Yep, fish stocks have definitely depleted. Such a shame.. But hopefully with some careful management by everyone we can all help them recover. Also, if fisheries continue with the re-stocking projects it could also help..
additionally blowies have become a plague. How about making it illegal to throw them back. Same as with red fin perch. Admittedly you can't eat them, but perhaps blowie disposal bins on jetties or something similar.
Blowfish are important species in the river ecosystem and help to keep a balance. They eat the scraps and ammitedly the rubbish that is thrown into the river - which if blowies werent there, would sit on the bottom and possibly decay creating poisonous substances. I personally release all the blowfish I catch............. Just not my fault if they come into contact with my boot.... or the canning bridge pylon closest to me...........
Man thats some big fat bream. U say cathcing them on lures 15 years ago was common? Must have been alot easier back then, none of this braid-to-flourocarbon business and lures that cost $20+ eh!
Justo, re-stocking is good in some aspects but it's essentially a band-aid fix, it doesn't adress the underlying issues of whats causing the decreas in fish populations in the first place (which may be a combination of less food-e.g prawns or whatever- increased fishing pressure and decreased water quality).
Also the blowie issue, which are definitely a nuisance and have been for a long time now; there's that many in the river that even if every fisherman never threw them back it probably wouldn't amount to 1% of the population. And the cost (not to mention smell) of special blowie disposal bins, and the continued actual disposal from said bins, wouldn't be feasible. Unless someone could turn them into fertiliser or something, but that poison might cross that idea out.
Plus, we should look at the reasons why the blowies are there (in such numbers) compared to similar river/estuary systems along WA, which aren't nearly as bad. The obvious major influence is the high density of urban/industrial/farming land along the river and associated runoff, which in the past has caused major algal blooms and fish kills. I don't know but my bet is that algal growth is much higher in the swan than similar systems, and the this algae or associated small organisms make up a large part of the blowies diet, but they obviously jump at anything else that comes along.
So, it may actually be true that blowies are keeping the river clean, to some degree! I might study this one day haha
A few years ago I was fishing down south at Injidup Beach and stockpiling a pile of Blowies we were catching. A couple of fisheries inspectors came past and told us off. They said, which is interesting, if people keep killing the blowies it has a adverse affect. The Blowies see it as there numbers are dropping off and makes the breed even faster. Interesting theory or fact? I still hate the bastards!
is it just my limited experience or are blowies almost non-existant over east? if this is the case adn these theories about being the cleaners of the river etc what takes their place over there?
brings back memories of canning bridge. last time i fished there was about 15 years back. caught around 12 good ones and kept 2 around the 2.5kg mark. biggest i got there was on the old scale 7lb 6oz . 2kg plus bream were plentiful then.
Biggest one Iv'e caught at the Canning Bridge was 52cm about 5 years ago. I don't know what it weighed but it must have been well over 2.5kg. You don't catch those on soft plastics and there's a reason why they are that big! The jetty under the bridge has just recently been completely replaced. It was getting a bit dangerous with many planks missing and sections where fires had been lit. A lot of memories there over the years and I'm sure some people will be disappointed that their carvings have gone.
As to the blowie theory, I spoke with a bloke a while back who said that the Swan River did not have a blowie population to begin with. C.Y O'connor blew up the limestone and sand shoals at the mouth of the Swan while building the Fremantle Harbour which was finished in 1903. Until then the river was like other systems up the coast eg, moore river and only flushed intermittently and would have had a far smaller/non existant blowie population.
Freshwater Bay was named on purpose. Yep, the Swan is actually an estuary system, not just a river, and would've been just like all the others down the coast that only open intermittently. No idea how often that was but I imagine it would've got to pretty low salinities at times.
Anyways, there's been an irreversible shift to a permanently open system now and everything that comes with it. It is now in an 'alternative state' to what it was pre-opening.
StevieP makes a good point, no idea what the answer is tho :s
I agreed with your original post JAC54, unsure why it got deleted. Think it was an important message to fisherman that they do need to think of the future when fishing. I see many people abusing the river and I fear for the next generation of fisherman.
Also I know the photo has gone now, but I couldnt help but notice the size of the boys head! Huge!!
choorles
Posts: 93
Date Joined: 06/03/12
they look a lot fatter than
they look a lot fatter than the bream of today as well
Justo82
Posts: 482
Date Joined: 17/10/11
Yep, fish stocks have
Yep, fish stocks have definitely depleted. Such a shame.. But hopefully with some careful management by everyone we can all help them recover. Also, if fisheries continue with the re-stocking projects it could also help..
additionally blowies have become a plague. How about making it illegal to throw them back. Same as with red fin perch. Admittedly you can't eat them, but perhaps blowie disposal bins on jetties or something similar.
Leemo
Posts: 3712
Date Joined: 22/02/07
Blowfish are important
Blowfish are important species in the river ecosystem and help to keep a balance. They eat the scraps and ammitedly the rubbish that is thrown into the river - which if blowies werent there, would sit on the bottom and possibly decay creating poisonous substances. I personally release all the blowfish I catch............. Just not my fault if they come into contact with my boot.... or the canning bridge pylon closest to me...........
bludgin' since 94'
Versus
Posts: 918
Date Joined: 06/03/09
Man thats some big fat bream.
Man thats some big fat bream. U say cathcing them on lures 15 years ago was common? Must have been alot easier back then, none of this braid-to-flourocarbon business and lures that cost $20+ eh!
Justo, re-stocking is good in some aspects but it's essentially a band-aid fix, it doesn't adress the underlying issues of whats causing the decreas in fish populations in the first place (which may be a combination of less food-e.g prawns or whatever- increased fishing pressure and decreased water quality).
Also the blowie issue, which are definitely a nuisance and have been for a long time now; there's that many in the river that even if every fisherman never threw them back it probably wouldn't amount to 1% of the population. And the cost (not to mention smell) of special blowie disposal bins, and the continued actual disposal from said bins, wouldn't be feasible. Unless someone could turn them into fertiliser or something, but that poison might cross that idea out.
Plus, we should look at the reasons why the blowies are there (in such numbers) compared to similar river/estuary systems along WA, which aren't nearly as bad. The obvious major influence is the high density of urban/industrial/farming land along the river and associated runoff, which in the past has caused major algal blooms and fish kills. I don't know but my bet is that algal growth is much higher in the swan than similar systems, and the this algae or associated small organisms make up a large part of the blowies diet, but they obviously jump at anything else that comes along.
So, it may actually be true that blowies are keeping the river clean, to some degree! I might study this one day haha
Jac54
Posts: 24
Date Joined: 16/12/12
A few years ago I was fishing
A few years ago I was fishing down south at Injidup Beach and stockpiling a pile of Blowies we were catching. A couple of fisheries inspectors came past and told us off. They said, which is interesting, if people keep killing the blowies it has a adverse affect. The Blowies see it as there numbers are dropping off and makes the breed even faster. Interesting theory or fact? I still hate the bastards!
dan.the.man
Posts: 183
Date Joined: 31/07/11
+1
Lot of good comments and questions there. great photo from the past too,that top ones a horse!!
thanks for sharing mate !
StevieP
Posts: 256
Date Joined: 25/12/10
is it just my limited
is it just my limited experience or are blowies almost non-existant over east? if this is the case adn these theories about being the cleaners of the river etc what takes their place over there?
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18085
Date Joined: 11/03/08
brings back memories of
brings back memories of canning bridge. last time i fished there was about 15 years back. caught around 12 good ones and kept 2 around the 2.5kg mark. biggest i got there was on the old scale 7lb 6oz . 2kg plus bream were plentiful then.
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Jac54
Posts: 24
Date Joined: 16/12/12
Biggest one Iv'e caught at
Biggest one Iv'e caught at the Canning Bridge was 52cm about 5 years ago. I don't know what it weighed but it must have been well over 2.5kg. You don't catch those on soft plastics and there's a reason why they are that big! The jetty under the bridge has just recently been completely replaced. It was getting a bit dangerous with many planks missing and sections where fires had been lit. A lot of memories there over the years and I'm sure some people will be disappointed that their carvings have gone.
sarcasm0
Posts: 1396
Date Joined: 25/06/09
Interesting post for sure - Glenn Moore?
As to the blowie theory, I spoke with a bloke a while back who said that the Swan River did not have a blowie population to begin with. C.Y O'connor blew up the limestone and sand shoals at the mouth of the Swan while building the Fremantle Harbour which was finished in 1903. Until then the river was like other systems up the coast eg, moore river and only flushed intermittently and would have had a far smaller/non existant blowie population.
Thoughts?
Versus
Posts: 918
Date Joined: 06/03/09
Freshwater Bay was named on
Freshwater Bay was named on purpose. Yep, the Swan is actually an estuary system, not just a river, and would've been just like all the others down the coast that only open intermittently. No idea how often that was but I imagine it would've got to pretty low salinities at times.
Anyways, there's been an irreversible shift to a permanently open system now and everything that comes with it. It is now in an 'alternative state' to what it was pre-opening.
StevieP makes a good point, no idea what the answer is tho :s
jighead
Posts: 728
Date Joined: 03/02/12
Great photo
Always good to see pictures from the old days.
troy1008
Posts: 5
Date Joined: 11/05/11
I agreed with your original
I agreed with your original post JAC54, unsure why it got deleted. Think it was an important message to fisherman that they do need to think of the future when fishing. I see many people abusing the river and I fear for the next generation of fisherman.
Also I know the photo has gone now, but I couldnt help but notice the size of the boys head! Huge!!