Fred Nile calls for sacking of Fisheries minister
An Upper House Select Committee inquiry chaired by Rev Fred Nile MLC into the closure of the Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre has recommended that the decision should be reversed immediately. The inquiry found the decision to close the centre and decentralise its activities to several coastal towns was made without any economic analysis, in direct conflict with the government's own policies, and was never presented to cabinet.

Chairman of the committee, Fred Nile, said he had never seen a matter ''so badly handled from day one''. ''I have contacted the Premier … I believe it's so important an issue that he himself should take a role in this now and not leave it to the minister,'' Mr Nile said.

Asked whether he agreed with calls by Labor and the Greens for the minister to be sacked, Mr Nile responded: ''I think it's something the Premier should seriously consider.''

During the inquiry Minister Katrina Hodgkinson maintained that the Centre will be closed regardless of the findings of the committee. Following the release of the committee's report her office once again ruled out any chance that she would reverse the decision.

The report was critical of Ms Hodgkinson, describing her appearance before the inquiry as ''evasive'' and noting that she failed to answer key questions, such as stating when the decision was taken. The report states "Overall, the Committee has been disappointed with the spirit in which the Minister has approached this inquiry. We trust that this does not reflect the manner in which the Government will respond to the Committee’s recommendations."

Some of the recommendations of the report are:

• That the Government reverse the decision to close the CFRC and halt any further work on closure.
• That the Government give all CFRC staff moved to other locations the opportunity to return to the Centre.
• That the Government conduct a comprehensive independent economic appraisal of whether to close the CFRC in accordance with the New South Wales Government Guidelines for Economic Appraisal.
• That the Government conduct a detailed analysis of the economic and non-economic value of the science carried out at the Centre.
• That the Government comprehensively review the decision to close the CFRC on the basis of an economic appraisal and analysis of the science.
• That the Government publish such an appraisal, analysis and review to ensure transparency and accountability in Government decision-making.
• That the Government meet its commitment to keep the site in public ownership.
• That the Government immediately put in place a plan to ensure that research and scientific knowledge from Cronulla is not lost.
• That the Government review all long-term temporary staff and appoint those who meet the criteria for appointment as permanent officers.
• That the Government, for any temporary staff made redundant since the announcement of the decision to close the CFRC restore the severance entitlements that were in place prior to the decision being made.
• That the Government make every effort to re-employ Professor Steve Kennelly and reinstate him to a position equivalent to the position of Chief Scientist of the Department of Primary Industries because Professor Kennelly is internationally recognised for his expertise in marine science and has an extensive and irreplaceable personal knowledge of NSW marine science research.

The full report of the committee can be read at this link.

Win one of 24 free life jackets from the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW


Enter the RFA's Rock Fishing Safety Life Jacket Competition and win one of our 24 free life jackets! Well, there's 22 left...Gary Koble and Leanne Scurr were the first two winners in our September draw. Congratulations Gary and Leanne! The RFA will be in touch to get your prizes to you.

The Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW is giving away two lifejackets every month for 12 months from September 2012. All details are on the RFA's Safe Fishing website at www.safefishing.com.au
 

Sydney Anglers playing it safe


We had an email last week from Mr Chang Hak Shin, a member of Sydney-based rock fishing club Sydney Anglers(www.sydneyanglers.com). Chang explained that most of the club members are South Korean and that they are very conscious of rock fishing safety.

Chang also told us how he had given the members waterproof smart phone cases to protect their phones in case someone gets in trouble. The cases not only protect the phone from immersion but also allow it to be operated inside the case. Sounds like a great safety idea.

Chang has also generously donated three of the cases to the RFA. So, we are giving three DiCAPac waterproof cases to the first three new subscribers to the RFA mailing list after this newsletter goes out.

So, let your family and friends know and get them to join our mailing list by clicking here to be part of the draw. We'll watch out for new subscribers and get in touch with the first three and send the prize to them.

If you want to buy one of the cases you can order online from the DiCAPac website at www.dicapac.com.au.

Bob Carr launches campaign to Asian rock fishers


Launching a communications campaign aimed at rock fishers of Asian descent, Foreign Minister Bob Carr said he would like to make Asian  Australians "nervous" about the dangers of rock fishing.

More than 150 people have died while rock fishing in NSW over the past 20 years, and most of these have been from the Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities.

Speaking at Sydney's Bondi Beach on 12 October Senator Carr urged Asian anglers to be more careful when rock fishing.

"This is a very popular recreation but it's inherently dangerous because of the sort of seas we see out there today. When you are lifted off the rocks and into the ocean, all bets are off. You are in trouble," he said.

"We want to make Chinese Australians who love rock fishing, we want to make them a bit nervous about the way the environment suddenly changes, about the prospect of them being dashed into the ocean."

The RFA's Stan Konstantaras also spoke at the launch of the campaign (see picture). He said the fact that in NSW anglers can catch highly prized table fish right on the doorstep of a major city was a great attraction that also carried with it inevitable risks.

"It's a very cheap way for us to fish so it's really attractive to a lot of us, but if it's too rough GO HOME" Mr Konstantaras said.

The RFA continues to work on its safety campaigns including media campaigns, fishing safety clinics, our safe fishing website at www.safefishing.com.au, YouTube videos in various languages and safe fishing email alerts targeting the Asian community. As part of the drowning blackspot project funding we received this year we will soon have some of our safety materials translated to over 20 languages.

No El Nino now?
The Bureau of Meteorology is now predicting an average summer for eastern Australia, despite earlier predictions of El Nino weather patterns. Warmer conditions are still expected in all areas but a fall in sea temperatures over the past six weeks unexpectedly indicates that weather will not move into El Nino conditions this summer.

$9,000 fine for grey nurse shark offence
A commercial fisher from Yamba has been fined $9,000 after being convicted for holding a critically endangered grey nurse shark on his fishing vessel. NSW DPI Director of Fisheries Compliance, Glenn Tritton, said fisheries officers found a grey nurse shark carcass in a vessel off Joggley Point near Evans Head in October, 2010.

“Fisheries officers made the find when conducting a routine check of a commercial vessel trawling for prawns at night,” Mr Tritton said.

“A 2.27 metre male grey nurse shark carcass was located in the stern of the vessel. It is an offence to harm or to be in possession of a threatened species. The offender pleaded guilty in Maclean Local Court and was fined $9,000 and $2,212 in professional costs. The penalty applied by the Magistrate certainly reflects the serious nature of the offence which can also carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 2 years.”

Mr Tritton said commercial fishers should be aware of the strict rules that apply when any threatened species is caught during a routine fishing activity.

“Failure to take immediate steps to return the fish to its natural environment with the least possible injury may expose the fisher to severe penalties,” he said.

The NSW Government recently made a raft of changes to recreational fishing and scuba diving arrangements at Grey Nurse Shark critical habitat and other aggregation sites.

For more information about how it affects recreational anglers visit this link.

Fishers seek assurance after Queensland coalition funding cutbacks
The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF), the peak body representing the nation’s 5 million fishers, is calling on the federal Coalition to provide cast iron guarantees that it will adequately fund the recreational fishing sector if it wins in the 2013 poll.

ARFF is seeking funding commitments from the federal party following the decision by Queensland LNP Premier Campbell Newman to cut all funding for that state’s peak recreational fishing body.

Allan Hansard, Director of ARFF said “The decision by Mr Newman to basically kill off Sunfish is very disturbing. Before he was elected, Mr Newman promised he would lead a ‘fishing friendly’ government. Unilaterally cutting all funding to Queensland’s peak rec fishing body isn’t what we regard as a particularly friendly act. In actual fact, it is a slap in the face to Queensland’s 700,000 fishers, many of whom voted for Mr Newman.

“We understand the need to rationalise government spending but the fact is that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to maximise the socio-economic benefits of recreational fishing in Queensland. Wiping out funding for the peak body representing Queensland fishers is not the way to get that important work done.

“It is understood that Sunfish’s annual Government funding was about $200,000. While that allowed Sunfish to operate effectively, it is in essence a fairly insignificant amount of money. We understand most of that funding was actually paid for by fishers, who contributed an $18 fee as part of boat registration. Mr Newman will still be taking that $18 but now fishers won’t be seeing any benefits from it. We don’t think that is fair or appropriate.

“We are also very keen to work with the federal Coalition on an approach that will guarantee sustainable funding for Australia’s recreational fishing community into the future. The quite savage cutbacks being announced by a number of state premiers are very worrying from our perspective.

“We would hope that Opposition fisheries spokesman Senator Richard Colbeck would accept our offer to ensure that nothing like this happens following a win by his party next year. We need Senator Colbeck and Opposition leader Tony Abbott to give Australia’s 5 million fishers cast iron assurances that funding required to grow the recreational fishing sector will be guaranteed.

“We are seeking similar assurances from the federal Government regarding on-going funding arrangements. Environment Minister Tony Burke has previously guaranteed funding to help the rec-fishing sector develop policy responses to the federal marine parks issue. That funding is expected to be delivered in the near future so that ARFF and other angling organizations can respond to the upcoming marine parks roll-out.”

Angler Access Project update
This month we want to mention a few issues that are currently affecting anglers access in NSW.

Of major concern to recreational anglers at the moment are three actions by the state government that have the potential to restrict angler access, they are:
1. The Ryan review into the Livestock Health and Pest authority and the implications for the management of Travelling Stock Reserves which provide significant access for recreational users, not just anglers.
2. The NSW Parliamentary Standing Committee 5 review of public land management
3. The Deputy Premiers’ recent press release detailing plans to accelerate the disposal of Crown roads and reducing the time for lodgement of objections to those closures.

Ryan Review
This review has said that “The responsibility for TSRs should be devolved to appropriate NSW Government agencies”. TSRs are also to be considered in the parliamentary review into public land. We should be concerned that access to TSRs for recreational fishing could be severely restricted if certain government agencies take control of TSRs fronting waterways. At present in the Eastern Division anglers can access TSRs during daylight hours, in the Western division we are not allowed access. We are asking for recreational fishing access to the Western Division TSRs and 24 hour access to all TSRs.

Parliamentary Standing Committee 5
This is a review of public land in NSW; it will include Crown land and TSRs. The NSW Angler Access Project has made a submission to this committee as has the NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers. The committee has received over 400 submissions and had a number of public hearings. We have applied to address the committee at Parliament House in December but as yet have not  any guarantee that our application will be successful. This review has major implications for anglers. On reading the submissions there are numerous complaints about loss of angler access and the detrimental impacts this can have on local rural communities.

Our voice needs to be heard or more public land will be sold off or transferred to other agencies and access we have had for generations will be lost.

Disposal of Crown roads
The Deputy Premier is initiating procedures to fast track increased disposal of Crown roads. Most of the public complaints received by DPI officers dealing with angler access are about roads; they are being fenced off, signs erected denying access and threatening prosecution, locked gates and intimidation from landholders. The most recent case is where an electronic boom gate was erected across a Crown road to prevent public access, this road led to a Crown reserve for access that provided double sided access along the river foreshore. Anglers have been abused for accessing public land; adjoining landholders are “stealing” public land for their exclusive use. It is most difficult to get any action from the government land managers to rectify the situation. Governments are shifting the responsibility for public land management on to the general public when it most definitely should be a government responsibility.

Three examples of access being denied on TSRs and public reserves....

A sign illegally denying access to a public TSR.
 

A sign denying access to a public Crown Reserve


An electronic boom gate denying access to a Crown road

And on a more cheerful note, we had a fun day at Narrandera...
I recently attended the open day at Narrandera Fisheries Research Centre celebrating their 50th anniversary. The NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers had a stall and they were kind enough to let the NSW Angler Access Project be part of their display. We were next to the South West Anglers Association, a very friendly bunch who helped us with the set up of our display. I had numerous enquiries, from anglers in the know, about access issues and their interest in local management of reserves or indentification of reserves they are interested in seeing become part of the project. Many of the crowd had very little knowledge of the project and I spent some time moving around the crowd handing out information and giving contact details for when they had access issues. A very enjoyable weekend.

Christopher Robertson
Angler Access Project

Super trawler owners attempting to overturn ban

Seafish Tasmania has offered to reduce its catch, limit its activities and fund research into jack mackerel numbers in an attempt to overturn the Australian government's recent ban on its operations.

In September the government banned the Margiris for two years until additional scientific research into the fishery could be completed. The Minister for the Environment Mr Burke has until November 20 to make a final declaration of the ban.

Seafish Tasmania argue that under conditions already imposed by the Minister the super trawler will have no greater impact than a smaller trawler and that its wide range across the fishery will in fact cause less environmental impact.

They have proposed restricting fishing to an initial 12-month period, limiting the total catch over any six-week period to a maximum of 2000 tonnes within a limited area, using less than half its frozen storage capacity and introducing by-catch mitigation measures as previously agreed.

Get Hooked Magazine launched
Get Hooked is an online magazine run by a team of talented journalism students from University of Technology Sydney. Brought together by their interests in fishing, the team contribute their unique perspectives on fishing and conservation in NSW and Australia.

Get Hooked launched on 22 October with a  mixture of news stories, opinion pieces and competitions. There's some very nice stuff in it, all written and photographed to a highly professional standard. They are always on the lookout for news stories, tips and ideas.

You can find it at http://gethookedmagazine.com. They also have a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/GetHookedMagazine and a Twitter page at http://twitter.com/GetHookedMag.
 

Blue warehou may be listed as a threatened species
Blue warehou, also known as black trevally, sea bream and snottynose trevalla has been nominated for listing under the Federal government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act's threatened species list.

Catches peaked 20 years ago at about 3000 tonnes, the Environment Department's Threatened Species Scientific Committee has been told. By the mid-1990s, stocks dwindled below the critical biological minimum 20 per cent of original size. The 2011 allowable catch was just 100 tonnes.
 
Since then AFMA said it had reduced the total allowable catch. A 2008 assessment found it remained at risk, and commercial fishers are forbidden from targeting blue warehou. But even with self-regulation by the industry 118 tonnes annually is still being taken as bycatch. Because blue warehou is part of a multi-species fishery it is not possible to have a zero catch.

RFA videos now on YouTube channel


The RFA of NSW now has a YouTube channel where all our safe fishing videos can be viewed. Go to www.youtube.com/safefishing to see the channel in its early form...we'll be adding more content shortly.

Don't forget....