BLOG: What's the problem with your pollies?

PERHAPS things get a little lost in translation when the news is viewed from the other side of the world but am I alone in thinking that the people of New South Wales who love recreational fishing are being poorly served by their politicians?

Take a look at this list and judge for yourselves...

1. Closing Cronulla Fisheries Centre

First, let's hear it for the good guy. Local Liberal MP Mark Speakman has defied his party bosses and opposed this mad closure which will deliver a worse service and cost more money.

He said that his government's decision defied common sense, and he pledged to take a petition of nearly 20,000 signatures to the parliament.

"In my view a loyal member of the government, when he sees an error happening, has to speak up and prevent that error. You only get 19,000 signatures to a petition if the petition makes common sense. Common sense in my view dictates that the Cronulla Fisheries remain where it is and as it is."

As Fisho readers will know, in September 150 staff at the research facility were told their jobs would be moved to regional areas under a decision made without any consultation whatsoever by Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson.

Mr Speakman arranged a meeting with NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell about the matter and has voiced his opposition to Ms Hodgkinson.

"Her position is the closure will happen and my position is that it shouldn't happen and we've had a robust exchange about that, and I'm going to continue to prosecute the case."

Good stuff from the excellent Mr Speakman but did he and the thousands of people who have registered their concerns really deserve this arrogant and contemptuous response from the minister who described their efforts as "futile"?

Ms Hodgkinson said the decision had already been made...

"It may be a futile exercise on their behalf, but I respect their right to speak out. We live in a democracy. They've got every right to represent their communities."

It's a pretty pisspoor definition of democracy in my opinion when voters' and workers' protests are dismissed as futile by a minister who hasn't even bothered to visit the place she is proposing to close!

And another thing...

Why have we not heard a single word on this matter from Robert Brown and the Shooters and Fishers Party of NSW? Have they cut a deal with Barry? I'm in possession of some rather pompous emails from Mr Brown telling me not to worry my little head about things as we can rely on his party to look after the interests of fishers in NSW. If only we could.

2. Artificial Reefs

Staying with Ms Hodgkinson. One of her first decisions regarding recreational fishing was the announcement of an artificial reef to be deployed east of Sydney. Two further reefs will be situated in NSW's north and south. The Minister said it was intended that these reefs be used for the sole benefit of recreational anglers and told Fisho that she would investigate ways to ensure that no commercial fishing effort was allowed in these areas.

Congratulations to the minister for pressing ahead with a decision that was made by her predecessors and for promising to make the reefs rec only. Why then was the first one installed off Sydney this week without any protection from commercial exploitation? Another broken promise or was she too busy sacking the staff needed to to create the rec fish haven? The boys at Fisho have sought to clarify this issue with the Minister's staffers, who swear blind that the new reef is rec-only. However, sources at NSW Fisheries - who it must be presumed know more about this sort of stuff than ministerial staffers - say this is definitely not the case - there are no obstructions to commercial operators accessing the reef and exploiting the fish that will doubtless congrgate around it. Sounds like the Minister needs to be asking a few questions here...

3. Southern bluefin tuna quotas

Let's not let the Labor feds off the hook either. Rec fishers have reacted angrily to the crazy decision to raise southern bluefin tuna quotas.

Meeting in Bali recently, the six-nation Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna agreed a total quota rise of one third in the $1 billion fishery over the three-year period, from the current 9449 tonnes to 12,449 tonnes.

According to the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Association, quota increases are justified with stock assessments showing a dramatic increase in numbers of juvenile fish, and sustained strength in the population of older fish. This assessment has been based on just a couple of years' worth of data and catch reports and the decision was made with no reference to the value of the recreational fishery or the views of rec fishers.

This means that next year, commercial fishers based at Port Lincoln in South Australia, can take 4528 tonnes of bluefin, up around 500 tonnes on this year, and rising over the following two years.

Given that it was overfishing by the commercial sector that led to the collapse in SBT stocks in the first place it was a little surprising that the normally reliable Mike Kelly chose to welcome the quota increase without any acknowledgement of anglers concerns or of the economic contribution made by the recreational fishery.

As Fisho editor Jim Harnwell rightly said in a recent letter to Dr Kelly's staffers ...

"As well as having grave concerns about the environmental rationale of letting the people who destroyed the fishery get stuck back into it again, I was perturbed to note that there was no mention by the federal Govt of how important this fishery is to recreational anglers, especially those of us in southern NSW, Tasmania and Victoria. The increase in SBT stocks in recent years due to a cessation of commercial overexploitation has invigorated the gamefishing scene in these areas, proving a economic boon for regional towns, boat builders, charter vessels and the tackle industry."

So there we have it ... an increase in commercial quotas for one of the world's most endangered species whilst mad greenies run around trying to lock more and more anglers out of more and more fisheries. Artificial reefs paid for by rec fishers' licence monies left open to commercial exploitation, a Shooters and Fishers Party who appear to have taken a vow of silence and a Fisheries Minister who wants to trample over the views of rec fishers and their local MP by closing a world renowned fisheries research centre.

Nice one guys!