I find it amazing that anyone with any knowledge of fishing practices worldwide would find this surprising.

As an avid amateur fisher for over 60 years, I have witnessed the decline in the amount of fish available to harvest.

This is despite continued assurances from "experts'' within government agencies (and professional commercial fishermen), continually telling us that these fisheries are sustainable.

If one looks back 30 to 50 years ago and honestly compares availability, you will see that most fish species have suffered dramatically.

I name several species which come quickly to mind: crayfish, abalone, flathead, garfish, Australian salmon, whitebait, mullet, flounder, barracuda, scallops, gummy shark.

These were all relatively easy to catch and were in plentiful numbers around Tasmania.

Not so now.

There are now size and bag limits on most of these and other species, but restrictions have always been implemented far too late to save the decline.

The introduction of exports of our most valuable fish has seen a decline in stocks due to overfishing that will eventually kill the industry altogether (just ask the hundreds of ex cray and abalone fishers, who incidentally were part of the problem).

For my grandchildren's sake, I pray it's not too late to reverse the damage

I AM really disappointed to learn that the Kings Meadows branch of MyState will be closing

in September.

The reasons given are greater use of electronic banking, fewer customers visiting the branch, its location and proximity to other services, and the fact that there is a branch in the city.

The first reason is the only one that holds water.

Certainly, there would have been a decrease in numbers attending the branch in the last four months, but prior to that, I have often seen and stood in long queues.

Its location is perfect, Kings Meadows boasts a large number of services, the parking is free, and the branch is easily accessible for those with a disability.

I suspect this is more about economics than anything else.

ON ABC radio recently a TasWater representative acknowledged that in times of heavy rainfall and flood, effluent overflows into the Meander River from the various sewage ponds along its bank.

From there it is carried downstream to Prospect, picked up at the Mt Lesley water treatment plant, treated and released as drinking water.

TasWater is currently trying to ameliorate this by removing effluent from the ponds.

Now, the government proposes that effluent from at least 270 inmates will be added to the system.

We can only speculate what will make its way into the drinking water, if an additional load of this type is added to the system.

JOURNALISM truly does not "need its own degree" (The Sunday Examiner, July 12).

What a weird notion it is that academics (few of whom have ever got their hands dirty following up a lead or risked their lives tracking down a source) should be the custodians and gatekeepers of this profession.

Here's what's needed: a general Arts/Humanities degree with 'real' subjects leading to scholarly debate about the How and the Why, or a science/economics/IT equivalent.

Better still, a four-year double degree.

What's more, no place for such today's woke academics to be telling undergrads how to do the job.

Rudyard Kipling's "Six honest serving men whose names are What and Why and When, and Where and How and Who" in a cadetship will do very nicely, teamed with love of the wordsmith's craft, native wit, perseverance and illimitable curiosity.

One more thing, journos: restore the AJA, and get out of bed with the arts and the entertainers - whose jobs mainly run to pretending to be who they aren't, and whose words are someone else's.