The NR Times Rural News
December 7, 2023
34 RURAL NEWS
Murray Cod Fishing Season Opens - Friday, 1 December Christmas has come early for Murray Cod anglers, as the season opens on Friday 1 December 2023, following the annual three-month breeding closure. NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Deputy Director General Fisheries Sean Sloan said, Murray Cod are Australia’s largest freshwater fish and an icon of our inland waterways, so there is no doubt that many anglers will be excited about the new fishing season opening this Friday. “Now that the Murray Cod have completed their breeding over the three-month fishing closure, we’re expecting plenty of anglers to enjoy spending some time fishing for this iconic native species,” Mr Sloan said.
“Record numbers of Murray Cod produced and stocked during the 2022/23 season has helped bolster populations in NSW lakes and rivers after years of drought, bushfires and floods. “More than 1.28 million Murray Cod were stocked into waterways across inland NSW during the 2022/23 stocking season.
“This amazing achievement by our flagship Narrandera native fish hatchery is only the beginning, with solid numbers of juvenile Murray Cod currently in the hatchery pointing to a bumper year of production and stocking set to commence for the new season from 30 November.” With the Murray Cod season commencing
this Friday, and a big summer of fishing expected, NSW DPI Fisheries Officers will be out on the water to ensure that recreational fishers adhere to the bag and size limits along with all other fishing rules that apply. “Fisheries Officers patrolling during the annual three-month closure have said that anglers have respected
the closure during this period,” Mr Sloan said. “Now that the season is underway again for another year, we ask all fishers to continue doing the right thing to ensure we protect, conserve and improve our fisheries resources for future generations. “A daily bag limit of two Murray Cod per person and a total possession limit of four
applies when fishing in any inland waters. “Fishers are required to release Murray Cod which are smaller than 55cm, or bigger than 75cm, with the least possible harm. “I encourage the public to report suspected illegal fishing to the Fishers Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536 or via the online form located on NSW DPI Fisheries website.” The NSW Recreational Fishing Freshwater Fishing Guide is available on the DPI website from NSW DPI offices and most places where NSW recreational fishing licenses are sold. Production of native fish for stocking at the Narrandera facility is supported with funding from NSW DPI and the Recreational Fishing Trusts.
STL needs to win back grower confidence CANEGROWERS is calling on Sugar Terminals Limited to take the first steps on the long road to repairing its relationship with growers following last week’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) where grower shareholders voted down the STL Board’s remuneration report. “Twelve months ago, growers were largely unconcerned about STL,” CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said. “The company was viewed as a guardian of some of our most strategically important industry-
owned assets, and as such, it enjoyed a certain amount of trust and respect within the grower community. “That trust has clearly been eroded, with grower shareholders voting down the STL Board’s remuneration report in a clear signal of their frustration at the company’s actions over the past year.” Mr Menkens said the result could have been easily avoided, but STL’s handling of its decision to insource terminal operations had created a divide across the industry in what has become an overly personal debate.
“The decision itself was controversial and this division has continued throughout the year as both STL and QSL have travelled the industry to argue their case for the role of operating the terminals. This very visible debate has continued right up to AGM season. “The reality is, the management of these terminals is something that is very close to the hearts of growers, who funded two-thirds of their construction. This major change came out of the blue for growers and shareholders. “The industry ownership and
management of our sugar terminals is one of our greatest assets as an industry. We need confidence and stability around this issue, not radical changes, corporate posturing and division.” Mr Menkens said that at the heart of the issue is the corporatisation of STL’s shareholder base, and a larger shareholder contingent that is no longer active in the industry. These issues, he insists, must be addressed. “The insourcing decision and the way it was executed is symptomatic of a greater risk, that the STL board
becomes out of touch with the industry it serves. Unfortunately, we have a situation where the majority of shares of STL are held by corporate entities, millers and marketers. “CANEGROWERS has very clear expectations of the incoming Board of STL. These expectations have been determined by our grower leaders from across the state and include: • Terminal ownership and control must remain within the active side of the Australian sugar industry • Reliable operations of terminals must guarantee
and prioritise sugar is ready for trade • Pricing models must be transparent, operating on a cost recovery basis and with no differential pricing across terminal facilities • Growers should encouraged to become active in their use of their voting rights and be encouraged to use their votes to influence the operations of STL • Storage and operations of terminals should not disadvantage any marketer in either the allocation of space or pricing
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