Dejavu

[Slider]

I've been back at Teewah from my 2 months at the Cape for about 4 weeks and have been very pleasantly surprised by the availability of fish throughout this period. Each day, weather permitting, I've been able to go down and spin up some tailor with some days being very good indeed. Everybody I talk to has been getting a feed and it has been almost like the Teewah winters of old. Almost, but not in reality anywhere near as good, but certainly better than the last 10 or so winters.

The reason for this is easily established when one has an awareness of the lack of netting activity that has occurred over the last 4 weeks.

So, I shouldn't really be too surprised to have a session like the one I had on Thursday with tailor up to 3kg smashing lures dragged through boiling schools close to shore with frantic terns feeding above them. Nor should I be too surprised that when I went down yesterday in the hope of a repeat performance that there should be nothing moving whatsoever.

Well, the terns were still there, but they were flying around in a 'search' pattern with no fish underneath them this time to facilitate their feeding. Dolphins that yesterday morning had been bouncing around and tail slapping the water surface to herd schools of tailor were still to be seen, but they weren't feeding either.

So lacking boiling schools to target, I spun the several rocky outcrops that have been producing so consistently for me of late, but without getting a strike.
So with the sun setting and the prospect of watching the Broncos put the nail in Parra's season, I had my last cast and was walking back up to the truck and who should drive past - well 2 pro vehicles loaded to the hilt and sagging in the ass with a freshly netted haul of our fish - of course.

On my return to Teewah I stopped to talk with several Teewahrians that were fishing in front of the village to see how they were going. 'Well we were getting dart, tarwhine and bream earlier, but they went off the chew an hour or 2 ago and we haven't caught a fish since" - was what I was told.

This is what happens when a net is shot off this or any beach. It doesn't matter what species are in the net, but as long as there are fish in the net, then all fish outside the net, bar some juveniles and all baitfish are spooked and they swim away from the nets.

I've seen it all before and so many times that I now know that there is little point in going down this morning looking for fish as I know I'd just be cold and frustrated - though it is a lovely morning and I love being on the beach on such mornings as these.

The net was shot somewhere north of Teewah and has affected to at least the 1st cut, but likely to the river mouth. And to the north, I'd be surprised if anything other than little dart, the odd small chopper, bream, tarwhine etc are being caught this side of Double Island Point. That is the affect of a single net, and this was a small haul of probably only a few tonne. One can imagine how devastating to rec catches a big haul would be.

With all of the guff going on over Garrets proposed green zoning of this region and the fear that recs will be forced off the beach, shouldn't we be looking at this as an 'opportunity'.
Let's pursue Cooloola and Fraser Island beaches to be designated 'Fishing Havens'. By all means buy out the pros and save the species that the pros are diminishing, but let recreational fishing and tourism to the region prosper and allow business related to, be able to thrive.

There are so many things dependant on the nets being stopped - the fish for one, but terns protected under the RAMSAR Treaty also, terns that aren't protected, gannets, dolphins, turtles and our quality of life.

Here is the opportunity to actually do something about this situation and we would be neglegent not to grasp it with all of our both hands.

PS. I do hope Locky is fit next week.

Lindsay

[tunaticer]

G'day Lindsay, good report and thread mate.

I agree with the buying out of the pro netters along most beaches south of about Bundaberg. North of this line there is less rec fishing pressure along the beaches in comparison with the south.

Down at Redcliffe this year has been very patchy with both tailor and snapper captures, here one minute, gone the next sort of thing. The pros have basically been ringnetting rocky outcrops for snapper and getting good numbers of tailor with them all before dawn. I do not know how often they are out there but I have encountered them 4 times in the past 3 months.

What worries me about your wish to create fishing havens is Garrett and his direct link to the Greens. One inch of levity toward Garrett will result in green-zone, not fishing havens.

I think you might have a more safe chance of dealing with Abbott's crew if he gets into power next weekend.

Another thing that worries me also is where from and what will replace the stocks on the shelves at the fish mongers when the commercial sector is shut down? How can that be addressed?

[Stroadman]

How can the lack of fish on the shelves of fish mongers be addressed????

Fish farms!

[goat boy]

Thanks for the good report. Heading up that way in a few weeks for the first time since Jan, weather permitting.
I've seen a few posts now asking questions along the lines of compromising or dealing with the greens. The greens oppose hunting in any form. Like religous zealots they are peddling the doom and gloom that our fish stocks of all kinds are depleting rapidly and need saving via green zones.
Their own propoganda (of which I was handed some only a few hours ago) states "Rec fishing has only recently been recognised as having a potentially significant impact on aquatic resources" It goes on to mention "Bream, Dusky Flathead and Whiting were harvested in greater numbers by recs rather than pros".
The greens don't want compromise. They don't want deals. Any deal or compromise made would be to bide time until a further 'study' is made that it is no longer relevant and should be scrapped.
They are vego's who abore 'animal cruelty' in any form. They are backed by the WWF, PEW and various other nut job types. It is definately a 'crusade' and they don't care what they do or what happens as long as the end goal is met.
While it's nice to talk about deals etc. The fact is it won't happen, the line is drawn in the sand.

[Da-Jew-Man]

Slider I am with you on this.
I have had a gutful of the netters taking mullet and stuffing the beach.
Not too impressed also with the article by the DPI in this months Bush and Beach ,about being a tourist attraction.
Anyone who has witnessed a haul with mullet frantic to get out,their mates in the water almost beaching themselves to be with their mates plus Pros driving over the mullet because they have hooked the nets under the 4WD would disagree with as being a tourist attraction.
No I am not a greenie and yes I have used mullet for live bait for many years but the mullet is the bottom of the food chain.Take away the food and Jew,Tailor,Bream etc will be affected.
My solution is to phase out netting over 10years ie limit catches by 10% each year so the Pros's can move on and fishing will improve.
Just mythought anyway.

[hooknose]

And so it goes on, same thing has been happening in Central Queensland all winter, nets in open view on public beaches, many with fish being left in them for far too long to be considered even average product. Grumpy arsed pro's writing letters to the paper about how hard done by they are.

The locals are spewing and I wouldnt be surprised if matters dont come to a head some time soon.

Cheers Lins and as always a good relevant thread that will no doubt evoke a range of emotions from the Ausfish crew !!

Keep up the good work !!

[Jeremy]

No, we have to stand united with Pros and charter boys against the Green zones. One out, all out!

Jeremy

[stonecold]

Unfortunately its not just mullet in the net http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/sho...d.php?t=166578.

Sh*ts me to no end that within our local fishing group we as fishermen release more jew than most average fishos catch in life time. We do this in the name of conservation and sustainability, yet beach haulers are "allowed" to get away with decimation of entire schools of breeding fish labelled as "bycatch". Not to mention the side effects that slider has highlighted.

[35kg jew]

Hi guys im having the same problem as well i have been having the best year wit jew from all sizes being caught nearly every night down my way until the last week or so and its all to my surprise to see netters yet again have worked my area over the last week. I get a harse talking to from the fishing officers couple months ago about killing big breeding jew and these guys are honestly wiping them out within weeks.
WAT A DAMN DISGRACE!! I mean i have caught well over 100 jew this year and have probably kept 8 or 9 good of them mainly cause they were gut hooked bad or took some one who has never caught one. This subject does my head in BIG TIME as us beach and rock fishos spend sooooooooo much time finding the right gutter sometimes endless nights and these DAMN netters come thru wipe out or scare a large portion of our beach fish for weeks!!!
I have personally seen beach netters haul over 4 or 5t of jew a bit further south near shark bay and most were under size!!!!!!!!!! This was all done at night when the mullet run had come to an end months ago so wat the hell is going on this is just bull shit!!

Gotta go getting pissed off!!

[Slider]

I don't see how the rec community can really ally themselves with the beach haulers, as a win would still be our loss. I can appreciate though that access to fishing grounds from a rec perspective is all important and shouldn't be compromised by proposed alternative arrangements. And to work with the charters and pros for access to offshore grounds may be the best way to tackle green zones there.
However, I don't see that a proposal that suggests that Cooloola's and Fraser Island's beaches be declared Fishing Havens, for the variety of good reasons available, should confuse matters anywhere. In reality, it could well be a very palatable option for whomever is calling the shots in government under whatever circumstances are likely to occur.

As to where fresh fish product for the market floor of SEQ is to come from - well I'm not sure that much of it comes from here anyway. Markwells Seafoods transport most of the fish south of the border with cat food being among the usages. Mullet from the Noosa River and lakes is more likely to be sold as fresh product in this region.
I do believe however that mullet can still be netted inside the river mouth during spawning with very little detrimental affect on the fishery. Most of the licenses would have to be bought out and appropriate quotas established, but a small number of viable licenses would most likely be sustainable and have minimal affect on other species along the open beach.

[ffejsmada]

I do believe however that mullet can still be netted inside the river mouth during spawning with very little detrimental affect on the fishery.

What do you mean by the statement above Slider?

very little detrimental affect on the fishery?..........................please explain.




Most of the licenses would have to be bought out and appropriate quotas established, but a small number of viable licenses would most likely be sustainable and have minimal affect on other species along the open beach.

Again, please explain as this statement seems to contradict what you've been going on about for years.
Are you weakening your stance on this issue seeing that you've been beating your head against a brick wall for years also.
Governments and Fisheries don't want to listen.

[robvee]

ONE haul of "bycatch" and the net-vultures wipe out more undersize fish in a night than a whole village-full of recco's will do in a LIFETIME!!!!!!

PATHETIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I dont care if its been your livelihood your whole life long.
I used to own a 1 hour photo lab as my livelihood - the digital era wiped out my livelihood overnight .... I moved on and have not starved - YOU SHOULD TOO !!!

[35kg jew]

I totally agree wit everyone especially robvee they make it out to be the end of there lifes .Load of crap i agree they should get some sort of payout which would be able to start them fresh wit a job some where.

Im off going to see if i can find some big choppers ended up wit 1 quality one last night 3.9kg. Should come for a fish down my way robvee..

[caster226]

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[35kg jew]

i notice 3 people here calling them our fish. is that like the people that own waterfront property and hand feed the fish there then get upset when fishermen catch them. dont kid yourself fish stocks cant be damged by us. some american states tailor were in trouble from rec presurre and west aussie stocks crashed from rec fishing. you want to see some real carnage take a look at the sand pumping jetty and surrounds on the gold coast. rape and pillage on an epic scale down there.

I agree wit u i was only meanining the fish in the area not our fish!! I also agree wit the rec fishos taking too many that sand pumping jetty is not even tailor fishing just a bunch of novices thinking they are ledgends taking there bag limit night after night . Im all up for dropping the bag limits on tailor i mean u only need a few for dinner anyway its not like choppers are hard too catch.

Wat we are saying is when the netters hit areas hard they really stuff the area for weeks on end and totally wipe out schools of undersized fish!!! For wat most of the fish are wasted and sold for good old cat food!!!!!!!!!!!!