Gascoyne fish trap trial will not go ahead
Rec fishers and Recfishwest have a win after Minister heeds concernsThe WA State Government has decided against a commercial fishing industry proposal for a trial of fish traps off the Gascoyne coast.
Fisheries Minister Ken Baston said the proposal had generated significant public interest and debate between the commercial and recreational fishing sectors.
"Taking into account the views put forward by all parties, on balance, I cannot support this trial," Mr Baston said.
While acknowledging that the fishery is quota managed and there were no stock sustainability issues involved, the Minister said he had made special note of some specific concerns, including:
- The potential for a change in commercial catch composition to include a greater percentage of recreationally important non-pink snapper demersal scalefish
- The potential for trap fishing to occur in areas of high importance to the recreational fishing sector
- No available independent data regarding the extent of shark predation of recreational and commercial catches
- The lack of a formal harvest strategy for the Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Fishery.
"These uncertainties have led me to not support the fish trap trial, but I have asked for some further work to be done to address these issues," Mr Baston said.
The Department of Fisheries will develop a harvest strategy for the commercial fishery, including the potential impact of alternative gear types and shifts in species composition.
The issue of shark predation, or bite-offs as many fishers call them, drew debate during the consultation period. As a result, the department, in liaison with the WA Fishing Industry Council and Recfishwest, will survey commercial and recreational fishers.
Recfishers concerns over the proposed fish-trapping trial included:
- Localised depletion of key species in important recreational fishing areas
- Introduction of traps will likely lead to a change of fishing behaviour as important recreational fishing areas will now become easily fished
- Any decrease in fishing quality will effect fishing based tourism, see a decrease in visitation and adversely impact local businesses
- Heavy traps are likely to damage to sensitive habitats such as coral reef
- There is no evidence to suggest traps will decrease shark predation for which it is claimed to do, allowing fish trapping would be treating the symptom not the cause
- There are concerns over ‘ghost’ fishing of lost traps
- The proposed ‘trial’ allows an unlimited number of traps in an unrestricted area
- The proposed ‘trial’ is unnecessarily long
More at http://recfishwest.org.au.
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