Reply With QuoteHaving come in late after a couple of days away and trying to digest varied opinions it is important to place on record the TFPQ position on this new round of closures.
1. It reeks of the same lack of science behind the GBR closures...all about politics and little to do with fact.
2. Thinking anglers applaud efforts to preserve fish stocks.....where they are in trouble....but if a particular fishery is being used sustainabley...to whit spawning recruitment replacing harvest each year, does it need further protection?
3. Absolute agreement on inshore trawl. The most destructive method of commercial fishing there is and should be banned.........the problem is Government does not have the ticker and blanket bans all fishing, including rec fishing so it is not seen to discriminate between commercial and rec.
4.Closed seasons work....when a fishery needs protection, such as the barra fishery 15 years ago.
5. While there is absolutely no doubt some commercial fisheryes are prone to overfishing, Tuna, Orange Roughy, gem fish are there any fisheries under too much pressure from recreational fishing?? If so what are they and can closed seasons rather than blanket fishing bans fix the problem?
6. The entire commercial and recreational catch of all Australian fisheries IS LESS than the catfish fishery (BASA or Pacific Dory) in the meekong delta 1 million tonnes a year. Is overfishing a myth perpetuated by the anti-fishing lobby? In all the retoric of every EPA type announcement they talk about "preventing overfishing", never once (to my knowledge) have they ever come out and said xyz fishery is overfished! We have a relatively tiny population and an already well managed (in the main) fishery...tinkering with the edges is fine but do we need wholesale lockouts? Is it really in that bad a shape?
As with the GBR "thing" we would really like to know how banning recreational fishing, from what will eventually be 30% of the entire country will really benifit the future of the countries "biodiversity"...because we already know how it will ruin the small businesses of many Australian families and we also know that what is currently an iconic family activity will slowly fade away..........I personally was really looking forward to a retirement of fishing, and more importantly fishing with my kids and grandkids........the whole process of fishing bans and the PR campaign that goes with them makes recreational fishing less and less a social acceptable pastime...........& kids just don't wnat to fish anymore....very sad!
Anyhow, its not all doom and gloom....we are now in the "main game" and fighting well above our weight. I personally am a bit like Dasher...I have 1 more election in me and we better make it a bloody good one, because if TFPQ drops the ball...then pity help the future.
Regards
KC
