FISH DEBATE LINE IN SAND
AN academic’s call for a re-think of management strategies for fishing in and around coastal cities should shake entire populations out of their complacency.
Fish are not an infinite resource. Everyone should know that by now, yet little thought is given by the wider public to the impact of recreational and professional fishing on the local fisheries and environment.
It could be that as Bond University’s Dr Daryl McPhee says in our report today, individual plans rather than a one-size-fits-all strategy are needed for different areas like the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
Weekend anglers and professional fishos are aware of the competition for fish in our waters. The wider community however will be surprised by the scale of what is a pleasant pastime for many and a vital industry for others, who rely on it for an income.
A Dr McPhee-led study looked into the impact of up to 1.4 million anglers on Australian waterways. All those anglers are great for the economy, spending $650 million annually just on tackle. But given many of those people are throwing a line into crowded waterways like the Broadwater and our Gold Coast rivers, there is a big strain on the local environment.
The recreational and professional fishing communities underwent considerable pain for the gain that was achieved when a special zoning system was established for the Great Barrier Reef, including no-go zones that allow various species to regenerate.
It is possible that in protecting species in our part of the world, localised zones might have to be established as experts drill down to determine how and where fish and other marine animals need protection.
The Gold Coast has to be sensible about this. There will be those who are totally opposed to any tightening of existing controls, and there will be others who do not want any fishing allowed at all and if they had their way, would have all shark nets and drum lines removed as well, despite the fact these have kept our beaches fatality free since the 1960s.
Dr McPhee does not fall into the no-fish category. He is a mad-keen fisherman.
What he is advocating is a system so species here are not fished out and if anything, their numbers are bolstered through careful management. As he says, it has to be specific to conditions here.