After many years of doing without, the new Fish Attracting Device (FAD) for Narooma is now installed just to the east northeast of Montague Island.
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Nathan McNamara of FADS and Artificial Reefs Program within NSW Fisheries on Monday arrived with new Narooma FAD “29” and dropped it off at its designated location..
The same day he also delivered FADs to Batemans Bay (FAD “28”) and Eden (FAD “30”), which were placed in their regular spots.
Narooma Sport and Game Fishing Club president Les Waldock lobbied for the return of the device to Narooma and was there to greet the new device on Monday.
The new FAD will attract species such as dolphinfish and add an extra element to the fishing out of Narooma, he said.
The deployment shows how Dept Primary Industries does want to work with both the Recreational and Commercial Fisheries
“It also shows our licence money at work where we get a FAD installed and hopefully maintained,” Les said. “If successful and almost guaranteed it will, then the recreational and charter fishers will get the benefit of catching another species, which may not have been as available without the FAD.
“Then cleaning the catch at the fish cleaning tables that our licence money has also contributed too, reflects some reason why a fishing fee was imposed. We should give credit due when credit is required and this whole program should be applauded.”
The location of the Narooma FAD was finalised after significant negotiations with effected commercial fishers and has actually been placed on the site of a mystery wreck, where commercial fishers and trawlers stay away from anyway, Mr McNamara said.
The location is 36 13.170’S, 150 17.450’E, approximately 6km ENE of Montague Island or 14km east of Wagonga Inlet, in a depth of 120m. The three Far South Coast FADs will remain in place until the end of summer.