FISHING NEWS
28 | fishingworld.com.au | March 2015
More
FADs!
The FADS off the
NSW coast are
producing fantastic
dolphin fish action.THE NSW DPI FADs Project,
using funds from the Recreational
Fishing Trust, is now heading into
its 13th year of operation, starting
way back in 2002/03 with five
FADs. If recent FAD seasons are
anything to judge by, 2015 is
already shaping up to be just as
memorable with steady reports
received of dolphinfish being
encountered as early as last
September. The only difference
this season is that there will be
more FADs out there than ever
before to choose from! Following
the bumper year experienced all
along the NSW coast around the
FADs over 2013/14, the DPI
received a large number of requests
from clubs and also individual
anglers for more FADs. As a result,
for 2014/15 four new FADs have
been added to this ever expanding
FADs list. Yamba, Nambucca
Heads, Shellharbour and Ulladulla
all now have a FAD to call their
own. As this is the first year for
each of these four sites, DPI is
keen to get reports back from
anglers as to how the devices are
performing. You can send fishing
reports, including photos, to
[email protected].SNIPPETS
➀
ANGLERS are concerned
a study announced by the
NSW Government will
result in fishing bans
around the Sydney area.
NSW Fisheries Minister
Katrina Hodgkinson and
Environment Minister
Rob Stokes have
announced a study into
the Hawkesbury Shelf
bioregion, which extends
from Newcastle to
Wollongong and includes
Sydney Harbour, Broken Bay,
Botany Bay and Port Hacking.
Ms Hodgkinson said the assessment
will be conducted in accordance with
the NSW Government’s new
approach for marine estate
management, as recently
demonstrated with the passage of the
Marine Estate Management Bill 2014
through NSW Parliament.
“It is important we continue to work
to achieve a balance of social, economic
and ecological needs when considering
our marine estate,” Ms Hodgkinson said.
“Our approach is about committing
to an evidence-based decision makingprocess when it comes to the
management of the marine estate,
which considers social, economic and
ecological impacts.
The study is seen as the first step
towards creating “an integrated
marine protected area along the metro
coast by 2016”.
Green groups are calling for fishing
lock-outs of at least 30 per cent of the
entire Hawkesbury biogreion. Late last
year the Labor Party announced it
would create a marine park in Sydney
Harbour if it wins power in the March
state election.
More info at w w w.ma rine.nsw.gov.au.Marine
park for
Sydney?
REBUILDING
GEMFISH STOCKS
EASTERN gemfish
stocks have been in
trouble for years
af ter a boom in
popularity and
subsequent
overfishing by
commercial trawling
operations. This
popular deepwater
recreational target
is now subject to
strict catch
limitations, including
a recreational bag
limit of two fish per
person and boat limit
of 10 in NSW. The
commercial sector is
subject to strict
quotas. A rebuilding
strategy was
introduced by the
Australian Fisheries
Management
Authority (AFMA) in
2008 and was
revised in 2014.
It continues to focus
on maintaining the
overall low fishing
mortality of gemfish
while continuing to
monitor and assess
the stock status to
promote recovery.
Expect catch
restrictions- for both us and
the commercial
operators - to continue for
quite some time. At
this stage AFMA is
working towards
achieving stock
rebuilding by 2027.
The strategy
document is
available via http://www.
afma.gov.au/
managing-our-
fisheries
By John Newbery
Abbott bans supertrawlers
SUPERTR AWLERS longer than 130m
will be banned from Australian waters,
the federal Government has announced.
Senator Richard Colbeck, the
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
for Agriculture, said supertrawlers were
defined by Labor and green groups as
factory freezer vessels more than 130m- the Coalition will adopt that
definition and such vessels will not be
permitted to fish in Australian waters.
“This Government will introduce
regulations under the Fisheries
Management Act to give effect to this
decision,” Senator Colbeck said.
“This decision will have policy effect
immediately and brings into force the
Prime Minister’s statement (last) March
that supertrawlers will remain banned.”
The Government acknowledges
widespread community concern
regarding the utilisation of these vessels
to access the fishery.
“While some of these fears have been
generated by ill-founded anti-fishing
campaigns by activist groups, the
Government has consulted widely and
accepts the legitimate concerns of many
in the community, including those
involved in recreational and commercial
fishing,” Senator Colbeck said.
Fisho is currently not aware of any
plans by commercial fishing operations
to bring in supertrawlers less than 130m
to exploit baitfish stocks. However, it’s
IMAGE: IAN OSTERLOH. understood such vessels are available.