Futurefish Foundation, together with the Friends of Corio Bay Action Group (FOCBAG) and the Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA), has lobbied hard on behalf of Victoria’s 750,000 recreational anglers to see an adjustment to practices in the commercial fishing industry in Port Phillip Bay.
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The lobbying has paid off; with the Coalition announcing that if re-elected, it will commit $20m for a buyback of commercial licences.
Futurefish Foundation Chairman, Michael Buxton said in response to the Premiers announcement on the weekend; “I wish to sincerely thank Victoria’s Premier Dr Dennis Napthine and his Coalition for their commitment to phase out commercial netting in the bay.
This will change recreational fishing in the bay forever, and may very well prove to be the biggest improvement in the bays history since the cessation of scallop dredging nearly 20 years ago”.
Port Phillip Bay is already a great place for recreational fishing, however commercial netting of the bay leaves local areas temporarily depleted of fish for weeks on end; ruining the chances for Victoria’s hundreds of thousands of recreational anglers to catch a fish in these areas.
Recreational fishing is a growing pastime for all Victorians to enjoy, and the social and economic value of a recreationally caught fish far outweighs the value of that same fish caught in a commercial net.
Mr Buxton went on to say “This doesn’t spell the end for commercially caught fish in the bay. Futurefish Foundation has made it very clear to the Coalition that commercial purse seine netting for bait species, long line fishing for snapper and aquaculture farms for mussels and oysters should remain as commercial practices in the bay as they have very little to no impact on recreational fishing”.
Futurefish Foundation has been invited to join an independent panel to make recommendations to the Coalition on how the buyback would be structured and commercial netting will be phased out. In its recommendations, it will encourage re-deployment of some commercial fishers to a rod and reel fishery so that line caught species will be available for Victorian consumers, much the same as the scallop dive licence was introduced this year for the commercial harvest of Port Phillip Bay scallops.
Mr Buxton concluded “Futurefish Foundation looks forward to working with other key recreational fishing stakeholders should the Napthine Government be re-elected, to see the commercial netting industry well compensated and phased out in an orderly way with minimal impact to the commercial fishing industry.
The end result will change recreational fishing opportunities for generations to come, and is a welcome sign of progress in seeing one of Australia’s favourite pastimes improved and secured against the threats of others who would like to see Australian waterways locked up and fishing banned.
