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Thread: Sunfish. GBRMP & netting. FYI

  1. #1

    Sunfish. GBRMP & netting. FYI

    8 March 2012








    The Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA), Sunfish Queensland (Sunfish), the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO) and WWF – Australia (WWF) have come together in unity and support to collaborate on an issue of great importance to the environment of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland’s regional economy and the seafood industry and the nearly one million Queenslanders who wet a line recreationally fishing each year.

    Commercial net fishing occurs throughout Queensland waters. Of interest to the parties here is the large mesh and gill netting component of the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery, which operates from the Queensland border north to Cape York. The commercial fishing endorsement for these fishers is the N1 and N2 symbols.

    Management arrangements for this fishery are complex, with complicated interdependencies on various management measures, including net fishing closures, mesh sizes, net lengths, licence symbols, commercial quota, size limits, closed seasons, Dugong Protection Areas A and B, all overlaid with Great Barrier Reef and Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Straits Marine Parks’ zoning arrangements.
    Understanding the difficulty government’s face in reforming Queensland’s fisheries, QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF have come together and agreed on four key issues to focus the attention of all political parties of those issues where there is common ground.

    1. QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF all agree that this fishery is the key commercial sector requiring rationalisation, investment and reform in Queensland. There are too many commercial licences issued, leading to excessive effort capacity and little room for those fishers who view their future in net fishing able to demonstrate stewardship. The fish species are targeted by many recreational fishers and often in the same locations as those in the commercial sector leading to conflict over the resource. Despite many management interventions over the years, there are still dugongs, turtles and dolphins caught in nets in waters of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.




    1. QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF all agree that the commercial net fishery needs to be rationalised through the removal of half the net endorsements on the East Coast of Queensland (N1 and N2 symbols). It is proposed that this is undertaken through a voluntary tender process that considers effort history.




    1. The parties agree that a budget of around $6-9M is necessary for this reform. This amount would ensure the adequate removal of N1 and N2 symbols at a fair and equitable price. It would also provide some compensation for closures in important recreational fishing locations and areas of high conservation value to protect species of conservation interest.




    1. Ultimately, the parties agree that the fishery governance needs to move towards finer spatial scale management, through regionalised arrangements. This will need to be coupled with appropriate and properly resourced state-wide consultation processes, which meet the needs of all stakeholders. Further measures to increase protection for species of conservation interest and address localised conflict between the recreational and commercial sector could be addressed through this process.

    QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO and WWF are confident that if implemented, these proposals would deliver a number of positive outcomes to the environment, economy and to Queenslanders generally, including:

    • Reduced conflict within the commercial sector that has previously discouraged rationalised stewardship;
    • Positive conservation outcomes for dugongs, turtles and inshore dolphins, whose reliance on the Great Barrier Reef warrants its World Heritage Area status;
    • Increased recreational fishing opportunities;
    • Decreased conflict over iconic Queensland fisheries species and more harmonious relationships between the sectors;
    • Greater resource security for recreational fishers;
    • Greater access security for the those Queenslanders who rely on commercial fishers to harvest their seafood; and
    • Improved business security for commercial net fishers, and the upstream businesses that market their products.



    Please do not hesitate to contact Nick Heath, Queensland Office Manager, WWF-Australia, on 041 888 5324 or any of the undersigned if you require further information.
    Yours sincerely

    Sunfish Qld.
    Kingfisher Painting Solutions:- Domestic and Commercial.

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  2. #2

    Re: Sunfish. GBRMP & netting. FYI

    Interesting piece LP, nice how it matches up with the Qld. LNP's 10 mill for commercial buy-outs proposal.......hopefully a win-win for all the stakeholders.

  3. #3

    Re: Sunfish. GBRMP & netting. FYI

    I notice it does not address export and import tonnage limits.
    I think these need regulation to protect both our wild stocks from over-exploiting and disease entry, but also protects our domestic market from foreign takeover.
    Remove an outlet for foreign imports and you will effectively remove their interest in taking over the businesses grown in Australia.
    We should be supplying nearly all of our domestic market's needs.
    These cheap imports are too risky in disease importation.
    Jack.

  4. #4

    Re: Sunfish. GBRMP & netting. FYI

    The voluntary buy back system seems to be often abused by certain indeviduals. Each licence should have a TAC attached to it based on the previous catch history. That way the removal of a performing commercial fishing licence (with adequate compensation) does not see them purchase another licence and increase the catch effort beyond what that licence has been operating under. In areas of high recreational fishing effort a sunset clause could be put in place where the licence is handed back on retirement of the owner (at a reasonable compensation rate).
    While bag limits are being put in place for rec fishos in recognition of pressure on the fishery iot is also important to ensure commercial pressures are controlled
    A Proud Member of
    "The Rebel Alliance"

  5. #5

    Re: Sunfish. GBRMP & netting. FYI

    This from the ALP.

    Media Release
    REEF WATCH – PROTECTING QUEENSLAND’S NATURAL HERITAGE

    A new Labor Government will renew and strengthen the State’s focus on protecting the Great Barrier Reef and marine life for future generations of Queenslanders.

    Premier Anna Bligh said the Government would extend landmark programs to protect the reef from chemicals and sediment and introduce new measures to protect marine life.

    “The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most valuable pieces of natural heritage in the world and we have a duty to protect it for future generations of Queenslanders,” she said.
    “In the last two years we have implemented a program to protect the reef from dangerous chemicals and sediment.

    “But we know we must be ever vigilant to new threats to the reef and to our marine life.”

    Under the Reef Watch regime the Bligh Government will: A $12 million voluntary buy-out of netting licences and a structural adjustment of the netting industry will be carried out to protect turtles and dugongs and promote recreational fishing. Extend funding to support reef protection officers ($10 million per year for support and enforcement) to 2020;

    Ms Bligh said Reef Watch would build on Labor’s work to improving the health of the Reef.

    “My government has moved decisively to protect the reef. Two years ago we implemented new regulations to limit the worst practices causing dangerous run off into the reef immediately, whilst ensuring that every property raises its standards over time,” she said.

    “Our plan is working and we have delivered a real reduction in nitrogen run off right across the critical reef catchments.

    “Currently the Government has allocated funding to support reef protection and support officers who enforce reef regulations and help farmers, until 2013/2014.
    “To build and lock in the success we have achieved that funding will continue until 2020 – with another $10 million allocated in the forward estimates.

    Ms Bligh said Labor had introduced 16 dugong protection areas in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

    “Both dugongs and marine turtles are iconic native species of Queensland waters but some accidental catching in commercial netting continues to be a threat to both species.

    “At the same time, there is great conflict between recreational and commercial fishing in some areas of Queensland and evidence that there are too many netters to make this particular sector successfully viable.

    “That’s why we will work with industry to begin a buy-back of net fishing licences, with $10 million on the table to significantly reduce the number of nets through a voluntary tender process.

    “It will be followed by a structural adjustment of the industry so that the commercial net fishing industry is more profitable and allows different management approaches to be developed into the future that provide greater flexibility and certainty for those fishers who remain.

    ‘We will consult with Queensland Seafood Industry Alliance, Sunfish and WWF on designing the buyout package.
    “With the buy-out of netters achieved, new areas will be declared for netting closures and restrictions.

    “These will serve as much needed sanctuaries for dugongs and turtles and we will see significantly reduced entanglement and by-catch for these precious species.
    “It will also increase the line fishing opportunities for recreational fishers along our coastline.

    “This initiative will be deployed in close consultation with key stakeholders, particularly the Commonwealth, the fishing industry and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.”


    Funding for this initiative will come from savings from the carbon geo-storage initiative.

    MEDIA CONTACT: 07 3224 4500
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    For further information, contact details, quotes or advice - Click Here





  6. #6

    Re: Sunfish. GBRMP & netting. FYI

    There's that 10 mill figure again.......now, who'll up the ante to 15?
    But hang on, isn't this the mob who are floating the 'pay to dump in the GBRMP' idea?
    Sheesh......

  7. #7

    Re: Sunfish. GBRMP & netting. FYI

    Quote Originally Posted by nigelr View Post
    There's that 10 mill figure again.......now, who'll up the ante to 15?
    But hang on, isn't this the mob who are floating the 'pay to dump in the GBRMP' idea?
    Sheesh......
    Yeh....interesting piece in the CM today
    http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/o...-1226296461287
    Last line certainly rings true
    It's a national treasure....countless doco's and feelgood, tug-at-your-heartstrings fluff pieces are done on it...greenie groups will tell you it's so fragile and beg donations from you so it is protected for the generations to come...
    But hey, if you wanna cough up the price, you can dump as much $h!t in there as you want....
    Of course, the greenies are too busy flapping their noisy cake holes on gay marriage and social welfare (to keep them in the media) to actually make a noise on environmental matters that count anymore, go figure.
    This is truly environmental vandalism of the highest degree, and nobody that supposedly bases their party beliefs on giving a toss about this kind of stuff, does..
    Vegetarian - Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot that can't hunt, fish or ride.

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