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Sham Fisheries Report Slammed By Experts


Guest Ecofisher

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I have not posted on this site for a while, but I feel that after reading this thread I should offer some input.

Grant,

I support your stance 100% that the pros are the source of the problem. How else would you explain areas like Botany Bay and Lake Macquarie where fish stocks are growing rapidly despite being extensively targeted by rec fishos. BECAUSE THE PRO'S ARE GONE!!

It's plainly obvious that us rec anglers can continue to fish while the overall fish population thrives all at the same time. All you have to do is remove the pros, a pretty simple equation.

Banning the pro's in Sydney will make little difference to the public's access to fresh seafood because only a very small percentage of the seafood that goes through the markets is caught locally.

I vehemently oppose the exclusion of rec anglers from Marine Parks but (and I know this sounds extreme) I'd support Marine Parks over continuing to let the pro's slam what's left of the fishery any day. That being said, it's idiotic to exclude rec anglers and equally idiotic zoning a Marine Park whose borders are being patrolled by the pro's as the fish don't understand where the boundary is.

I tire of hearing these people have a 'right' to make a living from exploiting the fishery. They don't. Nobody wants to see someone's occupation become redundant but times change and what was acceptable in the past may not be acceptable in the now or in the future.

There’s plenty of stakeholders who will try to blur this argument but never forget what a destructive and wasteful practice professional fishing is. Never forget how the pro’s decimated the Kingfish and Salmon fishery with scant regard for the sustainability and future of the fishery. Where’s the Bluefin & Yellowfin Tuna gone? Never forget the tonnes of ‘by-catch’ i.e. juvenile fish that are slaughtered to get those fish into the market.

Cheers

Lee

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Some thoughts and some observations on the small area I fish in...

I have been out fishing in the magnificent Hawkesbury 4 times in the last week. What I have seen going on in the bay ie between the mouth of the Cowan and Lion Island has really got me wondering about the future of the Hawkesbury.

Sitting there before dawn at one of the better known holes a smallish tinnie with no lights and a cover over the motor comes past. As dawn breaks I saw the three occupants pulling in a large set net placed within a few meters of the side. There was no identifiable number on the boat. (been scratched off by the nets) There were a lot of fish in the net and not that big either. One or two were tossed back and the rest went with the occupants back to whereever they came from. I have seen this particular boat every time I have been out in the last week. Are these professional fishermen? Are they allowed to do what they are doing? If they are then WHY do we bother with rules and regultions for rec fishers? They would be taking plenty more fish than any rec fisho would ever take.

I know that being a pro fisherman is a difficult occupation and I have a lot of respect for what they do, how they do it and the hours hey put in and hey get ripped off when they sell their catch.

My question is - Is what they are doing sustainable? Surely if the fish are gone they will be the first to suffer. Is there a limit on what they can catch and if so who checks up on them?

Then there are the trawlers - All day and all night - up and down up and down. There was not one minute in four days/nights when you could'nt look around and see one or more trawlers trawling the area.

What are they catching?

Who checks up on them?

What damage are they doing to the breeding stocks?

Lets take Hairtail for example. I don't know of a lot of Hairtail caught in the area this season. I've been told there used to be heaps of them in the old days. Now if trawlers are getting them on the way in what chance is there for them to spawn properly. What about the future? Then they get nailed on the way out as well.

As a rec fisherman I have seen an imbalance in the system being created in the last few years. There a far fewer birds hunting for food on their own than there used to be. They don't have to hunt they just follow the Trawlers. Yesterday I saw 15 odd pelicans at the boatramp begging. That can't be good.

At Juno for example - there is an abundance of lice. Leave a bait down too long and it comes back covered. I have not got lice attacking the bait in other areas. Is this another imbalance. Has their natural predator bee wiped out?

I don't have the answers but I see what is going on and I wonder how much more the magnificent Hawkesbury can take.

I am a die hard fisho but I can see trouble coming for the Hawkesbury and I think we the fishermen both recreational and professional are playing right into the Greenies hands.

Just my thoughts and observations

inhlanzi

Edited by inhlanzi
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I have not posted on this site for a while, but I feel that after reading this thread I should offer some input.

I tire of hearing these people have a 'right' to make a living from exploiting the fishery. They don't. Nobody wants to see someone's occupation become redundant but times change and what was acceptable in the past may not be acceptable in the now or in the future.

Lee

Don't you think that the non fishing public has a 'right' to a feed of fish at a reasonable price. Because, in effect you are saying they don't. Things aren't as simple as "ban the pros and everything will be fine".

I think some of you should read or re-read the University of British Columbia report. You will find that a lot of professional fishing effort has been or is being removed from NSW waters and on the whole our fishery is being managed sustainably.

Edited by billfisher
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You can read all the studies you like, listen to all the fact and figures touted around, and you can even keep saying people 'have the right to seafood' But what inhlanzi has reported is the experiences of somehone who is actually on the river seeing whats happening in real life.

Once again (sighs) i dont really think people are trying to deny anyone the right to seafood. It just needs to be done in a responsible and sustainble way and done in areas less popluated like the main Sydney ones which support a rec and boating industry worth a shit load more than the pro fishing industry. Just because people have the right to seafood does not give the pro's the right to take all the fish !

I think what people are saying is that perhaps if the pro's had not done the damage that they have, then we would not be facing such widespread marine park proposals. The empty nets paper which was a huge shot in the arm to the greenies for the parks, is about the lack of fish and not bio diversity.

Yes we want to oppose the parks but it is the pro's who in my opinion damaged and depleted the ocean to a level which has prompted this shit fight.

Ok the greens would always push for parks regardless but commercial activity has certainly been a huge catalyst for the wide spread nature of them we now face.

Anyone who thinks the Hawkesbury is sustainably and responsible fished by pro's and reckons the fish stocks are ok needs to look again. Yes a good angler can catch a decent fish but that doesnt make it right.

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No Offence, but lots of people are missing the point, this is a political agenda, where numbers are important and public perception is important. What do you think the general population is going to think if a bunch of rec anglers get all uppity and tell the non fishing community that we don't give a stuff if they cant get fresh seafood, that essentially what we want is for we[rec fisho's] just want the waters all to ourselves. We will be comdemed as selfish and irresponsible. Not to mention the backlash we'll cop from forcing the Pros to sell up, i can see the headlines now. Everyone will just have toi accept the fact that there will alway's be a seafood industry, one way or another.

The Problem is Sanctuary Zones, the soloution is to get rid of them, not pro's, keep your eye's on the prize people.

Sorry if i patronized anyone.

Edited by Gibbofisho
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I think what people are saying is that perhaps if the pro's had not done the damage that they have, then we would not be facing such widespread marine park proposals. The empty nets paper which was a huge shot in the arm to the greenies for the parks, is about the lack of fish and not bio diversity.

Yes we want to oppose the parks but it is the pro's who in my opinion damaged and depleted the ocean to a level which has prompted this shit fight.

You are entitied to your opinion Grantm, but that is all it is, opinion. The empty nets paper was anonomous fabrication full of 'opinions' and emotive statements. For instance a lot of the trends such as a dramatic decline in catch per unit effort can be explained by the Commonwealths catch data in NSW being removed from the NSW reports! They also failed to point out the the catch per unit effort is actually rising over recent years. If we don't look at the facts we are no better than the greens and are vulnerable to their deceptions.

There is no evidence that the ocean off NSW is seriously dammaged or depleted. It is not likely to be in the near future either as a lot of professional effort is being removed through the buy out of licenses. Yes rec havens are a good ideal for estuaries near large populations. That is why in 3 of the 4 major estuaries in the Sydney the pros have been banned. There is only so far you can take this as if you ban them from one area it tends to put increased effort on to other areas. Unless you want to push up the price of seafood so high that we get the general public offside. The fact is that they are stakeholders in the fishery too.

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What do you think the general population is going to think if a bunch of rec anglers get all uppity and tell the non fishing community that we don't give a stuff if they cant get fresh seafood, that essentially what we want is for we[rec fisho's] just want the waters all to ourselves.

:( That is a pretty poor comment. Who has said that or said they want the water to themselves ? Your posts so far have only wound things up Gibbo and added nothing constructive which is ashame cause you have very valid info mostly.

I have in this thread indicated on multipul occasions that I DO NOT wish to deprive any one of fresh seafood. I have also suggested this through various other threads in the past and indicated comprimise must be made, but clearly a couple of you guys are only reading into my posts what you want. Saying 'get the pro's out' is no different Than saying 'no marine parks'. There is comprimise in that, and that is what im saying. A reduction in pro activity is needed ( in my opinion )as is a revised format for marine parks. I CANT SAY IT ANY SIMPLER.

Has removing the pro's from our biggest harbour through the Dioxin problem, that being Sydney Harbour, and also Botany Bay being made an RFH had any significant impact of seafood price or availablity to the locals ?

Iam happy to pursue the marine park issue on its merits without looking at the commercial issue. I was simply making a point about the pro's.

One last time

I do not support the current marine park sanctuary zoning

I do not agree that commercial activity is acceptable at its current level

I do agree that EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO FRESH SEAFOOD and that a reduction in commercials wont affect that too much but would improve the state of our fisheries.

Anyway im opting out of this thread as clearly my opinions are being twisted into something they are not. I am happy to discuss anything and offer opinions ( one of the few ) but I would appreciate those opinions being accepted. Hopefully others reading my posts can tell what im on about.

.

Cheers

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Mate, my comments were not directed at you personally, if they were i'd have quoted your post.

Deep down personally, i think it would be amazing if there was no pro fishing, my point was simply to point out that there is a need for them. And that there is not a need for fixed Sanctuary zones, that i will debate till i'm blue in the face, i belive in stronger policing methods and better fishing practices, basically whatever keeps as many people happy as possible, promote biodiversity, promote sustainability, be able to go out and catch a fish for dinner, and ensure peoples livelyhoods arent effected in the way.

So in short, there will alway's be pros, so get used to it (general statement aimed at everybody)

Marine parks/sanctuary zones will go ahead unless everyone stops bickering about what they would like more, a common goal needs to be established and we need to keep that in our sights, so keep writing letters to the premier.

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