’Absolute stitch-up’

Fish boss queries data, slams survey

THE concerns of fishing industry figures in Cairns have gone unanswered following a meeting to discuss spanish mackerel catch quotas.

Cairns Game Fishing Association spokesman Daniel McCarthy said state government MPs were a no-show at a public meeting last month, where only Hill MP Shane Knuth sat with up to 300 recreational and commercial fishers.

Mr McCarthy said those in the industry remained concerned and suspicious about the data the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries presented in its spanish mackerel stock assessment report, which indicated just 17 per cent of the fish biomass was left.

That figure has already come under the scrutiny of the Queensland Seafood Industry Association, and the point of last month’s meeting “was to clarify what is really going on”, Mr McCarthy said, amid concerns catch quotas could be cut by 75–90 per cent.

“Tell me any business in any industry where you can cut their income by 10 per cent, let alone 75 per cent, and they’ll still be going – no one can take that,” he said.

Despite not receiving any answers, the industry received the opportunity to have its say this week via a survey launched by the DAF on Wednesday.

Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said no decision had been made regarding spanish mackerel quotas, and he wanted to hear from all fishers about what action should be taken.

“Doing nothing is not an option and, in line with our Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027, management action is required to rebuild the stock to sustainable levels,” Mr Furner said.

He said possible solutions included reducing recreational and commercial catch limits, increasing legal minimum sizes and introducing closed seasons or areas to protect schooling mackerel.

“We cannot protect the jobs that depend on spanish mackerel unless we support the recovery of spanish mackerel stocks,’’ Mr Furner said.

But Mr McCarthy labelled the survey an “absolute stitch-up”.

“It’s all multiple choice with preselected answers – you don’t really get to have your say,” he said.

“I’m advising everyone to print it out and write what they really think and then send it in.”