^{1 Dept Environment and Resource Management, Marine Parks (Great Sandy) Zoning Plan 2006 Great Sandy Area}

The reality is that there could not be any scientific reason to justify it. If the area is worthy of Conservation Park Zone designation, then the netting should have been banned. If the politicians truly believed that the netting was acceptable in that area then it should not have been worthy of Conservation Park Zone status.

The Conservation Park Zones [yellow zone] in the GSMP may only be a small part of the whole Marine Park yet they are the most important areas used by the turtles, dugong and dolphins, contain important sea grass meadows, have recently formed part of the Great Sandy Biosphere, and the Sandy Strait is an important world renowned RAMSAR site. One must not forget the proximity of the Fraser Island World Heritage Area as well which encroaches into the Conservation zones.

Due to public outcry, the Premier at the time promised a thorough review of the GSMP in 2011. However, as usually happens with political promises, the commitment was twisted and turned and cut to shreds until what happened was a “nothing” review that only looked at a few minor issues. The politicians and senior bureaucrats refused to consider any of the major flaws in the GSMP plan. And there were many, not just the netting issues. For instance the green zone that was only on the land [inland from the mangroves] so that netting could continue in that area, or the conservation zone that was placed across the man-made artificial reef, or “protection” of sensitive benthic [bottom] ecosystems that still allows anchoring but not fishing. Protecting intrinsic natural values?

Recently the Government made some changes to the rules applying to the use of bait nets [small mesh nets] in Yellow Zones. In essence bream, whiting and flathead were no longer permitted to be taken in Yellow zones across the state. HOWEVER, in the GSA the government again showed their bias and this amendment did not apply. The only place in the whole of Qld, again. Nothing changed in the GSA. Sadly this reflects the inability of the previous Government to recognise and protect the values of the Conservation Park Zones in the GSMP.

In the yellow zones various netting activities are disruptive to spawning aggregations, cause damage to sea grass meadows, as well as result in substantial by-catch of undersize fish, crabs and other non marketable fish. Surveys have indicated there is a serious decline in the recreational catch rates of the whole GSMP. Catch rates have fallen from 7.8 fish per person per trip in 1986[2] to just 0.81 fish per person per trip in 2003[3]. This is believed to be even worse in 2012. However commercial fishing representatives continue to peddle the line that there are plenty of fish and catch rates are as good as ever.

The implications for Tourism and the economy of the Fraser Coast are enormous when the area could be a world renowned sports fishing location for a number of prime target species including queenfish, golden trevally, snub-nosed dart [permit] and various tuna species.

This is as well as the fact that the Mary River is the most southern recognised Barramundi fishery in the state, providing a large Barramundi fishery, easily within 3 hours drive of Brisbane.

The Mary River is well served by two working fish ways essential for barramundi. Unfortunately extensive netting is also allowed unabated in that part of the Conservation Park Zone and the barramundi are heavily netted.

Recreational Fishers should have a fair expectation of a good fishing experience with a reasonable catch from a wide range of species, but how can they compete with 600 meters of nets when restricted to a hook on a line?

One of the real concerns is the false justification used to allow netting to continue in many areas, including in Conservation areas of the Great Sandy Marine Park: the myth of “fresh Local Fish”. The reality is that the majority of commercially caught seafood is exported to southern states or overseas, the majority of locally bought seafood is frozen and imported.

The call of “fresh Local Fish” from the commercial fishing sector is fast becoming a myth.

This is backed up by the latest report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics which states that $1.2billion worth of Australian seafood [out of a total $2.18billion] is exported each year, while $1.5billion worth of seafood is imported.[1]

We challenge anybody to walk into any supermarket and see for themselves the amount of “fresh local fish”. Nearly all of it is labelled “imported” “thawed” “frozen” “farmed”, “product of another country”, or “product of Australia” that is not local. The majority of locally caught seafood is being sold [mostly out of the region] for profits to a small number of commercial fishers.

Consumers are already buying mostly imported seafood, and aquaculture makes up 40% of all seafood production in Australia.[2] It has happened because of price. Commercial fishers are selling to the highest bidder for profit; they are not, and have no intention of, favouring locals. In fact, the majority of truly fresh and truly local fish that is eaten is provided by recreational anglers for their family and friends.

Commercial fishers have admitted that there are only about 30 netters operating in the whole marine park, not just the small Yellow Zone, and most of these are approaching retirement age[3]. Yet this small number of profiteers is being favoured to the detriment of good environmental planning, as well as to everybody else who does not have a netting license. Magnifying the problem is the fact that the government will not restrict the number of netters who can work the area, leaving it legally open for the several hundred licence holders in the state to come and set up camp in the Conservation Park Zone.

The Fraser Coast Fishing Alliance is not calling for, and never has called for, the banning of all commercial fishing, in spite of the fact that some in the commercial sector repeatedly bleat this. The simple request is that netting be allowed ONLY in the greater part of the Great Sandy Marine Park that is not designated Conservation Zone, not near urban areas, and not in areas that are high conflict with recreational angling. This would still allow most of the current commercial operators to continue fishing in the Marine Park.

The commercial fishermen’s own organization, the Qld Seafood Industry Association [QSIA] have also stated there is far too much commercial netting happening in Qld and have called for a reduction in commercial net fishing.[4]

The 2 major political parties have pledged about $10million to buy out netters from sensitive areas especially dugong and turtle areas.

The Great Sandy Strait must qualify as the number 1 priority for removal of excessive commercial netting in Queensland.

¹  Dept Environment and Resource Management, Marine Parks (Great Sandy) Zoning Plan 2006 Great Sandy Area
² Moore N. Qld Department of Primary Industries. 1986. Recreational Fishing in Hervey Bay and the Great Sandy Strait.
³ Murphy Ian. 2003. A Snapshot of Recreational Fishers and Their Catches in the Hervey Bay Region.
⁴ Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences 2011: Australian Fisheries Statistics 2010.
⁵ Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences 2011 : Australian Fisheries Statistics 2010.
⁶ Des Finlay, Commercial Fisher Hervey Bay Independent March 23rd 2012
⁷ QSIA 2012. Points of Agreement QSIA, Sunfish, AMPTO, WWF. Dated 5th March 2012