BACK IN 2014, the Future Fish Foundation and other recreational organizations pressed hard for the Victorian state election candidates to remove net fishing from Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay. They were granted the right to do so. Most bays net fishermen have accepted the buyouts offered. These buyouts were paid for directly by the Victorian Labor government consolidated revenues funds and not by recreational fishing license fees. On March 31, the net ban was fully in effect. A few weeks ago, ABCs Lateline took a sympathetic view of the bays only pilchard (sardine) netting operation. The operation is licensed to take 160 tons of pilchards annually. It is hard for the family-run business as well as its employees. Industry structural adjustments in the car, energy and fishing sectors are also difficult. Some bait and tackle shops realized that they would lose 80 tonnes of high quality fresh bait each year. They suggested that an exception could be made.
Our advice? Be careful what your wish for. Pilchard netting may not be as dangerous as other forms, but it is still a net. Future governments will look for loopholes and use this precedent to evaluate bids to get into the business. As it stands now, eight net fishermen have been granted long-line licences to take a total of eleven tonnes of snapper. They have also been given a three-tonne mixed quota, but they aren’t happy with the fact that it doesn’t include the valuable King George whiting.
This closure coincides with the 20th anniversary celebrations of the establishment of NSW’s Recreational Fishing Havens. There are 30 RFHs scattered along the NSW coast. Just under half of these are closed and no commercial fishing allowed. The Treasury loan was used to purchase commercial operators. However, unlike Victoria, the money had be paid back from rec fishing license funds. Twenty-seven percent (27%) of NSW’s estuarine waterways are now closed for commercial fishing. 468 fishing boat licences were revoked and 251 fishing business licenses were purchased.
The Sydney Fish Market and the commercial sector strongly opposed the declaration of the RFHs. A coordinated campaign that targeted Eddie Obeid (then NSW Fisheries Minister) predicted the end of fresh fish supply to NSW. Other suppliers took up the role and supplies continued. When asked by this writer if he found personal attacks distressing, he replied that it was just business and that he didn’t blame them for protecting their interests. He did not hesitate to stick to his guns, and fishing in many areas that were closed has improved.
In recent years, successive NSW ministers for fisheries have looked into commercial options to partially reopen off-limit areas. However, this seems to have been deflected. Another example of total closure has resulted in a huge increase in fish numbers, especially pelagics. In 2006, Sydney Harbour was closed to commercial fishers due to elevated levels of dioxin in fishermen and their families. Rec fishers have been very happy since the accidental closure of all commercial methods. There are plenty of bait fish available for bonito, salmon, and kingies now. Victorian government, stick to your no-net decision!