NO PERMIT? NO FISHING

NLC expected to announce fishing registrations for large parts of Territory’s coastline

LARGE parts of the Northern Territory coastline are expected to be off-limits to recreational and commercial fishers unless they obtain a permit, under an announcement set to be made by the Northern Land Council (NLC) tomorrow.

The Sunday Territorian understands the NLC will put out a media release on Monday announcing the need for fishers to obtain permits to fish in certain Aboriginal-owned areas of the NT coast. The release is also expected to announce the creation of an online portal that fishers will have to use to apply for permits.

The NLC has refused to comment at this stage.

LARGE parts of the Northern Territory coastline are expected to be off-limits to recreational and commercial fishers unless they obtain a permit, under an announcement set to be made by the Northern Land Council tomorrow.

The Sunday Territorian understands the NLC will put out a media release announcing the need for fishers to obtain permits to fish in certain Aboriginal-owned coastal areas.

The release is also expected to announce the creation of an online portal for fishers to apply for permits.

The NLC has refused to comment, with a spokesman saying the land council would issue an embargoed release to media today.

The news comes after Territory fishers and the NT government reacted with shock in mid-December after the NLC announced that on January 1, 2021, vast tracts of the coast would be made off-limits to recreational and commercial fishers unless they applied for and obtained permits.

The announcement, made in a public notice in the NT News, appeared to contradict a NLC media release just over a week earlier in which chief executive Marion Scrymgour said the NLC Full Council had approved permit-free fishing in NT Aboriginal tidal waters for recreational and commercial fishers until 2022.

At the time, then acting chief minister Nicole Manison said the government was seeking answers from the NLC because the announcement was not in line with its understanding of a $10m deal struck with the NLC to ensure an expanded review of the Fisheries Act.

However, several days later, Ms Scrymgour said the status quo remained and recreational and commercial fishers would not lose access to Aboriginal tidal waters on January 1.

“Many Traditional Owner groups have agreed for their waters to continue to be accessed through to 31 December 2022,” she said in a statement at the time.

“This interim arrangement is to be subject to a new online registration process to be put in place by March 2021.”

In her statement, Ms

Scrymgour said the extension until March would give the land council time to finish consultations before permits could formally be waived until 2022.

At the time, members of the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the NT told the NT News there was a lot of concern and confusion about the issue among fishers.

AFANT chief executive David Ciaravolo declined to comment until the official announcement was made.

The government also declined to comment.