Ban the netters

[Salmo]

Just thought I would try and inspire some of you bream hunters to become more involved and informed with ‘your’ fishery. Bream fanatics are just as wired about blackie fishing as game fisherman are about marlin- you love them and treat them like pets. You are sports anglers, not meat fishermen.

Obviuosly there is already a lot of recreational pressure on estuaries around the place. Fisheries surveys estimated that approximately 20% of the recreational fishing effort occurs in estuaries and rivers.

There are recreational and commercial netters still working estuarine waters along the WA south coast extracting a variety of fish, including bream....really it’s not a good long-term picture. Maybe we should be doing something now????

Recreational and Commercial netters are taking tonnes and tonnes of fish out some of your favourite southern bream waters and it seems no one cares. Places like Pallinup which really are wilderness waters containing trophy black bream, any angler would be proud to catch are heavily netted.

Winter is the time the netters are out there catching all the bream. Heavy rain can cause bream in tributaries to move downstream into the open waters of estuary basins, where they are vulnerable to capture by netters. I can’t find any research on what the recreational netters take every year but 63.5 tonnes of black bream were caught by commercial netters in 2005 along the south coast.

In 2006, the total black bream catch was 33.8 t, which was lower than in 2005 but still 3.1 t more than the 10-year (1996 – 2005) average catch ( see chart). Just for interest the highest annual catch of black bream along the south coast was 97 tonnes in 1992. That’s a lot of Black bream
In 2006, Beaufort Inlet (Pallinup) , Stokes Inlet and Wilson Inlet contributed 86% of total black bream landings, while Oyster Harbour, Oldfield Inlet, Irwin Inlet, Gordon Inlet and Princess Royal Harbour contributed the rest.

I’m sure these figures will be a bit of a shock to you ……hopefully though it gives you some idea what is being extracted by netters. Personally I think both recreational and commercial net fishing of coastal estuaries is unsustainable and fishing by nets should be banned.

If like me you care about your fishery why not make the effort to do some good. During the next few weeks of rainy wet days when you can’t go fishing write a letter to your local member of Parliament, Fisheries Minister, Recfishwest and who every else you can think of to voice your disapproval of net fishing in our estuaries.
See if we can show that you are respectful and responsible anglers who care about the welfare of our estuaries.

References: Department of Fisheries State of the Fisheries Report 2006/07 223

[Online store]

Does not matter how you do the sums, that is a hell of a lot of 1kg fish. Even if they are 500g fish it is twice the amount.

If we needed the fish to feed local towns and people who like to eat bream then it would be tolerable but when a lot of this fish ends up in cat food, that is down right ridiculous.

Slow growing native fish should never be an extender to pet food.

Next time you are at the super market, have a look at a few brands and see what they use in your area.

We have a brand here in WA made locally that uses Bream which is where I guess most of the bream goes, pretty rare that you see it on ice at the fish shop.

Instead of arguing the trials and tribulations of Gulp, if a few people acted on this it would probably get off the ground. Unfortunately unless people (us) mention things to the powers that be they have no power to do anything about it. The fact that they want an excuse to turn this area of the coast into wilderness areas would probably help the cause.

I will try and dig up some e mail addresses for people to e mail if they get the inclination.

Ian

[Bear]

And we pay to stock some of those systems so that they can keep netting them. Doesn't add up to me.

[Salmo]

cheers Ian...(I didnt go to bed after all:D)

The interesting thing is (and not acknowleged by Fisheries) is that there are less pro netters than a few years ago. BUT.......Pro effort has decreased (less pro's) but Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) has spiked over the last few years....
what that means in Gulp terms is that the Pro's are catching more bream with less effort.

I hear you Bear....seems silly doesnt it.

Not sure if people know but it is believed that different estuary systems have genetically different blackies living in them.......which makes any future stocking problematic......

[Salmo]

sorry I should clarify:o

Im for banning both rec and pro nets in estuaries

its not all about the commercials.....

[n-fish]

I heard from a mate that pensioners are alowed to set up nets/fish traps on one day of the week in parts of the metro area is this true becuase this does not seam right to me or am I being fed the wrong info :confused:

[Salmo]

Nathan.....see here mate http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/sec/rec/west/index.php

dont think you informant is correct as most of the metro is closed to netting both in the swan/canning and the ocean....

Have a read.....

[phil jagger]

Talk to the guys at Fishing W.A about it. I'm sure they would love to help.....and promote netting in our south-west...idiots!

[Bear]

On the ball Phil.

[palaran]

interesting thread salmo, cheers for the insight and information.
since fishing the Blackwood it's real disheartening to hear the river is still netted.
sports fishermen could run this program parallel to the salmon fishery as most of the catch culminates as cat food and for me personally the only good cat is a dead cat.....
but studies have been done and align to the fact that economically sportfishing brings in way more $$ than netting. least sportfishing dollars are spread through the community; from accommodation, fuel, bait, tacke and food etc and not just to small operators.
it's 2009 and time to incorporate best practice mangement.
lets go cull rabbits, pigs, foxes and the like and feed them to cats. studies indicate cats in arid regions can kill 20-30 million animals a year at a conservative estimate.
most sprotfisher realise the value of conservation and stock management associated with catch and release fishing.
Im for supporting conservation of the species, but most importantly the habitiat

[stompy]

Guys,

Both Scary and Sad, do you guys pay as license fee in WA? Over East we pay a fee and all money goes into a recreational trust. The money has been used to buy out netting in enitre waterways where primary targets where mullett, blackfish and bream.

Port Macquarie and Lake Macquarie, not related by proximity, are two great examples where the fisheries have improved dramatically although they still beach haul which is a crying shame :mad:.

Traditionally anglers are a loose lot without a great deal of funds, we tend to talk a lot amoungst ourselves and that's where it usually ends IMO.

If fees are paid by anglers the money was pooled and used to PAY someone to fight the battle and cocordinate the efforts of anglers we would be far better off.

Regards

[n-fish]

This is what i have got from the link sorry I was refering to Mandurah as metro

Peel-Harvey Inlet (Mandurah) All waters of thePeel Inlet and the Harvey River estuary system are conditionally open to recreational set and throw netting excluding the Channel entrance to Peel Inlet, the Yunderup canals, and theHarvey,Serpentine and Murray Rivers.

I was wondering if anybody was to know the "conditions" of set nets in Mandurah the more you look in to this the more disturbing it is

[LING]

Ban them or buy them out , its slowley working down here in the gippsland area just take a look at the results from vic bream 2 weeks ago , no pros in mallacotta for 5 years approx . Still trying to get them out of gippsland lakes , slowelly but surley

[Salmo]

Talk to the guys at Fishing W.A about it. I'm sure they would love to help.....and promote netting in our south-west...idiots!

Jeepers Phil, hope you didn’t buy it....:D

Maybe you picked it up waiting at the doctors surgery eh ;)


Re raising funds to buy the netters out....great idea:cool:

But they reportedly have spend over a $mil over the last few years down there already ...."Restructuring the fishery" :confused:....not sure if there have been any positive outcomes though:mad:

[Hooked]

Guys,

do you guys pay as license fee in WA? Over East we pay a fee and all money goes into a recreational trust. The money has been used to buy out netting in enitre waterways where primary targets where mullett, blackfish and bream.

Stompy WA is so f@cking backward when it comes to introducing a fee to enjoy the sport and recreation that is fishing( bar freshwater).Imagine the money raised if salties and fresh alike had to pay the $20 dollar pittance for a license to do so.
It really sh!ts me that we don't have to pay fee's to fish here.As stated how are we to fight any battles us rec fishermen see fit to fight.Rec-fish have limited funds to use to fight battles and with the looming PETA and such we could be in a world of trouble if it came to a fight over fishing rights.
Get real WA, we all should pay for our pastime.

[duffman]

i recon it it would be a huge shock to gov , media if some sort of petition / march buy us for us was to happen .imagine gov whhat they want to have to pay to fish . its good for us and good for them at least once a week theres some doom story of the future of the rivers in papers . that is pressure on gov to act and for them to introduce a fee is nice little rev raiser . more fisheries inspecters , less pissed of breamers at all bait packets and all the oter stuff . healthier rivers professinal buy backs :mad:

[Salmo]

I'm loving the passion boys.....hop to it

You need to communicate your feelings to the people who can change things...

I bet if a heap of people tonight send 15 minutes writing something down and sent letters in .....someone would notice;)

whats that song....from little things, bigs grow:)

[Superduperman]

I think thats a brilliant idea Salmo.

I'd be perfectly willing to put a petition in the shop and collect signatures for this cause if someone wanted to get some facts and figures to promote the idea of a fishing license.

[palaran]

anybody read Ed Abbeys "Monkey Wrench Gang".......
insightful book and provides some good ideas........
Hayduke is alive.....

[DAWS]

I know it is something we all are very passionate about but you have to be careful who you level your criticism at. Some things to remember are, is the pro doing something illegal and do they have a right to fare compensation for the loss of there license.
My thought are that pro anglers should be bought out and at what ever cost and well compensated for there licenses. We should be lobbing the government firstly to remove the pro's and then secondly for the professional fisherman for far compensation of there licenses so more pro's would be more eager to get out of the industry at a fare price.
If all fails we can start up an certified environment group and source funding from grants to help quantify why pro netting is not good in the long term for fish stocks.

Daws

[Bear]

Well said Daws, we don't want to return to the bad old days created by some. Remember this:

'
If there is no commercial fishery, the tourists
will not go there. This was illustrated acutely to me in an interesting dispute over the use of the Blackwood River. I
think every member of this place would have been lobbied by a group of recreational fishermen who were attempting to
deprive the one remaining professional fisherman left in the Blackwood from his living. They ran a very aggressive
web site called www.breammaster.com, as I recall - not that I ever looked at it. It was a very aggressive site that sought
to lobby me directly to get rid of this commercial fisherman. The commercial fisherman generously allowed us to
publicly release his catch data. Normally, that is protected under confidentiality agreements, but he wanted the facts to
get out so that people would know. His catch is less than one tonne a year. The most recent figure we have on the
recreational catch of black bream in the Blackwood River is from the later 1970s, which was the last time a creel survey
was done in that area. We know that it has grown considerably since the 1970s, but the recreational catch of black
bream in the Blackwood River in 1978 was 23 tonnes. The recreational sector was taking 23 times as much as the
professional fisherman was taking, and it wanted him out.'

http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/hansard/hans35.nsf/(ATT)/B9B5AAEE07F8A58948256F00002BB14B/$file/C36+S2+20040827+p5811b-5823a.pdf

[Salmo]

:p...How "yes minister" is that:rolleyes:
Minister Chance wouldnt know a bream from flathead....

where have we got since this babble in 2004

Minister Chance stated that no rec creel survey for Blackwood river since the 1970's?????
bu77DohDohDohDoh

page 223 State of The Fisheries Report

Recreational catch: 29% of total catch (approx)
2 surveys of recreational fishing in south coast estuaries have
been conducted in recent years. The first was the National
Recreational Fishing Survey, which was conducted over
12 months from May 2000 to April 2001 (Henry and Lyle
2003). The second, more recent survey was conducted by the
Department of Fisheries from December 2002 to November 2003
(Smallwood and Sumner 2007).
During the 2000/01 survey, the most commonly reported
species in the recreational catch were black bream, King George
whiting, blue swimmer crabs, pink snapper, skipjack trevally,
prawns, Western Australian salmon, mullet, Australian herring,
mulloway, tailor, squid and tarwhine.

doesnt anyone check these misleading statements made in parliment????:eek:

And the bit "The Government will be providing $830 000 of new funds in 2004-05 specifically for IFM."
that was 2004...what happen to our Intergrated Fishery management.....:(

[Salmo]

Sorry I didn’t have Fisheries Minister Hon Norman Moores email.....
Had hope someone would have posted it up:rolleyes:

Here it is
Minister.Moore@dpc.wa.gov.au

Please send in a letter with your concerns,

Just a brief letter stating your views about netters..... forget the silly stuff ...keep is smart and intelligent;)

thanks

[Online store]

Personally I think the most important part is that nets should be banned (Pro and Rec). If you are in possession of a net you are breaking the law, this way policing is made very easy, you have a net in your possession you are busted.

This will help law enforcers to, start on their way to stopping illegal netting as well.

Ian.

[Salmo]

The Walpole and Nornalup Inlets Marine Park was a good outcome for all.....especially anglers:)
http://www.marineparks.wa.gov.au/dive-in-to-marine-parks/proposed-walpole-and-nornalup-inlets-marine-park.html


now we just have 5 more equally important south coast esturaries to go:rolleyes:

please send a quick email to the minister about banning the net Minister.Moore@dpc.wa.gov.au

[Acanthopagrus]

Im gob smacked that Black Bream from the Blackwood could possibly be used as cat food extender.

After all the research and the stocking its used as such a low grade product.

Netting is so open to abuse yet there isn't the officers to manage this area.

I hope there is a workable outcome on this because stocking the Blackwood and allowing netting would be a pointless situation. Possibly a lowered bag limit could be allowed for the sensitive river?

Maybe a standard letter could be written up by one person then sent to the minister by a number of Bream fishers?

Unfortunately mail is the only thing that will have an affect on decisions. You send mail with your signature on it as valid mail.

Partitions are are only collated as one letter. They are basically useless. Someone should start a fishing non-profit mail subscription where fishermen pay say $20 then are sent letters of concern with prepaid pre-addressed envelopes to sign and send to both ministers. eg: save our fish, stop using native fish as pet food extender.

If a couple of hundred signed letters start entering office a month action will take place.

Unfortunately its the way things get done.

[Acanthopagrus]

The food extender is a good argument for aquaculture on land utilising non-wildfish as food.

[Russo]

I have only joined this great site recently, i fished the Blackwood River a month ago and was talking to a local at the caravan park about my plan where i was going to fish that afternoon, because the morning fish up river was poor. The plan for the afternoon was to go towards Augusta and fish the esturies, he told me that i could try if i liked but the pro down there had been seen netting 2 days before and pulled 1.6 ton out in a few days. He also said that they still let rec fisho's net and there was a lot of netters in the caravan park. I will myself be writing to the minister and putting my point across because my son is starting to get into sp's and hb's like me and i would like his son to do the same.

[ToMp]

the netting is shocking in albany everytime you go out
to the flats u see them all over the palce