THE Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the Northern Territory Inc. (AFANT) has revealed commercial fishermen are still operating inside newly implemented Reef Fish Protection Areas, despite government assurances all fishing in these areas would be banned.
In a letter to NT Fisheries Minister, Willem Westra Van Holthe, AFANT has highlighted its great displeasure at the development, stating “the vast majority of commercial fishermen are still allowed to fish and operate inside the newly implemented Reef Fish Protection Areas.
“This was despite governments repeated assurances that all stakeholders; commercial, recreational, indigenous and tour fishing operators were required to ‘share the pain’ and be excluded from fishing these areas to aid in the protection and recovery of at risk reef fish species.” (Read letter in full below)
Reef Fish Protection Areas were recently introduced in the Northern Territory to address dwindling stocks of popular target species the black jewfish and golden snapper.
There are five Reef Fish Protection Areas located near Bathurst Island, Melville Island, Charles Point Wide, Lorna Shoal and Moyle/Port Keats.
According to the NT Fisheries website:
“Fisheries Research has undertaken an analysis of the status of golden snapper and jewfish stocks using contemporary data. That new analysis has confirmed that the downward trend of stocks has continued, and is occurring at an accelerated rate in the greater Darwin area.
“Recovery of depleted stocks around the Darwin area in particular can only be achieved through a package of measures consisting of reduced possession limits, vessel limits and the implementation of specific protected areas for a period of time.
“The key to implementing a well-designed system of protected areas is to protect both historically significant fish aggregation sites that have been depleted of mature breeding fish.”
See earlier stories on the RFPAs here and here.
Letter to NT Fisheries Minister Willem Westra Van Holthe, from AFANT
Dear Minister
RE: Commercial Fishing in Reef Fish Protection Areas
It has come to my attention that the vast majority of commercial fishermen are still allowed to fish and operate inside the newly implemented Reef Fish Protection Areas. This was despite governments repeated assurances that all stakeholders; commercial, recreational, indigenous and tour fishing operators were required to “share the pain” and be excluded from fishing these areas to aid in the protection and recovery of at risk reef fish species.
AFANT and the other members of the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) were instrumental in approving and implementing these reef fish regulations based on the advice and assurances provided by government. At no stage during the discussions on this issue was AFANT or any other member of RFAC advised that commercial fishing, regardless of technique used or species targeted, was allowed to operate within these reef fish protection areas.
The understanding within the RFAC was that all commercial fishing would be excluded and that this was supported by government.
Despite AFANT and the RFAC dealing with the government in good faith the government has done an underhand deal with the commercial fishing industry behind our backs. They have deliberately and continuously conducted a campaign to deceive and withhold vital information from AFANT, the RFAC and the recreational fishermen of the Northern Territory.
This was a deliberate attempt by the government to withhold information that would have otherwise prevented the recreational fishermen of the Northern Territory agreeing to these new regulations and reef fish protection areas.
In deliberately withholding this information and their deceptive campaign to mislead and misinform the recreational fishing community the government has lost all trust and credibility and has once again shown their lack of understanding about the importance of clear, transparent and honest communication with the recreational fishermen of the Northern Territory.
AFANT calls on the government to immediately amend this legislation and remove all commercial fishing effort regardless of species or fishery from these Reef Fish Projection Zones as per their original communication and representations to AFANT and the RFAC.
Warren de With
President
Amateur Fishermen’s Association NT
26 June 2015
