2015-11-10 - P&O Agenda - Item 7, Attach 1 - Historical Ecology of the Noosa Estuary Fisheries

within the Noosa Lakes, but also the river. The numbers he recounts are backed
up by many reports from the local newspapers of the time:


“It was common to catch 2lb whiting and to catch 30 of a catch in half an hour.”
Monks 2000.


“…whiting are now in the [Noosa] river in immense quantities, as well as many of
the larger denizens of the deep. Mr Acting-Judge Byrne, and Mr Benson, fruit expert,
left today after enjoying exceptionally good sport, several times bringing home 60
and 70, and once or twice well over the century.” Gympie Times, 14 Sept 1901.


“The silver bream were so thick in the water, schools of several hundred were seen
anywhere at all on the Weyba Creek and lake bottom together. It was not unusual
to catch bream of average 3lb in weight and 30 to 40 in an hour…” Monks 2000.


“Fishing for about five hours in the Noosa River at Tewantin last Saturday, PJ
Preston, V Cort and W Sallaway, well known residents of Cooran, landed 87 sea
bream, all of good size.” Sunday Mail, 11 Aug 1929.


“Flathead were so numerous, so much so that early morning fishermen could fish at
daylight with prawn or fish bait and come home before 7am for breakfast with an
average of 14 flathead each person to the weight of between 8 to 12lb.” Monks
2000.


“[4 persons] went line fishing at Tewantin during the holidays, caught 35 large
flathead and 12 taylor [sic] in less than two hours.” Nambour Chronicle, 9 Jan
1925.


However, fish catches were not always good, and it is likely that the poorer
catches were simply not reported in the newspaper columns:


“Lake Cootharaba: Fishing. — Usually at this time of the year prawns for baiting
purposes line the western shores of the Lake, and line fishing is just OK. This year


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