Delicious Australia - (08August 2020

WORDS

ERINA STARKEY

PHOTOGRAPHY

MARK ROPER

THISYEARHASbeenanythingbutsmoothsailingfor

fishermanBruceCollis,butthingsarestartingtolook

up.Afterreelingin thetopprizeatthedelicious.

HarveyNormanProduceAwardsin 2019forhiswildcaught

fish,theformerProduceroftheYearis nowcelebrating

a secondwin,andit’soneheshareswithhisfellow

fishermenatCornerInletonVictoria’sSouthCoast.

Formanymonths,Collis

andtheothercommercial

fishinglicenseeshave

beencampaigningfor

a newlawtoprotecttheir

pristinebayfromoverfishing.

TheCornerInletfishing

communityhasbeenoperating

undera voluntarycodeof

conductfor 28 yearsthatrestricts fishing activity

tosustainablelevels.

“Itwasn’tofficial,it wasa gentlemen’sagreement,”

says Collis.“We shook hands on it and that was that.”

Licenseesknewtocastoffjusttwicea day– nomore–

andtoonlyuseonetypeoffishinggear,beit a seine, mesh

orhoopnetorfishingline,atanygiventime.

“Wefishforneed,notgreed,”saysCollis.“Thecodewasput

in placetoensurethefisheryremainssustainable,nowandinto

thefuture.A sustainable fishery means a reliable supply of local

fishforthepublic.”

Whilethelong-standing

fishingcommunitycontinuesto

honourthisagreement,there

areconcernsthatnewlicense

holdersmight not be so

inclined.

“Basically,wedon’twant

peoplecomingin hereand

fishingalldayandallnight,

attheexpenseoftheenvironmentandeveryoneelse.”

“Ifwealldidthat,howlongwouldthefisherybearound?”

OnJune19,theVictorianGovernmentannouncedtheywould

be formalising the arrangement, making the gentlemen’s

fisherman is working to maintain his fishing community’s pristine waters.

KEEPER OF THE SEAS

CONNECTING TOP PRODUCERS TO YOU

Someof
BruceCollis’
in-demand haul.

“AUSTRALIAISANISLAND– IT ISOUR

RESPONSIBILITY TOPROTECTOUR

OCEANS,WATERWAYSANDSEALIFE.

CHOOSETOBUYONLYSUSTAINABLE

SEAFOOD– IT ISSUCHANEASY

DECISION.”– GERRY HARVEY

36 delicious.com.au