On 14 December the Clarence River estuary prawn trawl fishermen made a ‘gut wrenching’ decision – they closed the River and Lake Wooloweyah to prawn trawling until January 4. This at a time when harvest rates should be peaking to meet the demand for the school prawns over the Xmas and New Year period. The reason for the decision was based on the small size of the school prawn in the lake and river. It appears that they are not growing despite what seems to be ideal conditions. Following the major flood in May and a minor fresh in October it was expected that the up coming river trawl season would be a bumper.

For months there has been a problem with the size of the prawns in the river system. Although the reason is unknown, many theories are being proffered:

• high water temp (29 – 30 degrees) and maybe that is not conducive (too high) to the micro food the prawns eat;
• something left as a residue after the floods because the prawns are travelling when thy should not be (small ones going to sea);
• bream dying in crab traps;
• prawns are not separating into different class sizes as they usually do;
• flood mud on the banks from May that still has no grass growing on it in some places;
• pocket nets catching small travelling prawns when they normally catch a better grade of prawn;
• fish kill up the Coldstream River about mid November;
• eels dead in traps (South Arm) and look like they have been boiled;

Unless possible causes are eliminated and the likely problem identified then there could be ongoing impacts and a possibility that the prawn trawl season for the next few years affected.