MORE than 150 recreational anglers cast lines to help clear Moree and district waterways of unwanted European carp on Sunday as part of the Gone Fishing Carp Muster, organised locally by Northern Slopes Landcare Association and OzFish.

Online registrations were ticked off from around 6am at Jellicoe Park by Kiara Temperley from Landcare and Jay Barnett from OzFish – and many more anglers arrived unannounced but bait-and-hook ready.

More than 200 carp weighing nearly 400kg were caught and destroyed when lines were pulled in mid-afternoon.

“We had 115 people register online and at least 50 more that weren’t registered, so we’ve had a really good response,” Kiara said.

“We also saw a fair few who registered online but only came for the weigh-in.

“There were also a few people randomly travelling through town who thought, ‘sweet, let’s jump on the riverbank and have a fish’, so it’s been local and not local, which I think is great,” she said.

The event was part of National Gone Fishing Day, structured by Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation in collaboration with the NSW DPI and the Recreational Fishing NSW Advisory Council.

“That’s why we picked today to hold a carp muster,” Kiara said.

“It worked out well, being the end of the school holidays, and has turned out a really good day.”

The carp muster wasn’t just for die-hard anglers either.

“People who aren’t really into fishing decided to have a go as well,” Kiara said.

“They’re helping clean up the river system and hopefully learning a little bit about river health, and why these events are important.

“Every little bit of knowledge is valuable, especially with young kids who are learning how to care for their environment. That’s always going to be a god thing,” she said.

Hardman’s Outdoors donated $150 worth of gift vouchers and helped put together other prizes. Nutrien Ag Solutions in Moree donated 200 water bottles, Reado’s Meats donated sausages for the barbecue and Moree Bakehouse helped out with the bread.

“Miyay Birray supplied the barbecue for us to use on the day. We’ve had a lot of support locally from small businesses and organisations – it’s been really positive,” Kiara said.

Kobe Hatton caught the longest fish, a 72cm whopper. Runner-up was Harrison Brooks with a carp measuring 70cm.

Rod and reel combos, yabby traps and fishing tackle were also raffled.

“I’m really pleased with the turn-out. Landcare and OzFish have had a good partnership. It’s nice to see collaboration, and any community engagement is great,” Kiara said

Jay said OzFish Moree was successful in gaining a $2000 grant to help fund the day.

“We’re all about communities engaging with their waterways through fishing, and getting families out to catch some carp which are a pest species – it’s a good result for everyone,” said Jay, whose chief role with OzFish is to promote waterway health.

“I do a lot of revegetation, weed control and litter removal, and we also put habitat back in – we physically put snags and logs back in to the water for fish-breeding purposes.

“Rehabilitating the river systems is what we’re trying to do, and we can’t do it without community, so getting people involved in these events is really important.

“This is funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust through Fisheries and, basically, this is the money spent on fishing licenses being put to work,” he said.

National Gone Fishing Day, with this year’s theme, Fish for Balance – Get Back to Nature, is an initiative of the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation, the peak national body and key voice for Australia’s recreational fishing community.

State Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty, said Gone Fishing Day was an opportunity for people to get out on the water and take advantage of the exceptional fishing locations across New South Wales

“It is a fantastic opportunity to attract keen fishers to take to the water and introduce kids to fishing, with casting competitions and Try Fishing sessions,” she said.

“We know that fishing provides so much more than just a nutritious food source and Gone Fishing Day allows us to share the benefits of this fun outdoor activity to everyone around the State.

“Recreational fishing is a $3.4 billion industry in NSW, so it is important that we acknowledge this day and the positive impact this industry has on our economy and communities,” she said.