Fishermen in the Gulf of Carpentaria were given two weeks notice that five gillnet-free zones will be implemented in their waters, in an announcement released by Queensland's Agriculture Minister Mark Furner last Friday afternoon.
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Gulf of Carpentaria Commercial Fishermen Association spokesperson Shawn McAtamney described the decision as flawed and disappointing, while Traeger MP Robbie Katter said it was an utter slap in the face to fishers who'd had their livelihoods obliterated with 14 days' notice.
In addition to the impacts it will have, Mr McAtamney said the haste with which it was pushed through was concerning.
"It didn't even go through parliamentary debate," he said. "The Governor signed off on it, an archaic piece of colonial history."
Mr Furner said the zones will protect threatened, endangered and protected marine species while supporting a sustainable commercial and recreational fishing industry in the Gulf.
Mr McAtamney disputed that, saying all it did was protect waters in one area of the Gulf and encourage people to intensify their efforts in the rest.
"Those who are out on a six-week fishing trip will be locked out when they return - I'm one of them," he said. "And those who are not affected are worried about the pressure that's about to descend upon them."
The government said the waters to be covered by the new gillnet-free areas represent less than 10 per cent of the commercial fishing take from N3 symbols in the Gulf, but Mr McAtamney said that was flawed.
"Will they remove 50pc of the fishing effort," he asked.
He said approximately 56 per cent of the Gulf's gillnet fishing areas will be closed on May 17.
Although the government has announced a $12 million adjustment and support package for commercial fishers impacted by the changes, details of the package and the process for applications have yet to be communicated to licence holders.
"The government is saying what your livelihood is worth," Mr McAtamney said.
"This is not appropriate for multi-generational fishing families. What do they do - reskill, retrain?
"This will impact communities across the Gulf - tourism is a valid industry but it's not compared to fishing.
"The government's making up words."
While Mr Furner said there had been extensive consultation with commercial and recreational fishers, Traditional Owners, local communities and conservation groups to finalise the zones, which have been increased from four to five, Mr McAtamney said it was hastily done, in line with a political agenda.
He said there had been six weeks of consultation prior to December, after they'd become entangled in the decision to appease UNESCO in advance of its decision on whether to declare the Great Barrier Reef as in danger.
"The consultation announced at the time was all for the Great Barrier Reef - we didn't put anything in," Mr McAtamney said.
"The government was embarrassed; it had to put six weeks of consultation in for the Gulf.
"Then, out of the $160m compensation for the GBR, they had very little left, just $12m for us.
"They don't have enough money to implement something realistic."
Mr Katter, also Katter's Australian Party leader, said Mr Furner had capitulated to his Brisbane masters and their desperate scramble for green votes, pulling the rug from under hard-working and law-abiding fishing businesses without any scientific backing.
"This process has been botched from day one, with ludicrous consultation (and) multiple rounds of short-notice meetings - all because Brisbane and Canberra want to suck up to UNESCO in Paris," he said. "I'm unsurprised but highly disappointed that the LNP has not taken up the baton with me and the KAP in vehemently condemning this pandering."
Mr Katter said if there was any evidence of a fishery under genuine threat, he would be happy to talk about it, but said it was happening purely because federal Labor's Tanya Plibersek sold out North Queensland to UNESCO.
"That same letter details how Brisbane's parties are also planning to sacrifice the grazing via more tree clearing legislation and persecute our food-producing farmers by further burdening them with fertiliser restrictions," he said.
Mr Furner said the gillnet-free zones being implemented would give the commercial fishing industry the certainty it needs to plan for a sustainable future.
"It will also enable us to meet our obligations to conserve important marine species and protect one of Queensland's most precious marine ecosystems," he said.
The consultation process identified the need for a fifth gillnet-free zone in addition to the four zones originally proposed.
"In recognition of the community and industry feedback we received, we have shifted the boundaries of three of the four proposed gillnet-free areas to better support the commercial fishing industry and better align with known geographic reference points," Mr Furner said. "The additional gillnet-free area at Topsy Creek was added to support First Nations community members' desire to build ecotourism and recreational and charter fishing opportunities."
The new gillnet-free areas will be:
- Northern Gulf of Carpentaria, all waters within the defined area from Boyd Point north to Cape York;
- Western Gulf of Carpentaria, all waters within the defined area from the border with the Northern Territory east to Point Parker, including N3 waters around the Wellesley Islands;
- Norman River, all waters within the defined area including the Norman River and associated tributaries;
- Pormpuraaw, all waters within the defined area from north of Balurga Creek to south of the Chapman River;
- Topsy Creek, all waters within the defined area between north of the South Mitchell River to south of Horse Creek.
Measures already in place to minimise interactions with protected wildlife in the Wellesley Islands Protected Wildlife Area will be extended to the adjacent rivers and creeks on the mainland areas open to fishing west of Burketown.
Fishing with gillnets can continue between Point Parker and John's Creek outside of the defined Western Gulf of Carpentaria gillnet-free area.
Other measures considered during the consultation period that will be progressed in 2024/25 include:
- Short to medium-term actions to rebuild king threadfin stocks;
- Implementation of a new harvest strategy for the Gulf;
- New commercial catch limits and improved reporting arrangements; and
- Implementation of independent onboard monitoring.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
