BY now, I would expect that many fishermen, both recreational and commercial, would have seen the shocking photograph of approximately 1000 bream, presumably netted off the beach around Seal Rocks, dumped in the nearby bushland to rot.
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The fish were under the legal size and were therefore unsaleable. To commercial fishermen, the netting of "bycatch" - those fish that are undersize or species that are unwanted - is unavoidable. Unfortunately, numerous attempts by Fisheries to eliminate the problem of "bycatch" have failed. So what are the commercial fishermen expected to do with "bycatch"?
By law, the fish that are netted, those which are unable to be marketed, must immediately be returned to the water alive or dead. By returning the unacceptable fish to the water brings further complications for the commercial operator in that a great percentage of those fish are already dead or close to it.
These fish will either be gulped down by the army of pelicans or more likely, washed up on the shoreline for concerned members of the public to discover and register their disgust. There are no other legal alternatives available to commercial fishers to dispose of these fish.
This in no way is a justification of the deplorable act of dumping fish. It is the reality that exists for commercial fishers every time they set, haul or trawl a net.
I have been asked on numerous occasions to voice my opinion on the future of commercial fishing in and around Port Stephens.
"Ban netting inside the Port and off the beaches" is advice regularly given to me.
With the evidence that is currently available and the anecdotal information that I have been gathering for more than 25 years, there is no case to cease commercial fishing on the beaches or inside the Port.
Tackle operators would agree that during the past three or four years, we have had bumper seasons of dusky flathead, bream and luderick. Currently, the Port is producing some of the best mulloway fishing we have experienced for a decade. These fish are the same species targeted by the commercial fishermen inside the Port.
Accepting that the recent mullet season was not one of our best, if we look back to 2010 and 2011, you will recall seeing some of the biggest schools of mullet to settle on our beaches. Over the reefs, snapper, kingfish and teraglin are continually reported in excellent numbers.
I'm of the belief, with proactive resource management and sound scientific research by NSW Fisheries, that Port Stephens can retain a sustainable commercial fishing industry and remain a preferred destination for recreational fishers. On current evidence, I would not support any attempt to ban commercial fishing based in Port Stephens.
- Stinker
