewing down here in Busselton with a concerted push by the Busselton Jetty and Environment Preservation Committee seeking from the Busselton Shire and Fisheries WA, permission to... (more...)

A grey nurse shark tagged almost three years ago in Queensland has been spotted at South West Rocks near Kempsey, the Director of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn, said today.



Mr Dunn said... (more...)

It is estimated that over five million Australians take part in recreational fishing in Australia as a leisure activity, with some 120,000 people identified as members of fishing clubs in 1996-97.... (more...)

The Health Department has released the name of the company storing nuclear waste on a rig off WA's north coast.

Seven drums of low grade waste are located on BHP-Billiton's Griffin Venture... (more...)

The Radiological Council of Western Australia has not yet released the name of a company storing nuclear waste off the north-west coast of WA, despite a promise to State Parliament to do... (more...)

South Australia will follow the precedent set by the eastern states today by effectively closing the commercial fishery in the River Murray.

The gill-nets used by the fishermen will be illegal... (more...)

It's claimed new safety recommendations for South Australia's commercial fishers - handed down after the inquest into the death of a West Coast abalone fisherman - are ludicrous.

The State's... (more...)

The Federal Government has allocated almost $500,000 to study grey nurse shark sites in Queensland waters.

The Department of Environment and Heritage has launched a recovery plan for the species,... (more...)

NSW Fisheries Minister Eddie Obeid has declared the creation of the new Byron Bay Marine National Park.

It stretches from Brunswick Heads in the state's north to Lennox Head in the south, and... (more...)

Authorities have decided not to conduct an autopsy on a newborn whale found dead on a northern New South Wales beach this morning.

The five-metre humpback had injuries to its back and underside,... (more...)

A 12-hour chase in sub-Antarctic waters south of Western Australia has resulted in the arrest of a notorious illegal fishing vessel for the second time this year.



The Perth-based... (more...)

The Conservation Council is supporting moves to introduce more dolphins into the hand-feeding program at Western Australia's Monkey Mia.

However the Shark Bay Shire believes more needs to be... (more...)

Two Ballajura brothers were fined for the illegal sale of western rock lobsters when they appeared in a Perth Magistrate’s Court today.

Colin James Grundy, 57, and Brian John Grundy, 53, were each... (more...)

A flotilla of boats from Australia and New Zealand will set sail today heading for a strip of international water off Australia's eastern coast to protest against a shipment of nuclear... (more...)

The New South Wales waterways Authority says it has decided not to use oil-spill booms to treat a slick from the British warship that ran aground off Lord Howe Island last night.

A light oil slick... (more...)

Australia's ability to report on the ecological sustainability of its wild capture fisheries has received a major boost with the launch this week of a practical 'How to' guide to Ecologically... (more...)

The critical question of how Australia's $2.5 billion fishing industry should be shared between commercial and recreational fishers has been addressed in a book launched by Senator Ian Macdonald,... (more...)

Two men had their boat seized and have been fined $2,600 after being caught fishing illegally on Sydney waters, the Director of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn, said today.

A 40-year-old man from... (more...)

The removal of freshwater native fish from Lake Menindee is expected to start next week, the Director of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn, said today.

Mr Dunn said NSW Fisheries had approved five permits... (more...)

AP - A Tahitian man who drifted for 133 days across the South Pacific is recovering in a hospital in the Cook Islands after his boat ran onto on a reef and he was found by local fishermen.

Raeoaoa... (more...)

The Conservation Council is supporting moves to introduce more dolphins into the hand-feeding program at Western Australia's Monkey Mia.

However the Shark Bay Shire believes more needs to be... (more...)

For 10 years, sophisticated instruments on satellites have been spying on the ocean's surface and beaming information about its temperature back from space to stations across Australia.

The... (more...)

Thirty seven stolen boats worth more than one million dollars have been recovered as a part of the ongoing NSW Police operation "Tingchow", targeting vessel theft and rebirthing.

Fourteen people... (more...)

The removal of freshwater native fish from Lake Menindee is expected to start soon, the Director of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn, said. NSW Fisheries has approved five permits for commercial fishers to... (more...)

The Minister for Fisheries, Kim Chance, has announced he is temporarily prohibiting commercial fishing for snow crabs on the south coast.

Mr Chance said the measure was needed to ensure the... (more...)

Shell Refining Australia has been fined $15,000 for polluting Victoria's Corio Bay.

Oil was released into the bay from Shell's Geelong refinery in three separate incidents last month.

The... (more...)

Australian scientists say global warming is turning the world's squid into much larger creatures, with huge appetites and fast breeding cycles.

Scientists have discovered the breeding cycle and... (more...)

Wildlife officers on Western Australia's southern coast have called off an attempt to save a stranded pod of false killer whales.

Fifty-eight whales were discovered late yesterday afternoon at an... (more...)

There is to be an overhaul of the lucrative southern bluefin tuna industry, the majority of which operates out of Port Lincoln in South Australia.

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has... (more...)

Salvage experts in charge of refloating the grounded coal carrier Doric Chariot say another tug boat is preparing to set off today bound for the Great Barrier Reef off the far north Cape York... (more...)

Sydney ferry commuters have had a whale of a time today, even if it made them late for work, as three southern right whales just frolicked a short swim from the city's famous Opera House.

The... (more...)

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is investigating a fish kill in the Nepean River near Douglas Park on the NSW south coast.

EPA inspectors recovered up to 20 dead catfish, and took... (more...)

There is concern about two ships carrying nuclear fuel about 200 kilometres off the Albany coast, WA, after a mishap with a separate vessel last week.

Greens' MLC Robin Chapple says the ships are... (more...)

An extremely rare whale, believed to be a Longman's beaked whale, has washed up on the South African coast.

The local Sunday Times newspaper reports the five-metre-long male specimen, which washed... (more...)

Marine scientists say it will take thousands of years for Piper Reef, off the far North Queensland Coast to recover from the damage caused by a 73,000 tonne coal carrier.

Marine scientists also... (more...)

A 73,000 tonne coal carrier grounded for more than a week off the far north Queensland coast will be inspected today before being cleared to leave Australian waters.

The Doric Chariot was floated... (more...)

Mudcrabs recently found in the estuaries and rivers of Western Australia’s south-west are natives of the Shark Bay to Broome region that were almost certainly swept down the west coast by the... (more...)

State and territory environment ministers are being asked to sign off on a plan to protect blue whales in Australian waters.

The Federal Government's Draft Recovery Plan for the Blue Whale would... (more...)

The South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, has described those who committed the recent attacks on Adelaide's Port River dolphins as "subhuman".

Two baby dolphins have been found with stab wounds,... (more...)

A police patrol of Adelaide's Port River yesterday failed to find those responsible for the stabbing of two baby dolphins.

Dr Mike Bossley from Australian Dolphin Research Foundation says it is... (more...)

One of north Queensland's most popular dive spots has been saved from devastation after the removal of a record number of crown of thorns starfish.

Divers pulled up 6,800 of the coral eating pests... (more...)

A north Queensland community leader has urged coastal centres to build artificial reefs.

Mackay area consultative committee chairman Col Meng says an artificial reef would encourage tourists to... (more...)

Scuba diving operators and groups say they are concerned that only two areas off the NSW north coast have been made habitat zones for the endangered grey nurse shark.

Diver Ron Hunter says the... (more...)

A multi-million dollar dredging program is expected to begin in October to try to keep the mouth of the Murray River open.

The South Australian Government is confident the Murray-Darling Basin... (more...)

The National Trust has listed the River Murray as the most endangered place in Australia.

The Murray took the top spot on the National Trust's Endangered Places List for 2002.

Four states -... (more...)

Scuba divers are being called on to help research aimed at saving sea turtle populations.

People who regularly dive in the Solitary Islands Marine Park and at Julian Rocks off Byron Bay can help... (more...)

Attempts are underway to free a southern right whale that has entangled itself in a net in shallow water off Whyalla in South Australia's Spencer Gulf.

ABC News... (more...)

A woman from Pimlico, near Ballina on the NSW north coast, has been handed a big fine after removing 3,000 mangroves near a Richmond River property.

The $10,000 penalty is one of the heaviest... (more...)

Farmers are not the only ones suffering because of the drought in New South Wales.

People involved in the coastal fishing industry are also being hard-pressed.

The lack of any worthwhile rain... (more...)

The New South Wales minister at the centre of allegations involving donations to the ALP and a Bulldogs Leagues Club development has denied the claims.

The Fisheries Minister, Eddie Obeid, says... (more...)

The Tourism Council of Western Australia says Ningaloo Reef, in WA's north-west, and the state's tourism industry, are in danger of being irreparably damaged.

Council president Manny Papadoulis... (more...)

The Conservation Council says the West Australian Government has "blown" a chance to protect the environment of Port Kennedy south of Perth, by transferring ownership of a development for the... (more...)

Crews from Seaworld, the Boating and Fisheries Patrol and the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service this morning are hoping to reach a whale sighted off Evans Head late... (more...)

Western Australia’s annual trout season opens on Sunday.

September 1, the traditional opening day of the season, is a date eagerly anticipated by WA’s freshwater fishing fraternity and this year... (more...)

Parks Australia (PA) says it is only fair for visitors to pay more to enter Kakadu National Park if they want services improved.

PA managers have confirmed they are considering around a $10 hike... (more...)

NSW National parks' officers believe a small calibre firearm was used to shoot seven fur seals that have washed up on beaches in the Booderee National Park near Jervis Bay.

An investigation is... (more...)

The Department of Conservation and Land Management has begun a major program to upgrade visitor facilities at the tip of the Francois Peron National Park in Shark Bay.

Acting Environment and... (more...)

Motorists may have to pay to drive onto Cable Beach in Broome, if a proposal by the local shire gets the green light.

An access fee is one of the options outlined in a draft document.

Under the... (more...)

Environmentalists have criticised a report that has endorsed a proposal to build a road and bridge across internationally significant wetlands in Busselton.

The proposal was put forward by the... (more...)

Restrictions on set net fishing have been proposed around the Wellesley Islands, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, to protect dugongs and other marine life.

The new restrictions are part of a fisheries... (more...)

Federal Fisheries Minister Senator Ian McDonald says the capture of two fishing boats and the apprehension of 11 Indonesian nationals shows there has been no let-up in protecting Australia's fishing... (more...)

Authorities are investigating how up to 40,000 litres of oil spilled into Melbourne's Maribyrnong River.

The non-toxic oil leaked from a storage tank on Coode Island.

Thick streaks of clear oil... (more...)

A north Queensland marine fuel storage and supply company has been fined $40,000 for polluting a world heritage area.

A total of 3,000 litres of diesel spilled into Shute Harbour in the... (more...)

'Gently does it' is the theme of a new campaign to show recreational fishers how to release fish to improve their chances of survival.

The campaign is one of a number of projects being funded by... (more...)

Federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss says he supports the decision to dredge the mouth of the River Murray.

Earlier this week, the Murray Darling Basin Commission agreed to fund the dredging... (more...)

Salvage workers have abandoned attempts to tow a burning ship out to sea, off the coast of South Africa.

The vessel is leaking oil close to a world heritage site.

Emergency crews say it is... (more...)

South African authorities battling to stop oil from a burning ship reaching a world wildlife sanctuary, have abandoned plans to refloat the vessel and preparing to pump out its fuel tanks.

The... (more...)

A Victorian who left his brother swimming in Bass Strait after a collision with a police boat last year has been fined $50,000 in the Launceston Magistrates Court.

Louis Hajdu, 48, was convicted... (more...)

A chemical, mechanical and biological war is being waged against a million tonnes of water weeds choking the Burnett and Kolan rivers in south-east Queensland.

A pilot program, trialling the three... (more...)

A Burnett fishing club claims it was held to ransom by the operators of the new Queensland State Government endorsed group insurance scheme.

The Gayndah Anglers club says Suncorp and AON Risk... (more...)

A recreational fishing representative has resigned from a central Queensland fish management advisory committee (MAC) out of frustration over bag limits.

Kim Martin says a national sport fishing... (more...)

The Northern Territory Fisheries head says shark fishing must be closely watched to prevent over-exploitation.

About 40 delegates from the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland, the... (more...)

The Humane Society is calling for shark netting to be removed from Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and central coast beaches, due to the high number of marine species being killed.

The society wants... (more...)

Kangaroo Island's Seal Bay Conservation Park has been almost doubled in size to further protect a colony of Australian sea lions.

Environment Minister John Hill says almost 3,000 hectares will be... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries wishes to remind recreational and commercial fishers that seasonal Cockburn Sound and metropolitan pink snapper fishing rules are again in place this year.

From... (more...)

Marine scientists have played down the threat posed by a new disease found affecting coral on the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest living organism.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park... (more...)

An exotic pest introduced to Australia's busiest fishing port by a boat carrying asylum seekers continues to cause problems.

Authorities have admitted the Asian green mussel has spread in and... (more...)

The National Party in Western Australia says it will again campaign for a permanent navy patrol boat to be based in the southern coastal city of Albany, after new claims of piracy on the high... (more...)

The way whale watching charters are run on the NSW far south coast is the topic of a discussion paper developed by the NSW Government and National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Public meetings will... (more...)

Here are the results for the Yamaha Broome Billfish Tournament 2002; once again the reel girls from Broome have done themselves proud winning the event for the second year running with 47 sailfish... (more...)

The NSW Tourism Minister has defended plans to impose new charges on the whale watching industry.

The south-east's two MPs, Russell Smith and Peter Webb, have attacked the State Government over... (more...)

A national conservation group has backed NSW Government calls for more research into the impact of fish restocking in some waterways.

Last week, the Government announced a short-term suspension on... (more...)

While debate rages over proposed changes to fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, authorities will soon resume a long-term fish monitoring program.

The Queensland Fisheries Service will observe 11... (more...)

A geologist specialising in fossil reefs says corals thrived in hotter temperatures before humans walked the earth, pushing pollution forward as a key contributor to current bleaching... (more...)

A report of a shark incident south of Cottesloe Beach is evidence that the State Government’s shark awareness campaign is working.

Surfer Paul Hughes, of Shoalwater Bay, encountered an... (more...)

A new type of marine stinger has been discovered in north Queensland.

The 10 centimetre long jellyfish was found at Townsville's Strand rockpool yesterday and one of Australia's leading stinger... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries wants to urgently remind all fishermen that the area surrounding Cottesloe Beach and groyne is protected as part of the Cottesloe Fish Habitat Protection Area (FHPA).

A... (more...)

The most extensive study into the effects of trawling on Western Australian fish stocks has begun with a focus on prawns and scallops in Shark Bay.

Apart from the importance to the West Australian... (more...)

Elephant seal research on Macquarie Island has been cut short because of concerns about its invasiveness.

Researchers had planned to tag 40 newborn pups as part of efforts to find out what is... (more...)

Fur seals are causing concern off Lower Eyre Peninsula, as people misinterpret their usual behaviour.

The National Parks Service says it has received a number of calls from the public, concerned... (more...)

The Lake Cathie fish kill committee is maintaining its claim that the cause of thousands of fish deaths in Lake Cathie, on the NSW mid-north coast, is acid sulphate run-off from development next to... (more...)

A university academic has expressed concerns the salination of the Blackwood River in south-west Western Australia has driven rare fresh water fish out of the catchment.

Dr David Morgan from the... (more...)

Australia is pushing for tougher measures to combat the growing problem of illegal fishing in Antarctic waters.

Representatives of more than 20 countries are in Hobart for a two-week meeting of... (more...)

Australia is to take a lead in moves to crack down on illegal fishing in Antarctic waters.

The Australian delegation will present a series of initiatives to the Commission for the Conservation of... (more...)

Another Indonesian fishing vessel has been confiscated after being caught fishing illegally in Australian waters.
Last night's apprehension off the north coast of Arnhem Land, brings to 77 the... (more...)

The NSW Government's strategy to protect the endangered grey nurse shark has been welcomed by divers as a major first step forward.

Fisheries Minister Eddie Obeid has declared 10 grey nurse... (more...)

Deakin University researcher Peter Gill says a Federal Government decision to allow oil and gas exploration in the Otway Basin in December may threaten the area's blue whales.

Mr Gill says the... (more...)

Hordes of giant jellyfish weighing more than 100 kilograms each have been washing up along a large stretch of Japan's coastline.

Local government officials say the jellyfish have clogged fishnets... (more...)

West Australia’s Roe’s abalone season will be literally over in hours and this year about 7,000 eager fishers are expected to join in the hunt for this marine delicacy.

The immensely popular Perth... (more...)

Australia will sink two illegal fishing vessels the Lena and the South Tomi.
"This sends a clear and unambiguous message to the criminal gangs that rape and pillage Australia's sub-Antarctic waters... (more...)

A Japanese whaling fleet will embark on a six-month trip to the Antarctic Ocean today to hunt and catch 400-Minke Whales.

The Japanese Government says the five vessels are part of its official... (more...)

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out this morning on eight sperm whales that beached themselves in Tasmania's north-east yesterday.

The pilot of a plane flying from Flinders Island to... (more...)

Researchers believe an island off Papua New Guinea's northern coast may have moved by as much as one metre in a recent earthquake.

The island also appears to have been lifted higher above sea... (more...)

The federal parliamentary secretary for Antarctica has called on the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to do more to protect patagonian toothfish... (more...)

The West Australian Government is being accused of trying to protect its bureaucracies from the law when they give false or misleading information to the public.

MARK COLVIN: The West Australian... (more...)

The Western Australian Government is being urged to intervene in a dispute over the commercial fishing of mud crabs in the Kimberley.

Amateur fishermen claim the move will destroy vulnerable... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries has issued a warning to fishers and recreational users of the Harvey Estuary and Peel Inlet after several recent shark sightings.

Reports considered to be reliable,... (more...)

A new protection regime will be put in place for the world's largest fish, the whale shark, after a vote at United Nations conference on trade in endangered species.

The whale shark is prized for... (more...)

Federal Minister for Fisheries, Senator Ian Macdonald, will travel to Lakes Entrance today (Friday 22 November) to meet with Commonwealth fishers and those with an interest in Commonwealth fisheries.... (more...)

Dead dolphins have been found on board one of two Indonesian boats allegedly used to fish illegally off the Northern Territory coast.

The Federal Fisheries Minister Ian McDonald says the dolphin... (more...)

A large quantity of shark fins and trepang (sea cucumber) has been found on board two vessels apprehended for allegedly fishing in Australian waters.

Federal Minister for Fisheries Senator Ian... (more...)

Researchers fear there has been a new outbreak of crown of thorns starfish on the Great Barrier Reef.

A dive control team is currently working near Townsville to eradicate a massive infestation on... (more...)

Campaigners against the controversial development planned for the Ningaloo Reef area in the Gascoyne, in north-west Western Australia, have welcomed international action to protect whale... (more...)

NOTE: TAGS will not be distributed until the weekend 23/24th November at
Mandurah Offshore Fishing Classic

The problem of snagged lines causing injury to professional fisherman is to
be... (more...)

The State’s first trial of growing out Black Tiger Prawns in controlled conditions has resulted in promising signs for a new aquaculture industry.

The small-scale trial was conducted over three... (more...)

Fisheries Minister Kim Chance today outlined new management measures to protect the threatened recreational marron fishery.

Mr Chance said the key recommendation was reducing the season from 55... (more...)

The Western Australian Government is being urged to intervene in a dispute over the commercial fishing of mud crabs in the Kimberley.

Amateur fishermen claim the move will destroy vulnerable... (more...)

Alec's Marine FAD (in 142m): 31 57.35S 115 15.73E

Club Marine FAD (in 100m): 32 03.20S 115 19.50E

Fremantle Sailing Club FAD (in 220m): 32 05.00S 115 11.00E

Hillarys... (more...)

Authorities will move today to ban the sale of sunglasses being marketed in Western Australia as suitable to wear to watch Wednesday's solar eclipse.

Consumer protection officers are investigating... (more...)

Environmentalists claim sea lions are at greater risk by the South Australian Government's decision to shift a planned yellowtail kingfish farm from Sceale Bay to an island off Ceduna.

This week... (more...)

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority says it only received four submissions on the environmental assessment report and by-catch action plan for the Northern Prawn Fishery.

Submissions... (more...)

Top Spanish officials are denying French allegations that the sunken oil tanker, Prestige, is leaking fresh fuel into the waters off Spain's northern shores.

Jaume Matas, Spain's Minister of... (more...)

Federal Opposition environment spokesman Kelvin Thompson has attacked the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments for what he believes are inadequate protection measures against shipping accidents on... (more...)

By Michael Zekulich and Minh Lam

RECFISHWEST chairman Norman Halse says the $4 million an annual $20-$30 licence fee would raise is crucial to maintain the health of WA's fisheries.

He said the... (more...)

The Western Australia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says contaminated groundwater in Yanchep is moving and is expected to leach into the Yanchep marina in three years.

DEP... (more...)

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority says it only received four submissions on the environmental assessment report and by-catch action plan for the Northern Prawn Fishery.

Submissions... (more...)

Federal Fisheries Minister Senator Ian Macdonald has expressed outrage over the discovery of a bleeding dolphin's head on board an Indonesian vessel that was apprehended for allegedly fishing in... (more...)

About 10,000 people have marched through Fremantle, protesting against a proposed coastal marina and resort at Ningaloo Reef.

The protesters are calling on the West Australian Government to reject... (more...)

Calls from Dive Queensland for continued government support to eradicate the crown of thorns starfish from the Great Barrier Reef has met support from local Labor members.

The Australian Labor... (more...)

A $10,000 reward is being offered to South Australians who have information which helps to convict any person accused of killing a dolphin.

The State Government says it wants South Australians to... (more...)

There are fresh reports of dead and dying sea turtles being washed up along the New South Wales' coastline.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service says almost 30 of the green sea and loggerhead... (more...)

More than 300 people have rallied at Exmouth and Maud's Landing protesting against plans for a marina resort at Ningaloo Reef in north-west Western Australia.

Yesterday's protests in the... (more...)

Recfishwest is disappointed that its call for debate on the introduction of a general recreational fishing licence has been met with such a blunt and negative response from the Gallop... (more...)

Pilots who help ships navigate the Great Barrier Reef should be limited to 55 trips a year to prevent fatigue, according to an industry spokesman.

The recommendation has been put to the Australian... (more...)

New South Wales Coastcare says the state Government's newly announced measures to protect the endangered grey nurse shark may not go far enough.

New rules restricting particular fishing and diving... (more...)

Russia has taken legal action trying to force Australia to release a ship and its three Spanish crew allegedly caught poaching Patagonian toothfish earlier this year.

The action was revealed by... (more...)

A survey team looking for freshwater sharks and rays in northern Australian waters has discovered a rare spear-tooth shark.

Team leader and PhD student Dean Thorburn says the endangered shark was... (more...)

The Federal Government has asked a direct action anti-whaling group to not risk their lives or the lives of others in the Southern Ocean.

Later today the flagship of the Sea Shepards Conservation... (more...)

New figures show 15 per cent of farms in South Australia's Lower Murray region are showing signs of salinity.

The figures are part of the largest survey on land management and salinity ever... (more...)

The heavy rain across Sydney in the past 24 hours has brought bacterial contamination to many of Sydney's beaches.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) says all of Sydney's beaches are... (more...)

The Save Ningaloo Campaign says the Western Australian Government must stop using the world-renowned reef as a political football.

Environment Minister Judy Edwards has stepped down from the... (more...)

US ships will leave sea in a mess: academic

It's claimed the already-compromised marine environment of Cockburn Sound will be further damaged if American warships are allowed to use the area as a... (more...)

Dodgy Cambodian turtle kills three, poisons 94.

A dodgy Cambodian turtle has killed three people and poisoned more than 90 others in a remote coastal village in the impoverished Southeast Asian... (more...)

Experts say Spain wreck could ooze oil for years.

Spanish scientists say the sunken tanker Prestige might continue to leak oil for the next four years.

The tanker went down about 250km off the... (more...)

Seal deaths possibly caused by stampede.

Marine experts say the death toll from a possible fur seal stampede on an island off Northern Tasmania may increase.

Most of the seals were only a few... (more...)

NORTH-QLD: Environmentalists have used a major report on the world's reefs to call for greater protection of the Great Barrier Reef.

The 2002 Report into the Status of the World Reefs has found... (more...)

United Nations scientists say this year has been the second-warmest in more than 140 years, confirming what they say is a pattern of accelerated global warming.

In its annual statement on the... (more...)

NORTH QUEENSLAND: A new report shows the world's reefs are on the mend.

The 2002 Report on the Status of the World's Coral Reefs is considered the most authoritative document on the health of... (more...)

The New South Wales State Government says the results of a new survey justifies its decision to set up exclusive zones for recreational fishers in the state.

The survey shows around 1 million... (more...)

What could be a marathon battle over the future of Europe's fishing industry begins in Brussels today.

The BBC reports, the European Commission has warned the European Union's member countries... (more...)

By Darren O'Dea

PRAWN dragging on the banks of the Peel-Harvey estuary is expected to have a devastating effect on next year¹s crab stocks. The undersize crab carcasses have been left to rot on... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries has issued a shark warning to fishers, surfers and other recreational users of the Mandurah region following a reported shark sighting today.

The warning has been... (more...)

NT's 'pig and puss hunt' aims to cull feral numbers.

The winner of the annual Pine Creek "pig and puss hunt" shot the winning animal while fishing on the Roper River, 200 kilometres south of... (more...)

WEST Australians should not bank on advice from bureaucrats but check the law themselves, the State Government has warned.

The Government issued the advice after a crayfisherman had a fishing... (more...)

Three men have been charged after being caught with more than 100 undersized abalone in Kalbarri.

Fisheries officers interviewed the men after police arrested them collecting the shellfish at the... (more...)

Names have been chosen for two new dolphin calves which visit Monkey Mia in Western Australia.

A competition was run amongst schoolchildren and Aboriginal groups to name the calves, both born... (more...)

The 2002-2003 Western Rock Lobster season has begun with a positive start for both recreational and commercial fishermen with excellent catches reported by both sectors, however, incidents of illegal... (more...)

A DUTCH tourist has died while snorkelling off Cairns in far north Queensland, diving officials said.

The man aged in his late 20s, whose name has not been released, was an experienced... (more...)

Massive dust storms sweeping across Western Australia's eastern wheatbelt could spread as far as Perth in the next few months.

The Department of Agriculture says wind erosion in drought-affected... (more...)

FRASER ISLAND: Large numbers of death adder snakes are being seen on Queensland's Fraser Island.

Rangers say the reason is a mystery and are warning visitors to be aware of the danger.

Great... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries received a report from a snorkeller of an unidentified shark.
The swimmer said she saw a dark shadow in the distance when snorkelling and briefly sighted a fin after... (more...)

Scientists are trialling new methods of measuring Antarctic krill abundance to ensure the protection of the species and therefore the whole eco-system of the Southern Ocean.

A team of scientists... (more...)

WA man dies in snorkelling accident

A 34-YEAR-OLD professional diver who died while snorkelling at a West Australian reef may have lost his breath while trying to pull a speared fish free from... (more...)

Compliance patrols by the Department of Fisheries have led to the seizure of boats and equipment after separate hauls involving illegally taken rock lobster and abalone were discovered by Fisheries... (more...)

Iceland's Prime Minister David Oddsson said his country would follow Japan in launching controversial "research whaling" to make the best use of marine resources.

Mr Oddsson made the remarks when... (more...)

Scientific authorities have poured cold water on claims a fish found in Cairns harbour is an introduced species dangerous to humans.

White-spotted triggerfish have been described as aggressive and... (more...)

A turtle with a taste for travel has returned to Queensland after four years at sea.

Researchers fitted the female loggerhead turtle, named "Dark and Stormy", with a radio transmitter while it was... (more...)

Wildlife officers have successfully towed five whales away from the beach at Geographe Bay in Busselton, south of Perth.

In a delicate exercise, five Gray's Beaked whales were placed in slings and... (more...)

Marron Fishing Rules 2003 Season

Bag and Size Limits

Marron Fishery
Minimum legal size : 76 mm carapace length . See the seciton on How to Measuring a Marron for more details.
Daily... (more...)

A leading Department of Fisheries researcher will join forces with top European scientists to further a unique fish-diet program that could save the finfish aquaculture industry millions of dollars... (more...)

Australian scientists are preparing to make their largest investment yet to monitor the engine-room of global climate, the Southern Ocean’s Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

In the next three years,... (more...)

Crabbing during the summer months is one of the most popular pastimes in the State and the coming Australia Day long weekend will be no exception.

With perfect crabbing weather predicted for the... (more...)

A six month survey to find rare freshwater sharks and rays in the coastal river systems of northern Australia has led to the discovery of a speartooth shark in Western Australian waters.
"This... (more...)

The Northern Territory's Barramundi Fishermans Association says its strategic plan for the next five years will include measures to protect breeding stocks by 2004.

The association is also... (more...)

In response to global trends and growing international pressure to enhance health standards of exported seafood products, the Department of Fisheries today announces an initiative aimed at helping... (more...)

There has been a call for people to think twice before killing the European carp, with one authority suggesting fish numbers have reached a balance in parts of the Murray Darling Basin.

European... (more...)

A central Queensland crocodile farmer has warned the reptiles pose a potential threat to humans in city areas.

Parks and Wildlife rangers have set traps for a four-metre crocodile that has been... (more...)

A new Queensland Government report which blames the sugar industry for poisoning the Great Barrier Reef has infuriated cane farmers.

The Canegrowers organisation says the findings are... (more...)

Australian authorities have intercepted five Indonesian fishing vessels in northern waters in 24 hours.

The first two boats were sighted north of Arnhem Land within the Australian fishing zone on... (more...)

Large numbers of exotic fish are being smuggled into Australia, potentially carrying diseases that could wipe out the aquaculture industry - not to mention native marine life.

A national survey of... (more...)

Federal Environment Minister Dr David Kemp says a development application for the Great Barrier Reef will be considered carefully.

Sunlover Cruises is seeking approval for an upgrade to a pontoon... (more...)

Almost 30 international scientists are gathered in the south-east Western Australia for a two-week study into the region's prized marine life.

The scientists will catalogue the marine plants and... (more...)

February 08, 2003

THE Queensland government has warned people not to swim in coastal canal systems after the second fatal shark attack in as many months on the Gold Coast today.

An 84-year-old... (more...)

The Western Australia Government has confirmed another industrial project could proceed on the Burrup Peninsula near Karratha despite concerns more industry would be damaging to the... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries has completed a major refit of one of its largest patrol vessels as part of continuing efforts to ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of Western... (more...)

Firefighters are still fighting a series of bushfires in the Western Australian south-west which are believed to have been sparked by lightning strikes.

A bushfire which has burned through tens of... (more...)

The Northern Territory Health Department is urging residents living near Darwin's northern coastal swamps to take precautions against the Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses.

The department's... (more...)

A Chinese tanker collided with a Cambodian cargo vessel just off Shanghai and spilled about 20 tonnes of oil, a city government official said today.

The accident happened on Monday morning at the... (more...)

The Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association has hit out at the Amateur Fishermen's Association saying it should look at the plans and guidelines set up for any agricultural ventures in the Douglas... (more...)

A mysterious self-cloning female crayfish, popular with German aquarium owners, could pose a threat to native European species if it were released into the wild, scientists said.

The marbled... (more...)

As the aquaculture industry grows in the Gascoyne, the Department of Fisheries has recognised training for earthmoving contractors in the construction of purpose-designed aquaculture ponds to ‘best... (more...)

Authorities are searching for a crocodile that took a fisherman's dog in far north Queensland.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service says the incident happened on Saturday while the owner was... (more...)

An environmental consultant has told an Australian Senate inquiry that Australia should act now to help Pacific Island nations defend their tuna stocks from exploitation by European fishing... (more...)

International marine experts say leatherback turtles, the largest in the world, will be extinct within decades if current fishing practices continue.

A scientific meeting in the US city of Denver... (more...)

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority says Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone appear to be hot-spots for fishing operations illegally targeting coral trout.

Senior fisheries project manager... (more...)

Crabbers tempted by the abundance of small crabs around Mandurah and Bunbury this Labour Day long weekend should think twice before taking crabs under the legal 127mm carapace width.

“Crabs moult... (more...)

Recreational fishers are reminded that new management arrangements will be introduced for pink snapper fishing in the inner gulfs of Shark Bay on 1 March.

Stocks of pink snapper in Denham Sound,... (more...)

It is hoped the decomposing carcass of a whale on a beach in Tasmania's north-west will be towed out to sea today.

There have been complaints from residents and visitors at Stanley about the smell... (more...)

The CSIRO says a $4 million eradication program for the yellow crazy ant is a small price to pay compared to the environmental disaster it would cause in Australia.

The organisation's Ben Hoffman... (more...)

More than five reported shark sightings in Peel waters- including in the estuary and Murray River – have alarmed residents in recent weeks.

But Fisheries is stifling concerns saying no sightings... (more...)

A scientific expedition has counted more than 600 minke whales in the Ross Sea, south-east of Tasmania.

Two ships have returned to Hobart after spending three months in Antarctic waters.

The... (more...)

Tasmanian hunters have denied claims the duck hunting season due to start on Saturday will adversely effect bird numbers around the country.

Anti-shooting activists have claimed many birds from... (more...)

In China, a turtle estimated to be more than 500-years-old has been saved from the soup bowl and returned to the sea.

A local fisherman off China's Hainan Island caught the turtle.

The... (more...)

It is that time of year again when residents on the New South Wales north coast are getting their gloves on for the fifth annual Community Cane Toad Round-Up.

Organised by the National Parks and... (more...)

A study commissioned by Australia's leading environment groups has found government policy to protect oceans is not working.

Eighteen environment groups including the Marine Conservation Society,... (more...)

A national environmental group has called for the kangaroo cull to be overhauled describing it as unsustainable, cruel and contributing to a major loss of biodiversity.

The Wildlife Protection... (more...)

Industrial company Nylex could face big fines if it is found to have caused an oil spill that forced the closure of Victoria's Mentone Beach on Tuesday.

The company reported a discharge of 15,000... (more...)

Queensland Fisheries is investigating two large fish kills off Fraser Island in southern Queensland.

An estimated 400,000 threadfin leather-jackets have washed up along the east coast of Fraser... (more...)

The Rock Lobster Fishermen's Association has rejected a proposal to create a no-fishing zone at Port Davey on Tasmania's west coast.

The Resource Planning Development Commission has released a... (more...)

State government advertisements to educate swimmers about the dangers of sharks will begin airing on television next week.

It follows two recent shark deaths in Gold Coast canals.

Primary... (more...)

An environmental research group in Britain has warned that the albatross - one of the largest seabirds - is in danger of becoming extinct within the next 20 years.

The British Antarctic Survey... (more...)

The company at the centre of yesterday's massive oil spill near the Port Brisbane says it is too early to speculate on the cause.

Santos says its first priority is the clean-up.

About one... (more...)

Australia and Malaysia are set to work together on Antarctic research.

The University of Tasmania and the University of Science in Malaysia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for future... (more...)

The World Wide Fund for Nature is claiming early success with a kit to help identify the origin of discarded fishing nets in north Australian waters.

Nets have been found from Ashmore Reef in... (more...)

Recreational fishers can help create a safer fishing environment by using a simple tagging system that the Department of Fisheries believes may help prevent injuries to crews aboard professional... (more...)

Marron farmers will soon have the opportunity to learn first hand the latest research on achieving the best possible survival rates for the popular crustacean.

Researchers from the Department of... (more...)

The coast between Onslow and Cunningham Point in the State’s far north has recently reopened for recreational haul net fishing following discussions with the Aboriginal community.

Announcing the... (more...)

The seizure of almost 150 undersized crabs by police on Thursday night is the latest in a series of batterings taken by blue manna crab stocks in the Peel-Harvey Estuary this summer.
A total of 262... (more...)

London-based company GTL has announced plans to build a $600 million petro-chemical plant on the Burrup Peninsula in the north-west of Western Australia.

The company says it has secured funds to... (more...)

Queensland authorities believe a box jellyfish sting killed a seven-year-old boy in far north Queensland yesterday afternoon.
The boy was fatally stung while swimming at Wongaling Beach south of... (more...)

In Western Australia, a navy patrol boat is bringing three Indonesian fishermen into Broome Port, after their boat sank off the Kimberley coast.

The fishermen were apprehended by the crew of HMAS... (more...)

Woodside Energy has under-reported emissions at its onshore gas plant at Karratha in north-west Western Australia.

The operator of the north-west shelf joint venture originally reported the mass... (more...)

Marine experts say the Great Barrier Reef has escaped coral bleaching this summer.

Last year, the reef had one of its worst bleaching episodes on record, with between 60 and 95 per cent of the... (more...)

A whaling fleet has returned to Japan from a trip to Antarctica, with the five vessels docking at various ports in the west of the country

The fleet was at sea for five months and caught 440 Minke... (more...)

Tests will be conducted on the fish and marron populations of a popular south-west Western Australian fishing spot to determine if they have been contaminated by toxins from the waste ponds of a... (more...)

Tens of thousands of bream will be released today into the Blackwood River, in south-west Western Australia, as part of a research project to restock the river.

The project, which is being run by... (more...)

Routine tests in the Western Australia's Canning River have detected early signs of a fish kill.

The Swan River Trust says low oxygen levels have been found in a 10-kilometre stretch of the river... (more...)

Fishermans Beach near the Port Kembla sewage treatment plant has been given a bad water quality rating from the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

Sydney Water says the plant is functioning... (more...)

The Queensland Government has released a plan to preserve the environmental and recreational features of Gladstone Harbour, in central Queensland.

Environment Minister Dean Wells says the strategy... (more...)

The Capricornia Branch of the Australian Democrats has raised concerns that two ships that sank in waters east of Australia in the Battle of the Coral Sea could be an environmental... (more...)

From the Solomon Islands, a story of an Indigenous Melanesian reaction to beached whales that is a little different from what happens in Australia.

When 51 whales beached themselves near a... (more...)

Oyster farms on the New South Wales far south coast have been closed down due to the discovery of a toxic algal bloom.

The New South Wales Agriculture Minister, Ian MacDonald, says harvest areas... (more...)

The Tasmanian division of the CSIRO will head a new scientific drive concentrating on Australia's oceans.

It is part of a series of flagship programs launched by the scientific organisation aimed... (more...)

The Murray and Mallee Local Government Association is calling on the South Australian Government to conduct an audit of River Murray water in South Australia.

It says after irrigation and... (more...)

Toowoomba's creeks are in poor environmental shape, according to the first State of the Environment Report.

Toowoomba City Council commissioned the report to properly review the major... (more...)

The executive director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority says public assistance has been a valuable tool in protecting the reef.

The Queensland Government says there have been 24... (more...)

Federal Opposition leader Simon Crean wants the Federal Government to step in and keep the River Murray flowing, after he visited the river's sand-choked mouth.

Mr Crean says he is saddened by... (more...)

A police launch and fishing boats are rushing to the aid of a converted World War II torpedo boat that is taking water on the outer Great Barrier Reef.

Ben Mitchell from Australian Search and... (more...)

A warning to avoid parts of the Warren River, in south-west Western Australia, affected by a toxic algal bloom, remains in place.

The WA Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) says... (more...)

A Fairfield man has been caught in possession of illegal commercial fishing equipment in one of the State’s new recreational fishing havens, Botany Bay, the Director of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn,... (more...)

A Clarence River commercial fisher has been caught trawling in a closed area on the Clarence River, the Director of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn, said today.

Mr Dunn said NSW Fisheries staff seized a... (more...)

The Director of NSW Fisheries, Steve Dunn, today reminded anglers to ensure they know the fishing rules and have a NSW recreational fishing licence over the Anzac Day long weekend (Friday, April 25 –... (more...)

The Busselton Jetty Management Committee has written to the local council seeking support for an application,- in the first instance, to the Department of Fisheries for a Fish Habitat Protection... (more...)

A seven-month Department of Fisheries undercover operation has resulted in the apprehension of a number of individuals and the seizure of a massive amount of abalone, a large amount of cannabis,... (more...)

A combined air, sea and land operation between Department of Fisheries and the WA Police Service has led to the apprehension of two rock lobster boats allegedly fishing illegally off the metropolitan... (more...)

Recfishwest has again called on the Fisheries Department to equitably apply its fisheries regulations to Swan River commercial fishermen.
Before Easter, Recfishwest called on the Fisheries... (more...)

Recfishwest cannot accept the Fisheries Department refusing to apply the fisheries regulations to Swan River commercial fishermen.

"Last year the Fisheries Department proposed to review the... (more...)

It is claimed many benefits for whales from a ban on mining in the Great Australian Bight could be undone by federal support of the practice.
The South Australian Government yesterday banned mining... (more...)

Humane Society International (HSI), in collaboration with the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), has once again taken action in a bid to reduce the number of critically endangered Grey... (more...)

There is backbench pressure for the Federal Government to tread carefully in considering environmental flows in the Murray River.

The Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley, told the Victorian Parliament... (more...)

A study into whether rock lobsters feel pain when their tails are clipped has been described as a waste of time.

Recreational lobster fishers must clip the tails of their lobsters to identify them... (more...)

The Western Australian Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking the advice of independent experts after concerns dredging to deepen the Geraldton Port is damaging sea grass.

It was... (more...)

The Democrats are calling on the Queensland Government to match federal funding for the newly created reef coastal wetlands protection program.

The Federal Government unveiled the $16 million... (more...)

Australia's first armed civilian fisheries patrol vessel has returned to Hobart after nearly two months searching for poachers in the Southern Ocean.

The Antarctic supply ship, Aurora Australia,... (more...)

The last 293 metres of the Busselton Jetty may be closed to fishing in the very near future, if the proponents of the underwater observatory get their way.
Concerned anglers can register their... (more...)

A southern NSW community group believes Murray River environmental flows could cost the taxpayer more than $5.2 billion.

Murray Valley Community Action Group says the estimate is based on... (more...)

Environment group Greenpeace says current tuna fishing regulations in Australia are not tough enough to encourage fishers to stay within quotas.

This year's quota of southern bluefin tuna was... (more...)

The Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service says rangers had to remove a three-metre crocodile from a resort beach in Darwin Harbour this week.

A department spokeswoman says the three-metre... (more...)

Canegrowers have welcomed a move to review their impact on the Great Barrier Reef, as long as they are not the only ones scrutinised.

The review is part of an ambitious plan to save the reef from... (more...)

A Macquarie University student, studying the Hunter's river system, says comparing the waterways before and after heavy grazing and mining is the key to ensuring their long-term... (more...)

The Swan River Trust estimates more than 12,000 fish have died in the Swan River in the worst fish-kill phenomenon on record.

Workers have spent the day picking up hundreds of dead fish washed up... (more...)

Western Australia's peak recreational fishing body has expressed alarm at the likely death of hundreds of thousands of fish in Perth's Swan River.

The Swan River Trust and the Department of... (more...)

The South Australian Government says it is prepared to use South Australian money to pay out inefficient irrigators interstate, as part of moves to assist the River Murray.

Yesterday's state... (more...)

The Swan River Trust says hundreds of dead fish are being retrieved today as far downriver as Matilda Bay, but the algal bloom in the river has not gone beyond the Narrows Bridge.

An investigation... (more...)

The Mobil oil company faces a hefty legal bill after being convicted with polluting the environment over an oil spill in Melbourne two years ago.

The court heard a Mobil tanker, the MT Tasman, was... (more...)

The Shire of Dardanup says it wants to help clean up and find a solution to the massive fish kill found in the Collie River in south-west Western Australia.
The Department of Environment is still... (more...)

Environmental authorities are banning seafarers from an uninhabited island and surrounding reef off the Kimberley coast to build up depleted fish stocks.
Cartier Island and its surrounding reef,... (more...)

Queensland fishermen have reacted angrily to the Federal Government's plan to increase protection of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Government will later today reveal a plan to make 30 per cent of... (more...)

A Northbridge restaurant owner was fined almost $20,000 for possessing undersize Western Rock Lobsters when he appeared at the Court of Petty Sessions in Perth today.

Owner of the Jade Dynasty... (more...)

With cold weather marking the beginning of winter, the Department of Fisheries reminds beachgoers to use caution and commonsense following recent shark sighting reports.

Manager Fish and Fish... (more...)

Consultants appointed by Albany City Council have become increasingly concerned by the way recent storms have worsened beach erosion at Emu point near Albany.

The council has been working on the... (more...)

Upper House member Dee Margetts has asked questions in Parliament about the impacts of current dredging works at the Geraldton port.

Ms Margetts asked if the works are conforming with the... (more...)

The Department of Environment says there have been no more reports of fish deaths in the Collie River.

Hundreds of fish were killed last week, by the same algal bloom prevalent in the Swan... (more...)

Consulting engineers are gathering anecdotal and historical evidence from Greenough locals on where water levels rise in times of flood.

The investigation is part of a management study of the... (more...)

The Shire of Greenough, in mid-west Western Australia, is disappointed by comments about the proposed Mumbida wind farm made in State Parliament yesterday.
The Minister for Energy, Eric Ripper, says... (more...)

A bid by Australia and New Zealand to set up a whale sanctuary in the south Pacific has failed to muster enough support at the world whaling body.
The joint proposal won 24-17 against at the annual... (more...)

Gold Coast divers are being asked to help keep the grey nurse shark from extinction.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service needs volunteers to gather information about the critically endangered... (more...)

The CSIRO plans to use tagged fish to act as data collectors.
Over the next three years the marine research division plans to use a range of remote sensing technologies to do more oceanography in... (more...)

The Western Australian Opposition says there is a need for greater areas to be excluded from fishing in a marine park proposed for the cape to cape region in the south-west, to counter concerns about... (more...)

Tonight 25th June, the Peel Region Fish Stocking Association are holding their first AGM at the Ravenswood Tavern, at 7:00pm.

Everyone is welcome, it is the first AGM – nominate for the board!... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries has today announced a change to the implementation date for Western Australia’s new recreational fishing rules.

To provide a smooth transition to the new rules in the... (more...)

Scientists found over 500 species of fish and 1,300 species of marine invertebrates Reuters
A giant sea spider the size of a dinner plate and armoured shrimps are just some of the new species... (more...)

The Western Australian Department of Environment says it is unlikely reports of hundreds of dead fish in the Collie River were exaggerated, despite officials only recovering 10 dead fish.
The kill,... (more...)

The city of Geraldton, in mid-west Western Australia, says a suitable solution to controlling the erosion of Geraldton's northern beaches is still a way off.
The city's technical services director,... (more...)

Scientists have freed a great white shark from a tuna farm enclosure off Port Lincoln in South Australia.

The female shark was trapped inside the experimental farm for five days.
Researchers say... (more...)

For the second year running the Department of Fisheries has scooped the major prize pool at the annual Lonnie Awards.

The Department was awarded three prizes at the annual awards presented by the... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries reminds all fishers that the Western rock lobster season ends today.

As the 2003 season comes to a close on Monday June 30, recreational fishers have until midnight to... (more...)

Kimberley residents, in north-west Western Australia, are being urged to keep an eye out for cane toads, after the Department of Agriculture confirmed one has been found in the region.

The... (more...)

A unique Western Australian national park has just become one of the natural wonders of the world.

Purnululu National Park in the East Kimberley, in the state's north-west, has been placed on the... (more...)

The commercial tiger prawn season in far north Queensland's Gulf of Carpentaria is to be restricted for the second year in succession to protect stocks.

Australian Fisheries Management Authority... (more...)

The national body representing gas and oil producers says the Western Australian Government must properly assess the risk of a proposed development on Barrow Island in the state's north-west.

The... (more...)

A survey to determine crocodile numbers in the Kimberley in Western Australia's north-west gets underway later this month.

The research commissioned by the Department of Conservation and Land... (more...)

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) fears marine species are being threatened by the continual dumping of large fishing nets.

An Australian fishing vessel has discovered a section of a fishing... (more...)

Engineering works to stop nutrients entering the Swan and Canning rivers from drains in the Bentley area form part of a package to clean up the polluted river system.

Tens of thousands of fish... (more...)

A new approach is being developed by the Department of Fisheries' scientists to assist authorities control illegal trade in shark products.

Work will begin soon on a shark DNA database that will... (more...)

The proponents behind a planned tuna farm at the Abrolhos Islands, off the mid-west Western Australian coast, say authorities are confident the increased use of bait fish in the area will not put the... (more...)

The Gold Coast man who swam with a rare albino whale yesterday says the close encounter was completely unintentional.

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is investigating the incident to... (more...)

There is strong interest from the Goondiwindi community, in south-west Queensland, for a new fish hatchery to help reverse a steep decline in native fish numbers in the region's river system.

It... (more...)

The people of Shark Bay Shire, in mid-west Western Australia, will go to the polls over a proposed housing, resort and marina development.
Perth-based company RC Developments wants to build the $40... (more...)

Federal Environment Minister David Kemp is launching Australia's first regional marine plan in Melbourne today.

The plan covers the entire Victorian coastline, southern New South Wales, South... (more...)

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has cautiously welcomed a Federal Government plan for the management of waters off Victoria's coast.

The world-first plan announced this morning, will... (more...)

Townsville's tackle and boating shops have joined forces to provide what they feel is the middle ground missed by some groups in making submissions to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's... (more...)

The shipping and commercial fishing industries have three months to contribute to a new plan for the management of waters off Victoria's coast.

The Federal Government will unveil the first of its... (more...)

The Federal Environment Minister, Dr David Kemp, says he has taken steps to try to stop the illegal trade of dolphins from the Solomon Islands to Mexico.

An animal welfare group says hundreds of... (more...)

This year's "pig and pussy" hunt at Pine Creek south of Darwin will include a ball, family events and a competition for the biggest cane toad.
The hunt is part of a campaign to reduce feral pig and... (more...)

A Perth seafood distributor has been fined more than $156,000 for purchasing black market abalone after appearing in the Perth Central Law Courts today.

Enrico D’ALESSANDRO (54) of Hamilton Hill... (more...)

TransAdelaide will urgently review its environmental procedures as the fallout continues from this week's diesel spill into the River Torrens.
TransAdelaide general manager Roy Arnold says the... (more...)

The Department of Environmental Protection is considering enforcing strict conditions on dredging works at Geraldton Port in mid-west Western Australia.
An extensive investigation has confirmed the... (more...)

The Northern Territory's Sporting Shooters Association says it could play a major role in the control of feral animals in Kakadu National Park.
The CLP Senator for the Northern Territory Nigel... (more...)

Solomon Islands police have arrested an Australian journalist and photographer and abused other media filming the arrival of a cargo jet being used to export live dolphins.

Police threw up an... (more...)

At least 173 fishermen have gone missing off Bangladesh's coast when 20 trawlers sank in rough weather in the Bay of Bengal, fishing officials said on Sunday.
A sudden rain poured down on the... (more...)

Two Sydney men will face charges over abalone thefts at Mallacoota in far East Gippsland in Victoria this week.
The two men were arrested in the Point Hicks area and diving equipment and 170 shelled... (more...)

Federal Environment Minister David Kemp says the lungfish has been identified as a vulnerable species and this could impact on the future of southern Queensland's Paradise Dam.
Speaking in Bundaberg... (more...)

Department of Fisheries scientists are looking at the valuable Western rock lobster as the next suitable species to boost WA’s aquaculture industry.

The Department has won funding for a three-year... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries has announced the approval of an application to open part of the Abrolhos and Midwest Trawl fishery to scallop trawlers.

A 30 square kilometre area, about 60 kilometres... (more...)

Melbourne's water storages have recorded a third consecutive weekly rise.

Storages have increased by almost 17,000 million litres since last week.

They are now at 42.8 per cent, 10 per cent... (more...)

Iceland has defended its decision to resume whaling after a 14-year moratorium.

It plans to catch 38 minke whales to conduct what officials say is a scientific study on the impact they have on... (more...)

A review panel appointed by the NSW Government says an excessive amount of water being used by Sydney residents is starting to have an environmental effect on the Shoalhaven River, on the state's... (more...)

Japan, US to monitor ice floats in Arctic Ocean
Japan and the United States plan to jointly launch a project to monitor the condition of ice floats in the Arctic Ocean as part of efforts to gather... (more...)

The South Australian Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation has defended changing its rules allowing water from the lower reaches of the River Murray to be traded... (more...)

The discovery of a declared water weed in northern Queensland has prompted authorities to call on the public for assistance.

The Department of Natural Resources and Mines says limnocharis... (more...)

Leading researchers are making dire predictions for the world's reefs if the impact of humans is not curtailed.

The world's leading scientists have contributed to a report that will appear in... (more...)

A marooned oil tanker has broken up off Pakistan's Arabian Sea port, Karachi, after spilling 7,000 tonnes of oil, sparking fears of lasting damage to local marine life.

The Greek-registered MV... (more...)

The appearance of an algal bloom in the lakes system has prompted Townsville City Council to issue warnings of a possible fish kill.

Deputy mayor Anne Bunnell says the non-toxic bloom was caused... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries urges beachgoers to use caution and commonsense on the water following a confirmed shark sighting off Swanbourne Beach at 6pm on August 15.

WA Water Police received a... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries today released a paper that will help guide improved management of the South West’s popular blue swimmer crab fishery at Geographe Bay.

This follows a three-year... (more...)

A British family's holiday was rudely interrupted when a nine-metre whale crashed onto their sailing boat off the east coast of Australia, British media reports say.

The humpback whale leapt... (more...)

HUNDREDS of people lined the Dawesville Cut to watch two southern right whales shelter in shallow water away from wild seas yesterday.

The young 12m to 14m whales, believed to weigh 60 to 80... (more...)

A new report that shows coral on reefs around the world could be extinct within 30 years has heightened calls for international action to slow current rates of climate change.
The Opposition's... (more...)

Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson says the announcement of a national water initiative today is the happiest moment of his public life.

The state and territory leaders signed the historic... (more...)

South Australian Premier Mike Rann has welcomed a decision between the states and the Commonwealth to spend $500 million improving the environmental health of the Murray River.

Mr Rann says he... (more...)

A group of Australian marine scientists is planning a major international forum on coral reefs.

The scientists are meeting in Brisbane today to plan coral disease research for the Great Barrier... (more...)

Scientists studying an unspoiled jungle river wilderness in Venezuela have announced the discovery of 10 new fish species.

They include a red-tailed tiddler, a "punk" catfish with a spiky head and... (more...)

Concerns about a decline in fish stocks have resulted in 700 people signing a petition calling for Lacepede Bay, in south-eastern South Australia, to be closed to net fishing.

Petition organiser... (more...)

Darwin's Lake Alexander has been forced to close because of an infestation of poisonous jellyfish.

The rare species, known as Cassiopeia or more commonly as an upside down jellyfish, has a mild... (more...)

Recent restocking of select southwest dams and rivers with trout should provide good catches for anglers during WA’s 2003 freshwater angling season from September 1 to April 30.

The popularity of... (more...)

Parks and wildlife officers have reset crocodile traps after the sighting of two large crocodiles in the Fitzroy River, close to Rockhampton's central business district.

Ranger Tim Farry says a... (more...)

The Western Australian Department of Environment has rejected Geraldton Port Authority concerns that stricter conditions will further damage seagrass in Champion Bay.

The department issued a... (more...)

The Water Corporation says marroning in Waroona Dam in south-west Western Australia will not resume for at least three years.

The dam has been reopened for public access, including water skiing,... (more...)

A new 82,000 hectare marine park is set to be established at Jurien Bay off Western Australia's mid north coast.

The park stretches 100 kilometres from Wedge Island to Green Head.

The Premier,... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries reminds fishers that pink snapper will again be protected during spawning aggregations in Cockburn Sound with a total fishing closure to commercial and recreational... (more...)

A new carp fishery in River Murray backwaters is close to being finalised, with five fishers now having taken up the South Australian Government's offer.
After closing down the native commercial... (more...)

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority says the latest report on fish stocks is bad news for commercial fishermen.
The Bureau of Rural Sciences has released the latest fishery status report... (more...)

A Flinders University researcher is hoping to increase the profitability of South Australia's seafood industry by identifying the factors that affect the quality of rock lobster meat.
Michael... (more...)

What is said to be Australia's latest renewable energy project is virtually complete.

The $10 million wind farm at Esperance is up and running, supplying more than 20 per cent of power to the... (more...)

The Western Australian Opposition has legal advice that Premier Geoff Gallop's decision to reject the Maud's Landing marina development at Coral Bay, in the state's north-west, should be... (more...)

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy is missing after being swept off rocks while fishing at a notorious stretch of the south-west coast.

The boy was fishing with his family yesterday at Salmon Holes, a popular but... (more...)

Goulburn-Murray Water has issued an alert for Lake Moodemere, near Rutherglen in north-east Victoria, after monitoring detected potentially toxic levels of blue-green algae.

Natural resources... (more...)

Scientists believe they may have discovered a new species of native fish in South Australia's Flinders Ranges.
An exploration of creeks just north of the Gammon Ranges National Park, in the Flinders... (more...)

The long awaited scientific report on the Living Murray proposal recommends at least 1,500 gigalitres of water be returned to the river.

The leaked report looked at three options, with 1,500... (more...)

Territorians with something to say about the future of Darwin Harbour are urged to get their comments in to the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee as soon as possible.

Written submission on the... (more...)

South Australia's River Murray Minister, John Hill, says fixing four key sites along the river is the best way to help save the waterway in the short-term.

Mr Hill and Federal Environment Minister... (more...)

A fisherman and his six-year-old son in central Vietnam were killed after explosives used to catch fish exploded, officials said today.

Le Thanh Phuc, 33, and his youngest son were killed... (more...)

Underwater photographic studies have found dredging has damaged important seagrass beds in the Hastings and Maria rivers on the NSW mid-north coast.

The Fisheries Department has investigated... (more...)

NINE sperm whales up to 10m long and 20 tonnes in weight have beached themselves on WA's rugged and remote south coast.

Officers from the Department of Conservation and Land Management could only... (more...)

Another important step has been taken in the move towards giving commercial rock lobster fishermen, aquaculturalists and future tourism operators greater security of tenure at the Abrolhos... (more...)

Broome Shire Council, in north-west Western Australia, has decided against banning cars from Cable Beach, despite calls from Indigenous leaders and conservationists.
The council's coastal park... (more...)

... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries has won a $500,000 grant from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) for a three-year project to examine the effects of local fishing on WA dhufish and... (more...)

Maintaining the West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery’s accreditation as an ecologically sustainable fishery with the Marine Stewardship Council will be at the forefront of this year’s Rock Lobster... (more...)

Ocean forecasting information will soon be available to serve Australians in the same way atmospheric weather forecasting has delivered for on-land populations, following the announcement today of a... (more...)

White sharks have been tagged by scientists using a new specially developed tagging pole allowing them to be tagged in the water next to the vessel.
"The sharks ranged from two metres to more than... (more...)

Environmental groups claim shark finning in Northern Territory waters is being carried out by boats operating out of Darwin Harbour.

The Territory Environment Centre and the Australian Maritime... (more...)

An international team of scientists have detected more than 15,000 different species of fish in a census of the world's seas, but warned that many are under threat from over-fishing.

"Every... (more...)

Angry Evans Head fishermen are sending a strong message to politicians and authorities saying they want action "now" to dredge the dangerous Evans River bar.

The river entrance has become so... (more...)

There is concern in Shark Bay over a recommendation to ban oil exploration and development in the World Heritage listed area off the Western Australian mid-west coast.
The Environmental Protection... (more...)

The Department of Fisheries has strengthened regulations to protect pink snapper during their spawning aggregations in Cockburn Sound at this time of year.

Previous annual closures to fishing for... (more...)