Recreational Fishing is gaining a high profile in Australia and the need for well informed and educated discussion about policy and management is needed for the recreational sector. Government agencies dominate fishing policy and the need to have experienced views, both from a local and an international prospective is vitally important for future management. GFAA and ARFF represent recreational fishers in Australia, development of strategies and people within these groups will enhance all stakeholders of fisheries.

This proposal will address the FRDC Recfishing Research priority area "Assessing the impact of recreational fishing methods on conservation values of aquatic habitats" as announced in the 2012 Annual Competitive Round Call for Expressions Of Interest. After making inquiries with seabird rescue organisations, it has become apparent that seabird entanglements in discarded fishing tackle is of major concern. Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital report that their rescue unit responded to approximately 300 calls for bird entanglements in discarded fishing tackle in 2011 (to August 1). Further, the Rescue Hotline of Pelican and Seabird Rescue Inc. have received approximately 400 calls in 2011 (to the time of writing - 10/9/2011). These figures are unacceptable and measures need to be taken to decrease the incidence of seabird interactions with discarded recreational fishing tackle. The injuries that result from these interactions are often catastrophic, with a high proportion of entangled animals being euthanised. Healthy Waterways has produced a provocative poster, attached, depicting a pair of budgerigars surrounded by fishing line and hooks. Such negative stereotypes need to be addressed and, as such, there is a need to educate recreational fishers as to the consequences of the careless discarding of fishing tackle. This subject was recently highlighted in a Queensland recreational fishing publication, Queensland Fishing Monthly (see attachment). Both recreational fishing representative groups, Sunfish and Ecofishers, have expressed concern regarding this issue. A fifteen minute search at a secluded recreational fishing location in the northern suburbs of Brisbane by two people resulted in the collection of the fishing tackle pictured in the attachment (13/09/2011 - Tingalpa Creek). Although this could be construed as an environmental problem and beyond the purview of FRDC, it certainly reflects poorly on recreational fishers and, as such, an extension/educational project would help alleviate the problems highlighted in this proposal.

A Ministerial Taskforce was established to oversee development of the NCCP to maximise the impact of CyHV-3 on carp populations while minimising impacts to industry, communities and the environment.
The CHV-3 virus will potentially affect carp at an unprecedented geographic scale – hence a fundamental understanding of the abundance and biomass (total weight of carp in a given area) of carp within representative habitats throughout eastern Australia is required. This is a priority for the NCCP to: (i) safely plan the virus release, (ii) efficiently allocate local and regional clean-up resources, and (iii) identify/manage potential ecological impacts (e.g. water quality).
To meet this need, research is required to provide data on the abundance and biomass of carp within various habitats they occupy (i.e. rivers, lakes, billabongs, estuaries) and at appropriate geographic scales (local, river reach, river-basin, inter-basin). Additionally, local carp densities can vary significantly through time, largely depending on climatic conditions and river flows and hence these factors require investigation to ensure the release of the virus is a success.
Ecological monitoring is also important to benchmark the condition of macrophyte, macroinvertebrate and fish communities, as well as water quality prior to possible release of the carp virus within a representative sub-set of catchments. There is significant investment leveraging potential from existing projects which will be important in demonstrating that the virus has contributed to demonstrable environmental change.
The carp biomass estimation project is relevant to a broad range of stakeholders, including industries, communities, environmental managers (e.g. CMAs, NRM Boards and LLSs groups) because detailed clean-up and risk management plans rely on robust estimates of carp abundance. If the CyHV-3 program is to reach its goal of reducing carp numbers and improving Australia’s aquatic ecosystems, the carp biomass project represents an integral component of this program.