2002 President's Report

March 16th 2002 was a milestone in the development of the freshwater fisheries around Mount Isa. On this day we released barramundi fingerlings for the first time in two of our smaller dams and stocked another 68,000 fingerlings in Lake Moondarra. These very well travelled little fish were spawned in Karumba and grown out in Cairns, Innisfail and Townsville. The "big release" was a long time coming. The Mount Isa Fish Stocking Group was formed over 15 years ago. Now finally we have barramundi and sooty grunter stocked in all four dams on our permit.

We have major problems out here. The translocation issue and our remoteness have ensured our access to barramundi fingerlings is always extremely tenuous. Barramundi are certainly the key to developing the local fisheries. Until "the elusive barramundi" were regularly caught, "the mad keen fishing" local community; business and government were skeptical and would not take fish stocking seriously. It was a battle to raise public awareness (fish stocking actually works) and the funding to make it happen.

After relatively small numbers of Barra were stocked in lake Moondarra, January 1998 (3,500) and January 1999 (10,000). The fishing activity generated enabled us to capitalize on the publicity. We started by giving presentations at service club meetings. Requests were made for more funding and assistance in re-establishing the local fishing competition. One club agreed to be the principal caterer while another took naming rights and operated a licensed bar. Since we did not have the scope within our group to under-take the organization of the competition we also called for volunteers from the public.

The Carpenteria Buffalo Club Lake Moondarra Fishing Classic has been an ongoing success. Each October our local community and increasing numbers of tourists show their support with the large number of competitors attracted on the weekend and the $10,000 raised each year. At the committee level our group benefits enormously with the contribution of those who organize the fishing competition. The new membership assisted in rapidly transforming the structure of our group. Away from the back yard and a spare family room toward an incorporated body with an ABN number, a management plan and a new constitution.

The re-establishment of the fishing competition has other broad reaching effects. Our DPI fisheries extension officer paid us a visit with an electro-survey boat and did surveys of Lake Moondarra and Lake Julius. It had been eight years since last visit and twelve since the last survey was done in any of our lakes. The outcome of the visit was some great public relations for us, as well as comprehensive updated reports. They spoke about the Stocked Impoundments Permits Scheme, but the general feeling out here is that it is only fair to local anglers that its implementation is delayed until the fishery is further developed.

An inspection was made of our sooty grunter breeding facilities. Our local Breeding Program has been slowly built up over the last ten years. The ill health of my father, Johannes Van Ryt meant the backbone of the breeding program was away for treatment, so to fill the gap we enlisted the assistance of an aquaculture student from the Johnstone College of TAFE (Innisfail). In future we hope to develop a relationship with our local high schools and TAFE College. Other difficulties we face annually with the sooty grunter breeding program is our restricted access to Lake Julius, our primary source of brood stock and finding volunteers to help feed the fingerlings. To have a viable breeding program we need grow out ponds.

Important changes also occurred at the political level. Local meetings began to discuss the development of our regional economy, away from its strong mining focus toward tourism. The Mount Isa and Cloncurry district boasts seven freshwater lakes nestled between rugged red hills and other beautiful outback scenery. It is obvious that a basic starting point is to develop our recreational fishing. Fish stocking is a relatively cheap and highly effective means to not only enhance the lifestyles of local people but also to develop the tourism potential of an area. Our lobbying started gathering more potency.

We lobbied for the Gulf Barramundi Restocking Association GBRA, so they could find the funding to employ a fulltime biologist. The volunteers in Karumba were our only source of gulf barramundi fingerlings. At the time the standard DPI response was that if more help was given to the GBRA other stocking groups would want the same level of assistance? We lobbied against the "translocation issue" and gained a commitment from the Minister that the DPI will assist us in establishing gulf barramundi brood stock at an Innisfail commercial hatchery. We lobbied the Mount Isa City Council and Water Board to help fund the GBRA, and to consider assisting us build and operate our own local hatchery with at least four ponds. The water board rejected our initial hatchery proposal. However they did agreed to directly fund fingerling purchases. At a public meeting to discuss the recreational and tourist development of Lake Moondarra it seemed fish stocking was now on everybody's mind.

In the 2000 stocking season once again no Gulf Barramundi were available. Finally in February 2001 (18,000) we released the first Gulf fingerlings produced at Innisvail. We had rapidly moved ahead in terms of public awareness and the structure of our group. Our core activity had shifted from a small sooty grunter-breeding program to also developing a fishing competition. Moreover with extra financial support guaranteed and the money we raise from the fishing competition and a boat raffle, we will be well placed to purchase bulk numbers of barramundi fingerlings as they become available in the future.

In the future the Mount Isa Fish Stocking Group while concentrating on Lake Moondarra will continue to look at developing the fisheries in all four lakes on our stocking permit. A comprehensive fish ways report will enable us to improve some "black spots" for fish passage. The sooty grunter we stock in the upper catchment dams like Lake Corella and East Leichhardt will hopefully establish sustainable breeding populations. Other projects on the board and nearing completion are highway signage, a fishing brochure and a web site www.mountisafish.org.au. We will also continue to work on the Lake Moondarra Hatchery Proposal, incorporating educational, tourism and environmental outcomes.

In December 2000 a few good storms caused all the dams to flow over. While only two undersize barramundi were caught during the previous fishing competition, up to fifty were now caught in a couple days at the Lake Moondarra spillway. Once again our cause had publicity with some great fish photos in the local paper. Then last summer the fishing improved beyond all expectation. Just one of our members caught and tagged over 60 barramundi before Xmas. It is now proven the three obvious size classes grow to legal size in only twelve months. If the weather scientists are correct in predicting the return of 'el nino', we will be able to keep most of them in there for a few more years. Eventually "Moonbarra" may have a crack at some of the records.

By Mark Van Ryt
Secretary Mount Isa Fish Stocking Group Inc.