MACCAS

[Paulanderson]

It is great to see that some members have been catching and carefully releasing Maccas (Truedogz and Mickcov) while on other forums and with friends this has also been the case recently in various locations. Sadly Maccas tend to be the forgotten species when it comes to priorities for funding and re-establishing this species across their former range. The picture below is of a large Macca netted and tagged during a research study on the upper Murrumbidgee River near Cooma (FB - Macquarie Perch - Life on the Edge of Extinction). We can only hope that decision makers re-discover an interest in this species.

When you compare this fish with the "Yarra Yellowbelly" the eye and lateral line are clearly different.

[MickCov]

Well said mate.
My Macca spot also holds heaps of river blackfish and trout.
But it's the "maccas" and "blackies" that I'm always happiest to catch just to make sure they are still thriving

[Truedogz]

Paul

You obviously care about Macquarie perch as do I - I have been involved in their conservation for four decades.

You bemoan the lack of funding for maccas and there is one single cause for that. The scientists and managers repeatedly lying and misleading the angling community over both trout cod and Macquarie perch. It is as simple as that!

Macquarie perch, while threatened, have an advantage which unfortunately other species such as legless lizards, etc, do not - a significant section of the community view them as an asset or resource namely anglers. I have advocated promoting Macquarie perch as an angling species, as I have with trout cod, because of the major financial and political advantages for their recovery by going down that path. If it was not in the best interests of the fish I would definitely not be doing it and I have a track record of lobbying for protection, fishing closures etc when I have believed they are necessary. I am a conservationist first and angling is a distant second.

Quite a number of us are now walking away after serious breaches of faith with government agencies. We have often been the interface between managers/scientists, promoting initiatives and policies and providing feedback. For that to work there has to be good will and trust which myself and others no longer have. In fact the broader angling community is now very cynical about agencies such as DELWP because of past behaviour.

We used to organise funding for those species in a spirit of goodwill and cooperation with a long term commitment to developing recreational fisheries in RIVERS and STREAMS. Recreational fisheries for trout cod were promised in the Seven Creeks at Polly McQuinns Weir, the Ovens River, the upper Hughes Creek and the Goulburn River near Trawool as an early priority.

The president of Native Fish Australia attended a meeting about a year ago year re progress with trout cod. He raised the commitments made in the past and was bluntly told there was no obligation now to honour them. He responded by asking why they had not indicated that when proposals and applications for recreational fisheries had been forwarded. They responded by saying they had never seen them - even though they were emailed to them. How would you respond to that?

It would be fair enough to leave existing populations of trout cod protected but there is no reason not to create new populations for angling in other streams - a win win for angling and conservation. The same strategy should be applied to Macquarie perch, it just makes common sense. The state government identified the Ovens River stocking of Macquarie perch as having a long term goal of providing angling. No one believes that. As I said in another thread one government officer told me she would rather not see maccas back in a stream if anglers could fish for them. That is attitude we are up against.

Great progress was made in breeding captive Macquarie perch at Narrandera. One or two of my contacts tell me further funding is being blocked.

A few years ago about 70,000 were produced at Snobs Creek, this year 8,000. NFA no longer supplies any brood stock and is now going back to trying to do it by themselves.

From my perspective support and cooperation for trout cod and Macquarie perch by the angling community is at the lowest point in my lifetime.

Paul, if you really want to help Macquarie perch you need to drive the message home to scientists and managers that they need to mend the fences and go back and honour the commitments of the past.

If that doesn't happen the future looks bleak and progress will be limited.

Best Wishes

Truedogz

[rb85]

Truedogz has the futurefish foundation done any lobbying for this species?

[Truedogz]

rb85

As far as I am aware, no, Future Fish foundation has done no lobbying for Macquarie perch.

And why should they? Why put money into a fish that you can't fish for? We did that with trout cod and looked what happened? Its a big joke among a few greenies I have met.

I credit Rex Hunt as being the creator of the Murray cod fishery in Eildon. He kept pushing ahead when the government didn't think it would work. Once people started catching them, and Bill Classon promoted the captures in Freshwater Fishing magazine, government agencies did a rethink.

There is no way anglers should now be putting money towards Macquarie perch unless there is clear agreement on creating fisheries in streams and the criteria under which that would happen. Even then, no one would be convinced unless things changed with trout cod which could be done immediately.

Its not going to happen. I wish it wasn't so.

Truedogz

[rb85]

Thanks for the response Truedogz we need a Rex Hunt type at the forefront again.

[cobby]

All comes back to the old saying, give an inch and they'll take a mile.

No doubting why measures were put in place, but after years of no target and the rise of the radical green element there's no surprise government departments will sacrifice a species former natural range from becoming one again in order to continue kissing arse with that radical element

[Paulanderson]

Truedogz I completely agree with your post but unfortunately am living in Zambia in Southern Africa these days so my options are limited. Am now 69 but I grew up living in different parts of Victoria and started fishing at a very early age. It is easy to yearn for "the good old days" but it is another thing as you have pointed out to try and get some balance into our stocking programs and to restore native species to their former glory. This will not be easy but one only has to look at the number of Murray Cod now being caught to know what may be possible for other native species. I regularly fished many of the Goulburn and Ovens catchments 30-40 years back and as I am sure was the case with you Maccas were a frequent part of what was on offer. One can only hope for better times ahead!

This video is a spawning aggregation of Maccas just above Lake Dartmouth (thanks to Zev from the Arthur Rylah Institute).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7INKSmLBh0

[Paulanderson]

Ooops sorry try this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgJgbqHGF48

[4liters]

Truedogz I completely agree with your post but unfortunately am living in Zambia in Southern Africa these days so my options are limited. Am now 69 but I grew up living in different parts of Victoria and started fishing at a very early age. It is easy to yearn for "the good old days" but it is another thing as you have pointed out to try and get some balance into our stocking programs and to restore native species to their former glory. This will not be easy but one only has to look at the number of Murray Cod now being caught to know what may be possible for other native species. I regularly fished many of the Goulburn and Ovens catchments 30-40 years back and as I am sure was the case with you Maccas were a frequent part of what was on offer. One can only hope for better times ahead!

This video is a spawning aggregation of Maccas just above Lake Dartmouth (thanks to Zev from the Arthur Rylah Institute).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7INKSmLBh0

that looks like Truedogz