Update on Vic Barramundi - The catch

**Roverlord off road spares** · 12th September 2016, 07:05 PM

Towards Victoria's first ever barramundi recreational fishery | Target One Million | Recreational fishing | Fisheries | Agriculture Victoria

Towards Victoria's first ever barramundi recreational fishery

Update September 2016

Fishing regulations

Fisheries Victoria is proposing to:

Open the Hazelwood Pondage recreational fishery on 2 December, 2016. This will allow time for the public boat ramp to be extended, the car park to be upgraded, a new overflow car park to be constructed and new signage to be installed to clarify where land and boat-based fishers can access the Pondage.
Introduce a daily bag limit of zero barramundi, making the fishery catch-and-release only. An independent risk assessment is currently being conducted to determine whether barramundi from Hazelwood Pondage meet relevant Australian food safety standards.

Key state-wide recreational fishing representative groups will be invited to provide feedback on this proposal as part of a 3 week consultation period from 12 September to 3 October 2016.
Management arrangements

Due to unprecedented fisher interest in this barramundi fishery, the limited boat ramp and car parking facilities and the popularity of the Pondage among other users, Fisheries Victoria is proposing to cap the number of boats and fishing vessels (including kayaks, canoes, jetskis etc., both powered and unpowered) that can fish to a maximum of 25 per day. There are no plans to limit the number of land-based fishers.
Under new arrangements, fishers will be required to hold a Recreational Fishing licence while fishing Hazelwood Pondage, unless they meet RFL exemption criteria e.g. under 18 years, over 70 years or other senior concessions etc. Previously a licence was not required given private ownership of the Pondage.
The barra ballot

Between 7 and 24 October 2016, boat based fishers (including all fishing vessels) will be invited to register (online) their interest in fishing at the Pondage for designated fishing periods over the following 12 months. The fishing periods exclude days or weekends when other organised events will be held e.g. Latrobe City Sauna Sail regatta on the Queen's birthday weekend.
By 28 October, Fisheries Victoria will randomly select and notify successful applicants who will receive a fishing permit authorising use of their own boat or fishing vessel. Permit holders will be able to bring crew members on their boat as long as they comply with boating safety standards. Fishing permits will be non-transferrable.

Note: Registrations will open via a booking webpage posted on this page at 9am Friday 7 October and close at 5pm on Monday 24 October 2016.
For more information see the frequently asked questions.
Background

Barramundi are among the most prized recreational sport fish in Australia. Every year thousands of recreational fishers travel to tropical Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia to catch a big fighting barramundi.

As part of a State Government's Target One Million plan, Fisheries Victoria is developing a barramundi recreational fishery at the privately owned Hazelwood Pondage, near Morwell in the Latrobe Valley. The Pondage is unusually warm (between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius all year round) because it's heated as a by-product of cooling the turbines of the Hazelwood Power Plant. Early barramundi stocking results in the Pondage are showing excellent growth rates. To monitor the performance of stocked barramundi, the Pondage fishery has been closed to all recreational fishing.
Fisheries Victoria established a Hazelwood barramundi working group with local and state representative fishers, land owners and the Latrobe City Council. The working group is providing advice to Fisheries Victoria on options to manage the fishery including; fishing regulations, upgrading facilities, managing fishing participation levels and minimising impact of other user groups e.g. sailing clubs, swimmers.