Saltwater

Green Crab, European Fan Worm and the New
Zealand Screw Shell.
Potential marine pests to be on the lookout
for in NSW include the Northern Pacific Seastar,
Japanese Seaweed, Asian Date Mussel, Asian
Green Mussel and Black Striped Mussel.
What you can do:
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Before leaving a location check, clean, drain
and dry boats, motors and fishing gear
away from the waterway to remove any
potential marine pests.
■■
Slip and clean moored boats regularly.
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Dispose of sewerage and bilge water at an
approved pump-out facility
■■
Don’t dump that fish! Give unwanted
aquarium fish to friends or a pet shop
rather than letting them go in the wild.
Note: It is illegal to release live fish into NSW waterways
without a permit and heavy fines apply.
European Green Crab
The European Green Crab, also known as the
Green Shore Crab, is a voracious predator that
feeds on shellfish and other crabs. It is native
to the Atlantic coast of Europe and northern
Africa. However, the crab has been recorded
in several NSW south coast estuaries and
lakes. It is listed as a Class 1 noxious species in
NSW prohibiting live possession and sale of
the species.
AVG: Ban of Abalone gut as bait
Abalone Viral Ganglioneuritis (AVG) is caused
by a herpes-like virus first detected in wild and
farmed abalone in Victoria in 2005 where it
has resulted in extensive abalone mortalities
(Note: AVG has no impact on human health).
AVG has also been identified in wild and
farmed abalone in Tasmania. AVG affects the
nervous system of abalone and symptoms
include swollen mouthparts, curling of the
foot, difficulty adhering to surfaces, lethargy
and often death. Currently there is no
indication of AVG in NSW wild abalone stocks.
However AVG was detected in retail outlets in
2011. To reduce risk of transfer of AVG to NSW
abalone stocks a fishing closure is currently
in place in NSW banning the recreational
and commercial use of abalone gut as bait
or berley.
Caulerpa taxifolia
Caulerpa taxifolia is an invasive marine alga
native to tropical waters including northern
Australia and the South Pacific. It has been
detected in 14 NSW estuaries and one oceanic
location from Brisbane Waters (central coast)
to Wallagoot Lake (far south coast). The
quick-growing alga can alter marine habitats
and can adversely impact native seagrass
and fauna. New plants can grow from small
pieces. Education, research, legislation and
control measures are being used to manage
this marine pest. Some areas are now closed
to netting. Check with your local NSW DPI
fisheries office before using nets other than a
landing net in affected waterways.
Reporting
You can help protect our waterways and native
fish by helping to stop the introduction and
spread of aquatic pests and diseases into new
areas by:
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Reporting any suspect aquatic pest
or disease to your local NSW DPI
fisheries office.
■■
Contact NSW DPI on 02 4916 3877
(recorded 24 hour service); e-mail aquatic.
pests@dpi.nsw.gov.au or online at
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity.
■■
Take a photograph and send to NSW DPI.
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If you are able to collect samples, keep
them cool but do not freeze them.
■■
Check out the NSW DPI website for
further information.
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Conserving our biodiversity
NSW Recreational Saltwater Fishing Guide