Vern_Veitch
06-12-2002, 09:06 AM
Media release 5/12/2002
SUNFISH SUPPORTS REGULATIONS ON SPOTTY MACKEREL NETTING
Mr John Doohan Chairman of SUNFISH QLD, representing 45,000 recreational fishing members, today congratulated the Government on their initiative to stop spotty mackerel netting & make it a line caught fish. The increase in the maximum flathead length from 60 cm to 70 cm was also a sensible move.
He said that these recommendations were in line with what SUNFISH QLD had proposed in their reply to the Marine RIS & we believe that the majority of the replies from anglers had a similar view. This has been a long hard fight for SUNFISH QLD since 1994 when the State Government Inquiry into Recreational Fishing made similar recommendations regarding the netting of spotty mackerel & catch limits.
It is also good to see that the past practice of not changing the recommendations in RIS's has been discontinued in favor of accepting balanced public opinion he said.
We are disappointed however that some of the other issues such as imposing total catch limits for commercial fishers on the other species such as flathead, snapper, pearl perch & teraglin jewfish in spite of reductions from 30 to 5 fish in the case of snapper for anglers.
Research has indicated that there is a sustainability problem with snapper but there has been no equitable attempt to reduce or cap the commercial catch, which is around 100 tonnes, taken by approximately 290 commercial fishers. They still have unrestricted catch & no limitations on expansion of numbers or effort he said .
This legislation is a good start & shows that public opinion can influence the course of fisheries legislation. SUNFISH QLD will continue to press for a fair allocation of fisheries resources & changes that result in better fishing in the future.
Contact points Mr John Doohan Chairman 07 33594274
Mr David Bateman EO 07 38804261
SUNFISH SUPPORTS REGULATIONS ON SPOTTY MACKEREL NETTING
Mr John Doohan Chairman of SUNFISH QLD, representing 45,000 recreational fishing members, today congratulated the Government on their initiative to stop spotty mackerel netting & make it a line caught fish. The increase in the maximum flathead length from 60 cm to 70 cm was also a sensible move.
He said that these recommendations were in line with what SUNFISH QLD had proposed in their reply to the Marine RIS & we believe that the majority of the replies from anglers had a similar view. This has been a long hard fight for SUNFISH QLD since 1994 when the State Government Inquiry into Recreational Fishing made similar recommendations regarding the netting of spotty mackerel & catch limits.
It is also good to see that the past practice of not changing the recommendations in RIS's has been discontinued in favor of accepting balanced public opinion he said.
We are disappointed however that some of the other issues such as imposing total catch limits for commercial fishers on the other species such as flathead, snapper, pearl perch & teraglin jewfish in spite of reductions from 30 to 5 fish in the case of snapper for anglers.
Research has indicated that there is a sustainability problem with snapper but there has been no equitable attempt to reduce or cap the commercial catch, which is around 100 tonnes, taken by approximately 290 commercial fishers. They still have unrestricted catch & no limitations on expansion of numbers or effort he said .
This legislation is a good start & shows that public opinion can influence the course of fisheries legislation. SUNFISH QLD will continue to press for a fair allocation of fisheries resources & changes that result in better fishing in the future.
Contact points Mr John Doohan Chairman 07 33594274
Mr David Bateman EO 07 38804261