As advised by CFA:
The DPI Angler Access website is still a draft site but available for viewing at: http://angleraccessdev.dpi.nsw.gov.au . The site provides information on public access points to various NSW waterways and fish in seven groupings:

• Fishing dams in NSW
• Rivers and creeks available for fishing
• Dams to fish for trout
• Streams to fish for trout
• Rivers you can fish all year
• Small dams to fish for yabbies
• Stocking sites

The site contains maps and details of hundreds of sites with the intention of reaching 2500 sites before full release the site.
There are also several menu links along the top of the home page which provide further information. The Survey link allows you to give feedback via a survey. The ‘About>Contact Us’ link allows you to provide other specific comments about using the site or anomalies/errors.
The website development has stalled at the moment but the project is being funded by NSW Fishing Fees and the RFNSW continues to be active in driving the project to completion.
A password is required and this will be disseminated to CAA members by the Burley Line editor on request. Go to our Website for the link to setup the email

Draft ACT Aquatic and Riparian Conservation Strategy and Action Plans have been issued and comments are sought by 11 March.
It is 249 pages long! Many thanks to our cousins over at Canberra Fishing Club (specifically Anthony Heiser) who have produced a short article and 19 page summary on their website at https://www.canberrafishos.com/news-and-articles/347-the-draft-act-aquatic-and-riparian-conservation-strategy-and-action-plans
The Strategy outlines how the ACT Government proposes to conserve and manage ACT’s waterways including action plans for seven threatened aquatic species:
• Two-spined Blackfish
• Macquarie Perch
• Murray River Crayfish
• Silver Perch
• Trout Cod
• Murrumbidgee Bossiaea
• Tuggeranong Lignum

Their draft Freshwater Fisheries Management Plan is now out for public comment!

The plan promotes a statewide approach to building better freshwater fisheries and celebrates record fish stockings, partnerships for improving fish habitat and an actively engaged recreational fishing community.

It brings all fish, water and land management elements together for 14 of our most popular recreational fish species such as trout, redfin, Murray cod, golden perch and bass.

The plan is a collaboration between fishers, Traditional Owners and stakeholders to:
· Improve fish habitat to help boost fish populations naturally
· Use recreational angler catch and effort data to help track the performance of fisheries
· Accelerate the recovery of threatened species, including Macquarie perch
· Expand the breeding and stocking program of native fish
· Create the next generation of responsible anglers
· Promote our best recreational fisheries as tourism destinations.

The plan complements our record $46 million investment into Target One Million, which includes $9 million from fishing licence fees, to get one million Victorians fishing by 2020.

To view the plan and make a submission by 22 March 2018, visit: www.vfa.vic.gov.au/freshwaterplan

Minutes from meeting 7 (11 Dec) have been made available by Steve Samuels. Of particular interest to me is the development of a strategy to sustain the ‘social licence’ for us to conduct our sport – ie society support to the acceptability of the activity in the face of criticisms.

RFNSW outcomes from Meeting 7

got the following from Steve Samuels (Pres MAS and significant angling representative for this region):

Supporters

By now you will probably know that Snowy Hydro has released the Feasibility Report on the Pumped Hydro 2.0 Project which stipulates the project is feasible and will go ahead. A full copy of the Report can be found at: www.snowyhydro.com.au/our-scheme/snowy20/snowy-2-0-feasibility-study/

The essence of the project is that water will be released from Tantangara Dam into Talbingo Dam via generators. Water will then be returned to Tantangara Dam from Talbingo Dam to repeat the cycle.

We know that there are redfin perch in Talbingo and none in Tantangara. From a fishing perspective we remain concerned that there exists a real risk that redfin perch will be transported through the system from Talbingo Dam into Tantangara Dam.

Included below is the relevant section from the Feasibility Report for you to study – it is a short but important read.

In the new year I will be asking you all to participate with the MAS in contacting Snowy Hydro to impress upon them the importance of keeping redfin out of Tantangara, but in the meantime please have a good festive season.

Regards

Steve Samuels

President

Monaro Acclimatisation Society Inc

Feasibility Report extract on redfin

5.4.4 Transport of undesirable aquatic species One of the key environmental risks for the operation of the Facilities (once the Project is completed) is the potential transfer of Redfin Perch (Perca fluviatilis) through the proposed tunnel from Talbingo Reservoir to Tantangara Reservoir. Redfin are a NSW-listed Class 1 noxious species under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (NSW). Outputs from the NSW Department of Primary Industries ((DPI)) freshwater fisheries database confirm that a large resident Redfin perch population is present in Talbingo Reservoir. The same output has not detected any Redfin in the upper Murrumbidgee catchment upstream of the ACT border, which includes Tantangara Reservoir. Redfin are voracious predators known to prey predominantly on juvenile and adult forms of various fish species. Redfin are also known carriers of the Epizootic Haematopoietic Necrosis (EHN) Virus. This virus is lethal to Redfin but also to trout and native fish species.The introduction of Redfin to Tantangara could have significant consequences for the Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Brown trout (Salmo trutta) fishery of Tantangara. Members of the fishing community have confirmed this distribution of Redfin and fishing advocacy groups have expressed concerns about the potential for transfer of Redfin as a result of the proposed development and consequent impact on the trout fishery and the impact on the local and regional economy that would arise from that. There are potential options for preventing the entrainment of Redfin into the proposed pipeline. Those with the most promise include physical screens, barrier nets and electrical barriers. The feasibility of © Snowy Hydro Limited 2017 Page 16 of 18 Snowy 2.0 Study Report – Chapter Seventeen – Environment, permits and approvals Commercial-in-Confidence these options will need to be considered in relation to their capability of preventing or minimising the movement of all life stages of Redfin during the EIS stage. Further investigations are planned to confirm the likelihood of Redfin survival through the proposed Project development including experimental studies to test the survival of all age classes of Redfin to the rates of pressure and shear stress that are likely to be generated during operation of the power/pump station. These will commence once the design of the Project has been finalised and the detailed hydraulic modelling of the Project has been completed.

From our President:

On 4 December the ACT Government released its review discussion paper of the now outdated Fisheries Act 2000 Act . The paper is formatted with short backgrounds on various angling issues followed by a Have Your Say section which includes a couple of questions for discussion.  As a very active angling organisation, this is our opportunity to have direct input into the management of OUR fishery here in the ACT.

CAA members are encouraged to read the review and e-mail comments before Monday 5 February to epsddcomms@act.gov.au  You can answer the specific questions in the review, raise new issues not originally covered or just make general comments.

One issue not canvassed in the report but was mentioned by the discussion paper’s author at the media launch was whether or not we should have recreational fishing licenses in the ACT.  We currently do not and nor do we have a single dedicated fisheries ranger according to one of the Cotter-based ACT rangers who spoke at the launch of the discussion paper.

While all or part of your comments may be posted on the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate web site or included in the consultation report, your name will not be used without your permission.  Please include the words Canberra Anglers’ Association in any submission you make because that WILL be included in the final report.  (From Blogmaster: I would suggest you might cc the CAA contact email as this will assist the executive formulate the CAA response.)

A web version of the discussion paper is available at https://www.yoursay.act.gov.au/index.php?cID=788

We got this message in from Communications at Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development (ACT Government).

We just wanted to let you know we’re installing an automatic access gate at the southern foreshores to Googong dam next week. This will maintain existing access arrangements, but the installation will require a closure of the vehicle gate from 5 to 8 December (weather permitting).