Community & Business
30 January, 2025
Fishing comp aims to boost member numbers
A FISHING competition with cash and prizes up for grabs will be held by the Tableland Fish Stocking Society in Yungaburra next weekend to attract new members to keep the annual Tinaroo Barra Bash alive.
The event is a members-only, catch and release competition, and the group is hoping this will encourage avid fishers who wish to take part to consider becoming a member.
The group are looking to recruit more members after the Tinaroo Barra Bash was unable to be run last year due to insufficient volunteers to organise the event.
“The Tinaroo Barra Bash has been a highly anticipated fishing event in Far North Queensland for over 40 years,” Member for Barron River Bree James said.
“This event at its peak injected millions of dollars into the local economy with anglers travelling from all over Australia to be at the event.”
Secretary Tableland Fish Stocking Society Doug Luscombe said it was important to gain more members to continue to run the great fishing competition that supports local businesses and the broader community.
“With a lack of members, we’ve been experiencing a sort of volunteer fatigue, and the Barra Bash is an important event for us to raise funds to continue restocking the dam,” he said.
“Queensland Fisheries provide funding to us so we’re able to restock the dam, but it’s not always enough, so we really rely on the Barra Bash as a fundraiser.”
The not-for-profit group has been restocking Lake Tinaroo with barramundi for more than 30 years and relies on volunteers to continue restocking the dam, maintaining the barrier fish net, and organising the annual fishing competition.
“Membership fees are $5 a year, so the price of a cup of coffee. After you become a member, then you can nominate for the competition,” Doug said.
“There are no qualifications or training required to be a member. Most members volunteer their time to help restock the dam when we release fingerlings progressively throughout the year, which only takes about a couple of hours every two months.”
Last year, the group released a total of 58,000 barramundi fingerlings and 40,000 sooty grunter fingerlings into the dam.
“The work the Tableland Fish Stocking Society do is vital for dams like Lake Tinaroo,” Ms James said.
“Every year they release fingerlings into the dam to help threatened freshwater fish species recover.
“Impounded waters such as dams need to be continually restocked as many stocked species will not reproduce there.
“Aussies love their fishing, and Lake Tinaroo is a favourite place for many anglers to catch a barra,” she said.
Nominations for the members-only fishing competition close Friday, with members’ fees for new members able to be paid along with the nomination form.
Registration for the competition will be at the Cairns and District Power Boat and Ski Club, 15 Tinaburra Road, Yungaburra from 4pm next Friday and will close 12-noon Saturday.
Competition will start 6pm Friday and end 9am Sunday, with a presentation and prize ceremony set for 12 noon at the Boat and Ski Club where a barbecue lunch will be available.
Participants must have a Queensland Government Stocked Impoundment Permit (SIPSs) to enter the competition, these can purchased online via stocked.impoundment-permits/buy or at any Australia Post store.
To become a member and nominate for the event, visit www.tinaroobarrabash.com.au/fish-stocking/nominate/
