Great Sandy Net Free Zone

[patrol50]

"fished the Fitzroy River for 4 hours and caught and released 6 barra between 65 and 83cm plus a few rats, maybe 9 or 10 king threadfin up to about 75, and 4 blue threadies around 65cm."

wee bit hard to believe that fishy tail but anyway mate to the best of my knowledge the local member was the qld fisheries minister at the time was he not and was just maybe allegedly looking after the rec fishers vote for his own back yard one suspects and good luck to you all - the fact that the fitzroy river is now a brilliant net free zone does not necessarily indicate other areas will soon become ones also (but as you appear to be one of the true believers get them to put another 6 net free zones say along the coast from the border up including moreton bay then they would have my vote tomorrow ) - nobody is arguing that net free zones are not bloody brilliant old boy its just that with the stroke of a pen by some dh bureaucrat in brisbane (as moonlighter mentioned) they can also become green zones very easily

and yep if said lucy stanton gets in and becomes the environment or fisheries minister or whatever some day then no doubt she will do all she can to implement her commitments in her local area as well with an eye on the number of rec fishers who vote in that area and that would be great - but not over likely to happen soon as a brand new back bencher - and with a minority alp govt in qld who need the katter boys on side

enjoy them big barra and kingies in the fitzroy mate your'e a lucky boy to catch that kind of unbelievable number in 4 hours methinks but if true then enjoy while you can before the greens come after that area for habitat protection or similar

cheers

[Slider]

Why would the greens/conservationists be now looking to add more green zones when they supported the NFAs as a conservation measure. Why would the ALP want more green than is electorally acceptable when they are implementing NFAs which are electorally acceptable and a conservation measure in their own right. You are simply scaremongering .... a LNP trait if ever there was one.

The Katter boys voted against the LNP Disallowance Motion - they are on side for net free areas. The only politicians opposed to improving recreational fishing are the onesl wearing LNP colours.

[patrol50]

dear me lindsay scaremongering by suggesting the greens will be after more green zones in a newly declared world heritage listed area rather than supporting net free rec fishing areas - good luck with that then old fella but hey i hope you and your other true believers are proved right!!!
and not a great fan of the lnp lindsay but i like the greens even less and the alp do seem to quite like them
cheers

ps by the way how about getting The Hon Leanne Donaldson Member for Bundaberg (ALP) Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Qld to come out and support this option of the net free zones for rec fishing then that the said lucy stanton is proposing to give it real credibility - seems not a lot happening there ???

[Slider]

As with the North Qld NFAs, we are working with the green sector on the Great Sandy NFA. You are obviously not privy to these conversations.

[patrol50]

no lindsay i am not working with the greens mate - but it would appear allegedly now you are !!!!

ps and perhaps not really playing straight if allegedly using NFA association for a political game

[Kev_McC]

I know I shouldn't take offence at anonymous people on the internet so I won't comment any more than to suggest to Patrol50 that you could look up the Rocky Barra Bounty to see how it fishes for those locals and visitors that frequent it when the conditions are right. Maybe I should also have mentioned the previous trip where I got bugger all.

The point is that net free zones are not some conspiracy to trick us into signing away our rights to go and have a fish (the sky hasn't fallen in above the Northern Territory). They are simply areas where commercial gill netting effort is bought out (commercial crabbing and trawling still occurs in these places) so that there are more and larger fish available for others who also value the resource (us?). You could say that they also buy some votes and I won't argue; like I said they got mine for the first time ever.

[patrol50]

and they would also get mine if they put net free zones in the key areas of moreton bay and / or maybe opened up a couple of the more ridiculous green zones to rod and reel fishing only - and yea mate we all get bugger all some days and more often than i care to think of in moreton bay nowdays - so maybe we are sort of on the same page - and frankly i really genuinely do hope it the great sandy net free rec fishing is a goer and it happens !!!!
cheers

ps and no offence meant mate but what was it approx 18 real decent fish in 4 hours is pretty good going and frankly i would be over the moon !!!

[Kev_McC]

yeah I was over the moon! We are very fortunate to have the Fitzroy Delta here. At times since the succession of good wet seasons the system seems to be full of threadies up to around 70cm and they are easy to catch when schooled up and feeding. Too easy really, we often leave the rats biting. From about now until October the blues also school up in the lower reaches and get a bit kamikaze. Without nets the king threadies in particular should be more frequent captures at their mature sizes.

[Slider]

When we have the same agenda of creating a net free area, why wouldn't we be working together?
I have no need to defend my political associations when everybody is well aware that I have been pursuing a net free area for Cooloola and Fraser Island for over 10 years. Will the LNP help me with that?

[rayken1938]

It is a shame that issues similar to this degrade to political issues.
One party will see a political advantage in supporting net free zones whilst another will support the continuing netting.
The net free zones will certainly affect the pro fishermen with a flow on to the local economy.
I would bet my lefty that with this proposal in the wind that the pros are currently maximizing their effort to maximize any proposed buy out..
The inverse will be the positive effect on the local tourism.
The problem being on ballot day is that you will have to decide which of the 1000 political promises you decide is most important to you.
Cheers
Ray

[aussiebasser]

Whilst I love my fishing, if people think they should vote for a certain political party purely by what they promise local fishermen, rather that what that political party intends to do with the overall economy of the country, I think we have a problem.

[Lovey80]

Unfortunately AB, in this instance I think supporting NFA's could be a major benefit to both. Queensland really does have the opportunity to be a fishing Mecca that brings overseas tourists from far and wide. I think these are the start of what is possible.

If the ALP managed to learn to balance a budget between now and the next election on top of this, would have me voting ALP for the first time in my life.

[Just_chips]

[QUOTE=Lovey80;1614863]Unfortunately AB, in this instance I think supporting NFA's could be a major benefit to both. Queensland really does have the opportunity to be a fishing Mecca that brings overseas tourists from far and wide. I think these are the start of what is possible.
QUOTE]

Not just overseas. There are plenty of cashed up Southern Anglers who migrate north looking for some decent water to fish. Sadly in the past Southern QLD just hasn't been able to provide it. If reducing net effort increases results for line anglers and brings back the fishing to good old days standards, I'm sure there would be plenty of Aussie touring anglers and their families arriving in the region also. It's already picturesque enough to be a tourist drawcard, imagine if the fishing was off the charts too?

[Mike Delisser]

When we have the same agenda of creating a net free area, why wouldn't we be working together?
I have no need to defend my political associations when everybody is well aware that I have been pursuing a net free area for Cooloola and Fraser Island for over 10 years. Will the LNP help me with that?

You can read the LNP's new Fisheries Minister's maiden speech and make your own mind up.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and ForestryMr LAST (Burdekin—LNP) (12.22 pm): I am honoured to be promoted to the role of shadowminister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, a portfolio that is very dear to my heart and one that hasthe potential to change the face of Queensland. At the outset I want to acknowledge the excellent workperformed in this portfolio by my predecessor, Deb Frecklington, who had a real connection with thebush, agriculture and our primary industries.It is my intention to ensure Queensland’s primary industries have a strong voice in the parliament,to highlight their issues and continue the common sense and practical policy work of the LNP. I will beworking as hard as I can to support our primary industries and that means working with all major industrygroups and stakeholders to do my bit to help them reach their full potential because we really do havegreat potential for growth in our farm, fishing and forestry industries, potential that I believe is not beingrealised under this Labor government.Over the coming weeks I will be travelling throughout Queensland meeting with industry groups,families on the land and rural and remote communities to take on board their concerns and issues. Igrew up on the land and the grounding I received in the cattle, sugarcane and horticultural industrieswill stand me in good stead in this role. Indeed, I have three brothers who, apart from keeping megrounded, work in the cattle and sugarcane industries and are a valuable source of knowledge. I havecontinued that involvement with the land throughout my career and at various times I have been agrazier, a share farmer and a contract musterer. I have also cut sleepers and cypress pine in the forestrysector in Central Queensland and worked with national park staff in Cape York Peninsula to controlvermin and I have no hesitation in saying that I love the bush.My electorate takes its name from the mighty Burdekin River and centres on the towns of Ayrand Home Hill where sugar is the mainstay industry, an industry that underpins hundreds of local jobsand businesses, including the Hall and Mio families, Don Heatley, the Rapisarda families and, of course,down at Bowen the Born and Jurgen families. These farmers and businesses are concerned about arange of issues, principally around power and water costs, and it is my intention to continue advocatingon their behalf for relief in these areas.I will be working with our farmers to reduce farm runoff and protect the reef whilst maintainingthe rights of our farmers to properly manage their farms without the unnecessary restrictions that thoseopposite wish to impose by scrapping the LNP’s soundly based vegetation management framework. Iwill also be standing up for our farmers in western shires who remain in the grip of drought, many whoare now facing their fourth and fifth year of record low rainfall as a result of the failure of the wet season.I note there has been some very welcome rain in the far west and south-west with the region aroundBirdsville receiving more than 50 millimetres and Napper Merrie on the South Australian border morethan 100 millimetres. This is great news, but more than 80 per cent of Queensland remains droughtdeclared and these graziers, landholders and their local communities cannot be forgotten and I will be 10 May 2016 Matters of Public Interest 1537019doing whatever I can to ensure that support measures for these Queenslanders are as generous andas well targeted as possible.Unlike those opposite, the LNP has a clear plan for agriculture in Queensland, supported bycommon-sense policies for all our major primary industries. Like my predecessor, I intend to work veryclosely with key stakeholder groups and I have already started that consultation process. I will belistening to their needs and I will not be playing politics with groups in any sector, as Labor and BillByrne shamefully have done with fishing, demonising commercial fishers and listening only to their recfishing mates which has led to widespread anger and disillusionment that has cost this state real jobs.I am passionate about agriculture and working to develop the full potential of Queensland’sprimary industries, especially in North Queensland, through fully planned and costed development ofwater resources and high-value farmland, helping to deliver the infrastructure, water, roads, power andports infrastructure that are needed.Development of agribusiness in this state should be seen as paramount. It is my vision thatagribusiness will rise to become the leading economic development and job creating industry in thestate of Queensland. As the shadow minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, I will be looking tobuild a Queensland global agribusiness strategy that promotes agribusiness in Asia with Queenslandand Australia’s trade agreement partners China, Japan and Korea. I will also be working on thepromotion of education and training in agribusiness in schools, TAFEs and universities because at theend of the day the LNP is about creating long-term jobs and looking after our farmers.Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Farmer): Before I call the member for Keppel, I remindmembers that when they are referring to members they do so by their formal title.Keppel, Police ResourcesMrs LAUGA (Keppel—ALP) (12.27 pm):


I wonder why our own MP Mark didn't get the gig?

[Moonlighter]

Are these REALLY the people you want to get into bed with?

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/sho...he-firing-line