Hawkesbury= baron wasteland

[spaners]

Moderators, I know this is now getting into politics, but I would like to start up an on-line petition regarding pro-fishing in Pittwater, Broken Bay and the upper Hawkesbury and with the support of the Raiders, we possible may make the start of a change. Would appreciate your feedback and how it could be handled......or not? I am very passionate about this and from the replies, so are some others. Cheers, Steve

Im in,you got my name.

[josamill]

I can get 100 names within a week. Good move.

[Sammy]

I'll sign the petition for sure! I'm going away with a group of mates ( annual trip ) late Nov on a houseboat in the once mighty Hawk but reading all these posts has really upset me with me being the only real fisho going there will be even more expectation on me to bring them on the chew..by the sounds of it there is nothing left to come on the chew ah what a fine waterway it used to be.. crying shame really

[plankton]

Two of my relatives have been netting prawns in the HR upper reaches commercially for the last 50. Somebody mentioned the oldschool pros and I'm sure to them they referred. I enjoy talking to them about how the river used to be and the massive Jews caught on a regularly, 40 - 60 pound Jews used to school in front of the McDonald River and Webbs Creek and in Lower Portland and Spencer. There were so many there consistently that one local retiree used to set chain lines overnight and catch and sell enough of them to make an income. Of course this isn't permitted now. Dad's Corner was a hit too! It's referenced along with the other spots in the old fishing magazines and maps as a big Jewfish spot. Apparently a live prawn on a small moon early morning with a handline was the go. Bang minutes later your into a massive Jew! The best fish was 110 pounds trapped entangled and had died in a swimming enclosure net at Bar Point in the early 70's! 1m Flatties were also common at St Albans. The photos of the fish used to be displayed in the Wisemans Ferry pub. I wish they still were! There are heaps of contributing factors and theories as to why the river is stuffed. Personally I think the biggest issues are the silting up and over fishing of the river. Too many pros taking unsustainable catches of prawns, leaving nothing to maintain a healthy recruiting ecosystem. Sewage is also a problem. Unfortunately I can't see things getting better or things ever being as good as they were. I gave up fishing the lower reaches of the HR for big Jews after 100's of hours and many a long night. I'm proud to be able to say that I caught my first ever 'Jewel of the Hawkesbury' Mulloway in the river but nowadays I would prefer to fish anywhere else.

[The Incredible Hull]

Moderators, I know this is now getting into politics, but I would like to start up an on-line petition regarding pro-fishing in Pittwater, Broken Bay and the upper Hawkesbury and with the support of the Raiders, we possible may make the start of a change. Would appreciate your feedback and how it could be handled......or not? I am very passionate about this and from the replies, so are some others. Cheers, Steve

+1

If no one voices out their complaints, nothing will be done!

[Scratchie]

Fellow raiders,

Use the email address I provided in this forum. If minister Gay,s inbox is full of complaints about the Hawkesbury he,ll have to address it.

[adkel53]

This issue is not just confined to the Hawkesbury. It has happened wherever nets are allowed in estuaries. I have fished the Macleay River every January for over 20 years. Flathead in the 60 -70 cm range were quite common along with whiting to around 40cm. Now, catching a few flathead is hard work and I really don't bother with the whiting any more. Since the rivers north and south were closed to nets the pros now come from Taree in the south to Grafton in the north to net the Macleay. The result is obvious. I used to go up there to catch fish. Now I come home to catch them in Sydney harbour and Botany Bay.

There must be similar situations in all estuaries that are open to netting and/or trawling.

It is time to ban commercial fishing in ALL estuaries. The recreational fishing community will contribute far more to the economies of coastal towns and villages if there are fish to catch than the pros will ever dream about. Tourism is the future of these places, not nets.

Kel

[GrahamW]

Go the middlee finger !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[plazmaman]

Kel and Plankton you are spot on. In the middle eighties we never mentioned jew under sixty pound.

Late seventies amateur fisherman would catch hundreds of jew in a session. I recall one saying it

was a waste really. Stop the trawlers in the estuaries, only take a feed and adapt catch and release.

Fish stocks will increase and the pros will catch more fish outside.

[josamill]

Just sent an email......I figure the one finger approach, while satisfying, is probably not going to help the cause....

G’day Duncan,

Could you please take a moment to consider this.

This is a plea to you to help end commercial fishing in the Hawkesbury River, as was done in Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay. To get the sentiment of what needs to be addressed, take 2 or 3 minutes to read this thread http://www.fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=65938&st=0

I know you have been given data to assess, and I can tell you, the river is dying. Prawn trawlers sweeping up and down relentlessly day in day out. The problem with fishing estuaries is that they are nurseries for juvenile snapper, bream, whiting etc, and they are the bye catch. The prawns, are the natural food of fish, and as they are taken, so go the fish.

I have been told point blank, by a commercial fisherman, that he will do 6 sweeps of a section of river, dragging his net as if mowing the lawn…….the end result, 4 or 5 legal whiting, sea grass ripped up, and undisclosed number of juvenile fish.

The fishermen struggle to make a dollar, and are squeezing every last drop out of the river. These guys need to be bought out with a fair offer……….please make it your legacy to save the Hawkesbury River and Broken Bay.

[GaryO]

When are the fishers and shooters party going to yeild some of their power and contribute something to the fishing side of their organisation ?

[Robinsoi]

This is really sad and heartbreaking. Seeing such an iconic expanse of waterway become a marine desert due to the poor management of trawlers.

As mentioned above why are Hawkesbury River recreational fishos paying license fees when the trawlers are ripping through the system? Also as mentioned above recreational fishos put far more back into the economy than the pros especially in small coastal villages as Kel outlined. If there are no fish for recreational fishos to catch we won't be going on holidays year after year to small coastal villages that otherwise would draw loyal holiday makers. The repercusions of this is disastrous for the small businesses in these coastal villages that rely on the holiday makers' return business.

The government advocates that it supports small businesses but obviously not in this instance.

Lets hope the Hawkesbury River bounces back quickly to its former self.

Ian

[GaryO]

On the fishers and shooters website out of 13 listed acheivements 2 are fishing related, and basicaly both are on the same issue. Its about time we also hammered them to start acting on our behalf while ever they are using the fisho's valuable vote. Why the hell they merged the 2 parties in the first place has me beat . We need a stand alone voice.

Edited November 6, 2012 by GaryO

[Testlab]

Unfortunately I am another voice lamenting the decline of the Hawkesbury and Broken Bay. It is not just the prawn trawlers but also the visiting pros launching from De Rubens Reserve of a night and the regular small boat and trailer-boat pros netting Mooney Creek, Mullet Creek and so forth. There is a weekend netting closure of the above creeks but I guess that's intended to stop recreational anglers since its open slather for the rest of the week to anyone. The fisheries office at Brooklyn was closed a few years ago and the fisheries boat is also now gone from Brooklyn (it sat idle for ages and I think was only ever used over the last three years for 'research' by the EPA and never enforcement by fisheries).

I have found the fishing in lower HR to have deteriorated far more in the last few years than ever before. I occasionally go out during the week and every time I see the same four trawlers working from Flint and Steel Point to Challenger Head and another two routinely sweep from Croppy to Juno. When I venture into Pittwater to fish over the last few years the old haunts turn up only undersized or similarly disappointing results even though there are closures to nets and traps in several sections. Even getting bait at West Head and inner Barrenjoey takes far longer and is sometimes not worth the time. The state of the HR and BBay remind me of Sydney Harbour in the 70s and 80s.

I am not going to put any faith in the Minister responsible doing anything. The buy out of licenses and closures of Lake Macquarie, Port Jackson and Botany Bay caused enough ripples in the pollies ponds that they are unlikely to risk raising the ire of professional fishers - think National Party voters... and who does the Minsiter for Primary Industries (Hodgkinson) belong to... why the Nationals of course. The shooters and fishers party is seen as a bunch of gun and rod toting yahoos wanting to shoot at anything or anywhere and don't even counter the same respect from the public as the rabble-rousing "green nazis," so they have no clout whatsoever. The commercial port operations of Sydney Harbour and Port Botany carry a lot of political weight, something the Hawkesbury, Broken Bay and Central Coast lack, so no pollie will expend political capital with so little to gain since the residential areas along the Hawkesbury are thinly populated and a tiny part of larger electorates. Many of the pro's live in these areas and although I sincerely doubt they earn a living they would probably earn beer money and consider their license a tradeable asset. So they won't give up without a fight.

Frankly I think any action has to be driven through the popular media. Only then will pollies take notice. So a strategic and detailed step by step campaign is the only way I belive any suitable outcome can be achieved and to get that started a detailed, structured plan has to be put together and then championed by someone with enough clout (or public interest) to get sufficient media attention. The only way to get any comfortably seated politician or bureaucrat moving is to make them squirm, but simultaneously give them the opportunity to look like a white knight to the public at-large.

My opinions only, for what they're worth.

[GaryO]

And well spoken and thought out oppinions they are. If only the local business,s and well to do celebs living and using the HB could jump onboard we could make some progress

[Twinfisher 4.9]

I agree, we should get the local business on the cause. I have contacted a friend of mine who is pretty well connected in some political circles to see of any connection with the Shooters and Fishers. Yes you are right, what about them representing the recreational fishermen for a change! I'll keep you posted. Steve

[The Incredible Hull]

I got a reply from emailing them:

Thank you for your email to the office of the Hon Duncan Gay MLC, Minister for Roads and Ports. As the matters raised fall under the administration of the Minister for Primary Industries, I have forwarded your email to the office of the Hon Katrina Hodgkinson MP and asked that they respond to you directly.

Regards Office of the Minister for Roads and PortsThe Hon.

Duncan Gay MLCLevel 35, Governor Macquarie Tower1 Farrer Pl, SYDNEY NSW 2000

[Twinfisher 4.9]

Isn't that just so typical. I will follow up, but the last time I checked it was Duncan Gay.......but maybe has off-loaded it due to workload no doubt!

[Scratchie]

I received the same response. Buck passing at it's best!!

[AGP]

I was given a response in regards to Hawkesbury netting below..

Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries NSW

Port Stephens Fisheries Institute

Locked Bag 1, NELSON BAY NSW 2315

Tel: 024982-1232 Fax: 02 4982 1107

ABN 72 189 919 072 www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Thank you for your letter of 7 November 2012 to the Minister for Primary Industries,

regarding your concerns about fish stocks and commercial fishing within the

Hawkesbury River. The Minister has asked that I respond on her behalf.

The fisheries resources of NSW are closely monitored, including an annual

assessment of all available scientific studies and catch and effort data for the primary

species (see below for useful internet links to relevant information about the resource

assessment process and species status reports). The vast majority of the key

species commercially harvested in the Hawkesbury River estuary, such as prawns,

sea mullet, yellowfin bream, blue swimmer crab, sand whiting, dusky flathead, and

Australian salmon are scientifically assessed as being fully (i.e. sustainably) fished.

• A Framework for the Assessment of Harvested Fish Resources in NSW:

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/140307/part1-frameworkfor-

the-assessment-of-harvested-fish-resources.pdf

• Status of Fisheries Resources in NSW report:

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/areas/fisheries-and-ecosystems/wildfisheries/

outputs/2010/1797

Commercial fishing operations in and around the Hawkesbury River are subject to a

range of restrictions to manage its impacts on fish stocks and the surrounding

environment. Some of the controls include restrictions on the number of operators,

the amount of different fishing gears used, specifications on the gear and the way it is

used, species size limits, and areas and times closed to fishing, among other things.

The Estuary General Fishery and Estuary Prawn Trawl fisheries in NSW have

approved Fishery Management Strategies in place, and have been the subject of

comprehensive Environmental Impact Statements and Commonwealth approvals

under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Further

details can be found at:

• www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/commercial/ea

• www.environment.gov.au/coasts/fisheries/nsw/prawntrawl/index.html

…/2

Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries NSW

Port Stephens Fisheries Institute

Locked Bag 1, NELSON BAY NSW 2315

Tel: 024982-1232 Fax: 02 4982 1107

ABN 72 189 919 072 www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

- 2 -

Despite the stock status and management controls outlined above, I can inform you

about a major commercial fisheries review and reform process that has been underway

and was recently announced by the Minister for Primary Industries. The Commercial

Fisheries Reform Program will fundamentally change the structure and way we manage

commercial fisheries over the coming years, including the setting of Total Allowable

Catch or Total Allowable Effort levels across every available share class. This program

will address many community concerns relating to the number of commercial fishing

licences issued in NSW. For further information about that process, including a full copy

of the Review Report and the NSW Government’s response to all 22 key

recommendations, please see:

• www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/commercial/reform

I hope the information provided above gives you the relevant background information

and an appreciation for the future management program. Please do not hesitate to

contact Carly Hulme, Fisheries Manager, on (02) 9527 8593 if you wish to discuss this

matter further.

Yours sincerely

Dr Geoff Allan

Executive Director,NSW Fisheries

[Flickn Mad]

After watching a pro take around four fishboxes of 30 to 40 cm jew from one net at the eaves one after noon I gave up any hope of the powers that be doing any thing but bend over for the pros and in turn bend over the rec sector.

In my experience,which is substantial a lot of the "pros" in a lot of fisheries are receiving hand outs from the tax payer anyway.

How often do you actually see local fish in local shops. most fish in shops around woollongong are from NZ.

It might be a bit over the top but I would love the gov piss of 90 percent of them leaving the real pros to make a good living and the fish stocks get a fair chance to rebuild.