Most anglers do the right thing for opening of Murray cod season

The majority of anglers have been given the thumbs up for complying with fishing regulations during the opening weekend of the Murray cod season.

DPI Fisheries officers conducted a special operation last weekend and checked a total of 614 fishers.

Five Fisheries’ officers patrolled the Murray River from Corowa to Tocumwal and from Boundary Bend to Colignan, with assistance from two Parks Victoria field officers.

While most anglers were found to be doing the right thing 56 were not complying with fisheries’ regulations. A total of 23 penalty notices were issued for a variety of offences including licence offences, fishing in closures, possession of prohibited size and protected fish, possession and using illegal or excessive fishing equipment and mutilating fish.

DPI Manager Fisheries Compliance, Glenn Tritton said 13 set lines, four protected trout cod, three protected silver perch, four prohibited size Murray cod and two prohibited size golden perch were seized during the operation.

“Fishing was good but varied in the lower Murray with good catches of Murray cod between 50 and 60 centimetres, mostly taken by anglers using bait.

“In the upper Murray fishing was poor, but one camp above Lake Mulwala had four Murray cod with one about 11 kilograms,” Mr Tritton said.

He said overall compliance with the fishing laws during the operation was very encouraging, however, every effort would be made to improve compliance through ongoing education and advisory programs and continued targeted patrols and operations by fisheries officers.

“Fisheries officers will continue to actively patrol the waterways during the summer months to provide advice and information to fishers and to deter and detect illegal fishing activity,” he said.

Murray cod is recognised as one of Australia's largest freshwater fish. There is a daily bag limit of two Murray cod per person a day and a total possession limit of four from either rivers or dams.

The minimum legal length of Murray cod is 50 centimetres, but anglers can keep only one fish more than 100 centimetres in length.

Mr Tritton said he understood many anglers were now returning fish to the water soon after capture.

"We've been promoting catch and release fishing for a long time, and it is pleasing to see that there is now a growing number of catch-and-release fishers,” he said.

Detailed information on freshwater fishing rules can be found on the NSW DPI 'Fishing and aquaculture' website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries and in the NSW DPI freshwater fishing guide and summary. These are available from NSW DPI Fisheries offices and most places where NSW recreational fishing licences are sold.