Anglers asked to help provide information on Murrumbidgee River

To determine the overall size of the recreational fishery in the Murrumbidgee River, a 12-month angler survey between Berembed Weir and Yanco Weir will get underway in May. 

The survey is being conducted by NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and Charles Sturt University (CSU).

NSW DPI Narrandera Fisheries Centre researcher and PhD student, Jamin Forbes, who is leading the project said surveys were one of the best tools to help understand and manage freshwater fisheries.

“Recreational fisheries have been a very important resource for people living in inland NSW, however, during the past 100 years fisheries have experienced serious declines,” he said.  

“Conversely the introduction of appropriate bag, size and gear limitations have seen an improvement in the Murray cod fishery during the past decade.”

Mr Forbes said it was a challenge for fisheries agencies to ensure management practices were sufficient to prevent future declines and maintain quality sustainable fishing opportunities. 

“The results from this survey will be used to help us learn about how the fishery is performing to ensure recreational fishing opportunities exist for future generations,” he said.

The survey aims to determine:

• Overall harvest rates, for example the total number of fish caught in a year; and 
• Angler effort, for example the number of hours required for fishermen to reach bag limits.

“Knowing how many fish are removed from the river and the angling hours expended will provide important detail on the size and structure of the fishery,” Mr Forbes said.

As part of the survey, NSW DPI and CSU staff will conduct regular visits to boat ramps and river reaches to chat to anglers about their fishing experiences.

The surveys should take about 5-10 minutes to complete and will be anonymous with no discussions or observations shared outside of the project.  

Anglers will be asked to provide details on how long they have fished for that day, what they caught, what they put back, how and where they fished, home postcode, days fished a year, and a satisfaction rating for their fishing experience.

Surveyors will also ask to measure all fish kept as an indication of overall size of fish in the fishery. 

Mr Forbes said that some anglers may be surveyed multiple times during the next 12 months, and urged all anglers to be involved.

“It is important to note that anglers are under no obligation to participate in the survey,” Mr Forbes said. However, he added, “The more surveys completed, the more accurate the data.”

To help increase awareness of the survey, NSW DPI will hold a series of information sessions in conjunction with local angling clubs during the next two months. 

NSW DPI is also looking for people to volunteer with the surveying itself, and an expression of interest for assistance will be called in April.

For further information on the survey, to register an interest for an information session or to volunteer please contact Jamin Forbes at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre office on (02) 6958 8200

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