10 Year Protection For Swan Cobbler

Since July 6, 2007, new Western Australian Department of Fisheries rules prevent both recreational and commercial fishers taking cobbler, Cnidoglanis macrocephalus, from the Swan River. Department of Fisheries Management Officer for the South West Bioregion, Clinton Syers, said in a media statement "cobbler stocks in the Swan and Canning have fallen significantly, primarily due to environmental changes causing loss of suitable breeding habitat for the species that generally nests in burrows.”
“Recfishwest and the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee have both recommended that cobbler be totally protected in the Swan and Canning Rivers," he said.
A further prohibition applies to black bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri, in the Heirisson Island lakes.
Read more here.

Trawler Mudtrails From Space

Kyle Van Houtan, Ph.D. (© DigitalGlobe/Marine Photobank)

Researchers Kyle Van Houtan & Daniel Pauly claim they have found evidence of damage incurred by bottom trawling. Using satellite images, the research supports the view that fishing with rockhoppers and dredges harms the ocean more than any other human activity. In fact, Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch claim "near Australia, bottom trawlers have pulled up and destroyed six-foot-tall (185cm) gorgonians that were at least 700 years old."
Van Houtan & Pauly's website allows viewers to take a tour of mud damage through Google Earth.

Contact Kyle Van Houtan.

Have You Seen A Dragon?

Have you seen a weedy seadragon, Phyllopteryx taeniolatus, or a leafy seadragon, Phycodurus eques? Dragon Search, a national monitoring program, encourages members of the public to report sightings to assist research into dragon distribution, habitat requirements and management priorities. You can report online here. Dragon Search also publishes a Diving Code of Conduct: Diving with Dragons.

Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide

On Thursday West Australian author Tim Winton launched an expanded edition of Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide at the famed Sydney restaurant Billy Kwong. Published by the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the guide offers advice on the sustainable consumption of seafood. The guide and 2 handy sized sustainable seafood cards are available online for $9.95 from AMCS.

Cockburn Sound Coral

A 2006 survey initiated by the Cockburn Sound Management Council and the Swan Catchment Council has identified (approx.) 50 hard coral colonies at two separate sites in Cockburn Sound. The survey was assisted by divers from the Underwater Explorers Club. A report identifying coral abundance, size and type, the Cockburn Sound Coral Survey, was prepared by the UEC Environmental Officer.
Hard coral was identified during studies of the Sound in the 1970's. The coral survey is part of ongoing benthic habitat mapping and monitoring by the Cockburn Sound Management Council.
The Cockburn Sound Coral Survey report and an A3 info poster can be obtained from the Cockburn Sound Management Council.

Halt The Salt

Perth Shore Dive jumps on board the campaign to Halt The Salt. The campaign opposes the construction of one of the world's largest salt mines next to the extremely fragile Exmouth Gulf.
"Exmouth Gulf is one of the richest marine environments in Australia. It is a nursery for humpback whales, dugong and turtles. The mangrove systems on the eastern margins are areas of high primary productivity, feeding and restocking both the Gulf and the famed Ningaloo Reef... The proposed salt mine would cover 411 square kilometres!"
The campaign to Halt The Salt is supported by the Conservation Council of Western Australia, Recfishwest and MG Kailis Group.
You can support the campaign here: haltthesalt.org.au

Sunfish Sighted Off Cottesloe

Channel 7 News reports a sunfish has been spotted off Cottesloe Beach, Perth, Western Australia. Two types of sunfish visit WA waters; short sunfish, Mola ramsayi, and oblong sunfish, Triurus laevis. Sunfish dorsal fins are often mistakenly identified as large sharks.
Sunfish are a pelagic species that prefer deep oceans, although sightings off Perth are infrequent. Sunfish can grow up to 3m long and weigh up to 1000kgs.