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About the PRFMA

Objectives

The PRFMA is a voluntary, not for profit, community-based fish stocking group established under the encouragement of the Queensland Government’s Recreational Fisheries Enhancement Program. The objectives in the constitution, include, among other things:

  1. To create, promote and support, the management of the stocking of water storage impoundments and water ways in the Pine Rivers Catchments areas with suitable fish species.
  2. To encourage and assist the research pertaining to the biology and management of fish in natural and altered impoundments and waterways.
  3. To protect and safeguard the environment and habitat of fish in the Pine Rivers Catchment areas.
  4. To promote ethical and legal fishing practices
  5. To promote and encourage conservation with all anglers.
  6. To liaise with the owners of any water storage impoundments within the catchment of the North and South Pine Rivers’ system to promote the Association’s activities and objectives;
  7. To liaise and cooperate with the relevant Queensland Government Department/s in relation to fisheries management;
  8. To liaise with other organisations and interested members of the public with similar aims and objectives to encourage them to participate with the Association in meeting its objectives;
  9. To promote the sport and recreational aspects of fishing to members of the public, particularly disadvantaged persons;
  10. To undertake the aquaculture of endemic or other permitted native fish species for the purpose of enhancing the environmental amenity within the Moreton Bay Regional Council area.

History

PRFMA was formed after Rob Ackers, the then Mayor of Pine Rivers Shire Council, called for interested parties to discuss a program to enhance the fishery at Lake Samsonvale.Nine months later, PRFMA was incorporated as an association in November 1993. Even after this long period some original members still remain.

Raising funds to purchase stock for release has always been a challenge for the association, and this led to an approach to the owners of Lake Samsonvale, Seqwater to allow boating access under a permit scheme. After lengthy negotiations to ensure such access would be adequately managed, the PRFMA was granted a licence to establish the scheme in 2001.

Success of this scheme has allowed a great many more fingerlings to be released into Samsonvale and improve the quality of this fishery, along with allowing the association to establish better facilities at the access site.

Nearby Boral Quarries Petrie, has provided tremendous assistance and support in establishing these facilities and in recognition the Boating Access Scheme site was named “Boral Landing”.

After some years of lobbying, permission was gained in 2007 to begin preparation and planning for a new recreational fishery at Lake Kurwongbah. A grant of $51000 was gained from the Federal Government Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries which allowed the lake to be stocked to full capacity in 2008.

Tasks

Following is a short list of the tasks PRFMA undertakes each year:

  • Liaise with relevant government bodies to ensure best practice management of fisheries and their continued development.
  • Secure funds for the purchase of native fish fingerlings.
  • Release appropriate native fish fingerlings in line with long term management plans.
  • Recovery of stranded iconic species including Lung Fish following flood events
  • Administer the Vessel Permit Scheme (VPS) for Lake Samsonvale.
  • Assist freshwater fisheries research with data collection.
  • Promote our lakes and sustainable fishing practices.
  • Report quarterly to Seqwater on VPS activities and fish capture data;
  • Regularly maintain the VPS site and facilities;
  • Enhance the fishery through the construction and deployment of Fish Attracting Devices (FADs) and Mary River Cod habitat
  • Monitor the health of the fishery with appropriate data collection mechanisms such as tagging programs, otolith collection and size/weight recording