Gorilla_in_Manila
14-04-2006, 12:34 PM
Another SMH article ... I wonder where the editor's sympathies lie?
Whilst I agree that some reduction of the bulk bag limits wouldn't hurt, the title and style of the article seems to be giving the conservation council view extensive reader coverage. The last line seems to be a token effort to appear as though the article is balanced reporting.
(EDIT: been back and read the related articles; gives a bit more time to a balanced discussion and views of the rec fisho)
Coming originally from Nrth NSW and getting back to fish there a couple of times a year, my general feeling is that the fishing has improved substantially over the last 5 years or so. At least for the bread and butter species like whiting, flathead, bream and tailor - can't really comment on offshore, but going on Mono's recent reports it certainly seems to be getting better also. This of course has nothing to do with the recent marine parks, but is probably more likely the result of ongoing improvements in estuary netting / trawling management, buy back of excessive commercial licences, water quality / rain runoff management etc etc which is basically ongoing rectification of past missmanagement.
Also there seems to be a very strong hint that there is a definite agenda for getting the marine parks locked up, THEN bringing on other restrictions. Sounds like the old death by a thousand cuts syndrome again. But you have to wonder, who's pushing this agenda, why is it so difficult to find where this agenda is heading, are rec and pro fishos being consulted during the process of increasing restrictions????
[smiley=end.gif]
Cheers
Jeff
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fish-stocks-near-collapse--report/2006/04/13/1144521466249.html
=================================================
Fish stocks near collapse - report
April 14, 2006
Related coverage
Net prophets divided over catch
Fishy tale: haul of day from trawler to table
RECREATIONAL fishing in NSW should be severely curtailed with bag limits slashed from 200 to 20 a day and up to half the coastline shut off permanently to anglers and commercial operators, the Nature Conservation Council says.
The recommendations are in a report, Empty Oceans, Empty Nets, which says government catch statistics over the past 60 years show the state fishery is "on the edge of collapse" because of poor management. The report, which tracks catches of 64 species between 1940 and 2000, says almost all species are in decline even though the commercial catch has halved in recent years.
The state's 1 million recreational anglers can now take up to 200 fish a day across all species and up to 20 of some species. The council wants that limit cut to 20 across all species. The State Government is already considering changes, including an overdue review of bag limits, but will not discuss specifics until it has finalised the last of six marine parks.
The report's author, Paul Winn, from the Hunter Community Environment Centre, says marine parks do not go far enough: "They don't cover the entire coastline. It falls well short of what is really needed to address fisheries management."
The director of the Nature Conservation Council, Cate Faehrmann, said the Government should increase sanctuary zones inside marine parks. "We've got to get out of the mentality that there is this endless supply of fish … Research has shown for years that this is not the case and in fact that fish numbers are decreasing at an alarming rate. Recreational fishing is impacting on some fish species quite severely."
Recreational fishing groups agree there is a need to protect specific species but insist fish stocks are stabilising.
Robert Wainwright
Whilst I agree that some reduction of the bulk bag limits wouldn't hurt, the title and style of the article seems to be giving the conservation council view extensive reader coverage. The last line seems to be a token effort to appear as though the article is balanced reporting.
(EDIT: been back and read the related articles; gives a bit more time to a balanced discussion and views of the rec fisho)
Coming originally from Nrth NSW and getting back to fish there a couple of times a year, my general feeling is that the fishing has improved substantially over the last 5 years or so. At least for the bread and butter species like whiting, flathead, bream and tailor - can't really comment on offshore, but going on Mono's recent reports it certainly seems to be getting better also. This of course has nothing to do with the recent marine parks, but is probably more likely the result of ongoing improvements in estuary netting / trawling management, buy back of excessive commercial licences, water quality / rain runoff management etc etc which is basically ongoing rectification of past missmanagement.
Also there seems to be a very strong hint that there is a definite agenda for getting the marine parks locked up, THEN bringing on other restrictions. Sounds like the old death by a thousand cuts syndrome again. But you have to wonder, who's pushing this agenda, why is it so difficult to find where this agenda is heading, are rec and pro fishos being consulted during the process of increasing restrictions????
[smiley=end.gif]
Cheers
Jeff
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fish-stocks-near-collapse--report/2006/04/13/1144521466249.html
=================================================
Fish stocks near collapse - report
April 14, 2006
Related coverage
Net prophets divided over catch
Fishy tale: haul of day from trawler to table
RECREATIONAL fishing in NSW should be severely curtailed with bag limits slashed from 200 to 20 a day and up to half the coastline shut off permanently to anglers and commercial operators, the Nature Conservation Council says.
The recommendations are in a report, Empty Oceans, Empty Nets, which says government catch statistics over the past 60 years show the state fishery is "on the edge of collapse" because of poor management. The report, which tracks catches of 64 species between 1940 and 2000, says almost all species are in decline even though the commercial catch has halved in recent years.
The state's 1 million recreational anglers can now take up to 200 fish a day across all species and up to 20 of some species. The council wants that limit cut to 20 across all species. The State Government is already considering changes, including an overdue review of bag limits, but will not discuss specifics until it has finalised the last of six marine parks.
The report's author, Paul Winn, from the Hunter Community Environment Centre, says marine parks do not go far enough: "They don't cover the entire coastline. It falls well short of what is really needed to address fisheries management."
The director of the Nature Conservation Council, Cate Faehrmann, said the Government should increase sanctuary zones inside marine parks. "We've got to get out of the mentality that there is this endless supply of fish … Research has shown for years that this is not the case and in fact that fish numbers are decreasing at an alarming rate. Recreational fishing is impacting on some fish species quite severely."
Recreational fishing groups agree there is a need to protect specific species but insist fish stocks are stabilising.
Robert Wainwright