ANGRY recreational fishers have used social media to force NSW Fisheries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson to backflip on a decision to allow the commercial sector to net “unrestricted” numbers of flathead and other species.
On May 3 the Minister signed off on a notice removing commercial catch limits on flathead and other species including morwong and perch. Details of this move remained hidden until late yesterday afternoon when the South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association (SETFIA) issued a press release outlining the minister’s plans. Describing it as a “shock move”, SETFIA said allowing NSW licensed vessels to take unlimited amounts of flathead was “unsustainable”.
SETFIA CEO Simon Boag said catch limits for flathead are imposed on NSW recreational anglers and that limits remain on Commonwealth commercial fishers in waters outside three miles off the NSW coastline.
“It amazes us that NSW would allow their commercial fishers to take unlimited catches of many species including flathead. To this point Australian fisheries have been the best managed in the world but doing this jeopardises their sustainability in NSW particularly,” Boag said.
Along with various angling interest groups, Fisho immediately published the SETFIA press release on our Facebook page, provoking an instant and angry response from the angling community. Fisho then contacted Minister Hodgkinson’s media department, seeking urgent clarification and comment on the Minister’s decision to seemingly throw fisheries management protocols out the window and allow potential commercial decimation of important recreational species. Throughout the afternoon and evening social media channels ran hot with outraged comments from anglers protesting the minister’s decision. At 7.44pm last night Fisho received a press statement from the minister saying that she had “listened to stakeholder concerns” and will now “not make changes to trip limits for commercial fishers”.
“In the interests of working collaboratively with all our stakeholders and ensuring the risks and impacts of changes to fishing limits have been fully identified and assessed, I have asked the Department to reinstate the pre-existing limits and to now work closely with the Commonwealth and stakeholders to develop effective, efficient cross-jurisdictional management arrangements,” Minister Hodgkinson said.
While Fisho welcomes this backflip, and applauds the Minister for recognising that she had made a serious error in judgement, significant questions now need to be asked about how and why this policy bungle eventuated.
According to the SETFIA press release, the Minister made her decision to allow unlimited commercial take for flathead and other species on May 3. Yet it appears no one in the angling community had any idea this policy had been enacted. What discussions and consultation did the Minister have with the recreational sector on this important matter?
For instance, did the minister consult with ACORF on this issue? If so, what was ACORF’s recommendation? If not, why not? Surely the minister recognises that flathead are a key recreational species?
In light of that, it defies political reason for the Minister to even consider allowing the commercial sector to take “unrestricted” catches of flathead (and other species) in light of the discussion paper recently released by NSW Fisheries which proposes draconian recreational bag limit reductions. Does the Minister not see the hypocrisy of allowing netters to take whatever they like while imposing tough limits on mums, dads and kids who enjoy sustainable rec fishing?
Perhaps the most important question that needs to be asked is why the Minister would sign off on such a contentious policy? Surely the words “unrestricted catch” must have run some alarm bells with the Minister and her advisors? If these alarm bells didn’t ring, then you have no option but to question the Minister’s ability to fully understand the complexities of her portfolio. Surely the Minister would have realised this move presented serious sustainability issues for the fishery, not to mention inciting significant backlash from other stakeholders, including the million-strong recreational fishing community in NSW.
Questions also need to be asked about what influence the state’s commercial sector has with the Minister. Considering the fallout of this now scrapped policy, and giving the Minister and her team at least a modicum of political nous, the sway the commercials hold must be immense. Fisho finds it hard to believe that the minister didn’t realise she’d cop flak from instigating this policy. To actually attempt to make it happen while presumably realising it would cause controversy raises significant concerns about the minister’s relationship with the NSW commercial fishing sector.
Bear in mind that this decision was also opposed as “unsustainable” by commercial operators working federal waters.
Fisho – along no doubt with many hundreds of thousands of NSW anglers – is disappointed with Fisheries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson. This ludicrous flathead catch screw-up is the latest in a long line of policy gaffes which include allowing the resumption of commercial netting for salmon and closing the NSW fisheries offices at Cronulla.
The Minister and her Government have enacted some good policies in the past year or so – supporting Robert Brown from the Shooters & Fishers Party in reviewing the flawed state marine parks system is a prime example of the sort of proactive decision making NSW anglers wholeheartedly support. But this unrestricted flathead catch flip flop makes it hard to put much faith in the minister’s ability to look after things properly. To be fair she has an onerous portfolio with numerous responsibilities. Hers would not be an easy job. And it’s not difficult to understand that things like this fall through the cracks. But that’s just not good enough. NSW fishos expect – and demand – better.
Fisho respectfully suggests that the Minister immediately ask Premier Barry O’Farrell to appoint a Parliamentary Secretary to look after the Fisheries portfolio. Having an MP dedicated to the job, and who has the time to understand its complexities and requirements, would mean unfortunate situations like this do not occur.
We need positive change here – and soon. Let us know your thoughts.
