Anxious wait ahead for Victoria's coronavirus-struck recreational boaters, fishers
Victorians will learn at 11am today if recreational boating and fishing are allowed under changes to strict COVID-19 control measuresVictoria’s recreational fishers face an anxious wait until 11am today to find out if strict coronavirus control measures throughout the state will be eased enough for them to head back to the water.
The state’s recreational boating and fishing industry has been gutted by a six-week lockdown that has even prevented people from heading down to the local jetty to cast a line in the water, even though they can easily adhere to strict social distancing guidelines that encourage people to stay at least 1.5 metres away from each other.
Victoria is the only Australian state or territory to deem recreational boating and fishing as “non-essential” activities under a state of emergency declared in April as fears of the COVID-19 pandemic grew. The state of emergency officially ends at midnight tonight.
State Cabinet is due to meet today to determine if the control measures that have forced boat service centres and bait shops to shutter their doors even while fast food chains started selling bread, eggs and milk to circumvent the introduction of rumoured tougher lockdowns.
Open letter
Recreational fishing lobby group VRFish sent an open letter to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews over the weekend pleading for angling to be added to the list of permitted activities.
In the letter, VRFish said that fishing already exceeded the minimum criteria for the first phase of the National Principles or Sport and Recreation Activities, a set of Federal Government-endorsed guidelines released last month that spell out the relative risks of restoring various recreational activities.
VRFish's letter points out that fishing is a solitary and not a group activity, it already practices extensive physical distancing by its very nature, and is solely an outdoors activity with a low risk of coronavirus transmission.
“Also, other Australian states have moved swiftly (assumed on health advice) to relax limitations for fishing and boating, if any existed as of March 31,” VRFish said.
No time has been set today for the state government to announce its new COVID-19 control measures.
Victoria’s reluctance to kick-start its economy is in stark contrast to neighbouring South Australia, which today has eased restrictions to the extent that it will even allow regional travel among other measures, meaning its citizens can head out to their favourite fishing spots.
Under its more relaxed coronavirus control measures, camping grounds and caravan parks are also open across SA.
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