Qld Govt urged to rethink fishing restrictions

[jaybee]

The Queensland Seafood Industry Association is calling on the State Government to reconsider new fishing restrictions, or compensate commercial fishermen.

Next month, the weekend netting ban on the Fitzroy River will be extended 20 kilometres downstream from the Lakes Creek meatworks.

Netting restrictions will also apply to Fraser Island, Baffle Creek near Bundaberg and some beaches on North Stradbroke Island.

Association president John Olsen says the bans will heavily impact on net fishermen and they need to be compensated for lost income.

"The Government has to be responsible for its actions, it's got to take its responsibilities on the chin," he said.

"If they're going to put people out of business, they can't just say, 'well, tough luck, on your bike and go', and you're left with all your bills, and your nets and your stuff.

"So they're going to have to come to some arrangement to give these people a dignified exit if indeed they have to be exited."

Last Update: Thursday, August 21, 2003. 12:42pm (AEST)

[Gazza]

QSIA , compensation for "what" ???
a. the fish "aren't yours" :o ,until you catch/net them.
b. no licences were bought out , to be paid out ???
c. you have been given "commonsense" ;) direction/restriction(s) ,not extinction.
d. why don't QSIA "take it on the chin??" ,and accept the TAC as a measure of sustainability ,for your own "futures" ::)

p.s. John, I accept your 'right to gripe' , but please re-read (a) ;)

Regards
Gazza

[Lucky_Phill]

Well said gazza.

Our thoughts exactly............. ;)

Phill

[lordy]

Compensation is a fair ask. The pros set up their lives around fishing and are getting the sack so to speak. The community as a whole has decided to "retrench" these people so think of it as redundancy payments.

[jaybee]

Compensation is a fair ask there is always unemployment benefits it they cant cut it with the new restrictions. Most professional fishermen i know don't just fish for a living, they have investments in farms and rental properties or something else that brings in the money when they cant fish. Nothing wrong with being retrained to do something else in life, i had to be and i didnt get compensation. S**t Happens.
cheers

[lordy]

These people set up business, invest in infrastructure etc because they have the right to be profishos. Its not just the pros, there are also their support industries too (fish coops etc). The compensation being talked about isn't huge, its about $87K per pro, which would go towards losses on equipment purchases, loss of income etc. I'm not a pro, never have been and don't know any, but I think a few million is a small price to pay to improve our waterways (and get us rec fishos a few more fish).

[jaybee]

the few million they pay the pros, wouldnt it be better put back into the waterways, raising fish to a size they could be released, etc. Besides where is the money coming from to pay out the pros, perhaps a licence for the amatuers to cop the costs. Don't know lordy however you look at it, its going to cost someone somewhere.
cheers.

[Kerry]

.... Besides where is the money coming from to pay out the pros, perhaps a licence for the amatuers to cop the costs.

That would just about be the last straw. Some vote seeking government wanting to fund "their" decisions from other rescources.

Do recall something like this occuring down south but is the funds going into the source of the licence, not on your life it ain't. Some governments actually have a hide, but that is what they call polictics, isn't it [smiley=thumbsdown.gif]

Cheers, Kerry.

[PinHead]

I am damn sure that if some beurocrats and politicians decided to close my business I would be fighting like all hell for compensation. Now come on fellas...if you are really serious about declining fish stocks..then give up fishing. It is similar to cleaning up..if everyone cleans up their lil bit then the place stays clean..so..stop fishing and there will be more fish. What you guys appear to want is to stop people making a living so that you can catch some fish. I don't have any gripes with pro fishermen..I can still catch a feed of fish anytime I go out fishing. If you want to take away someones livelihood then they should be compensated..by the taxpayer..someone said there is always the dole for them..that is paid by the taxpayer so what is the problem then with the taxpayers giving them a payout..still comes from the same place.

[Remo]

I think Mr. Rex hunt has a lot to answer for – In a good way. I believe more and more people purely fishing for sport and not for a meal. I admit in my earlier days I was no saint (11 yrs up).
I used to keep every legal fish I caught, but now days I hardly keep any “I’ve only Kept 4 bream in 6months, and I fish most weekends”.

In short I think fishermen are now wiser and know to only keep fish that they going use in the immediate future and not freeze a boatload of fish.
Now keep in mind that two of my friends were fishermen and one still is. But we are of the belief that recreational fishing, will win out due to more voters and money, will the fishing improve, the answer is yes and has. As for the comment of compo – all I can say is, “was compo paid to the logging industry, mining towns that have shut. Abattoirs that have closed or dive charters that have closed due to bad publicty. I think Not!

Anyway, I think its time to get off the soapbox

Regards
Ray

[lordy]

the few million they pay the pros, wouldnt it be better put back into the waterways, raising fish to a size they could be released, etc. Besides where is the money coming from to pay out the pros, perhaps a licence for the amatuers to cop the costs. Don't know lordy however you look at it, its going to cost someone somewhere.
cheers.

4 million Qlders or there abouts. I'll chuck in a dollar and I don't even fish the area.

[lordy]

In short I think fishermen are now wiser and know to only keep fish that they going use in the immediate future and not freeze a boatload of fish.
Now keep in mind that two of my friends were fishermen and one still is. #But we are of the belief that recreational fishing, will win out due to more voters and money, will the fishing improve, the answer is yes and has. # As for the comment of compo – all I can say is, “was compo paid to the logging industry, mining towns that have shut. Abattoirs that have closed or dive charters that have closed due to bad publicty. I think Not!
Regards
Ray


Plenty of people/places get compensation. Dairy deregulation, resulted in a lot of dairy farmers going under and they got compensation.

The Pros of Port Phillip Bay offered compo when the Vic Government started green zoning great chunks of Victorian waters (IIRC).

When BHP left Newcastle the Gov stepped in and started funding projects in the area.

I think if you look around at some of the logging industries that have been shut down then Gov has filtered more money into those areas to compensate.


As for mines and meatworks etc closing they are usually a case of a private enterprise closing by its own choice (or bankruptcy) not by act of Government.