Bill Byrne new Qld Fisheries Minister.

[rayke1938]

It appears that we may actually have an minister who may be prepared to listen and act.

Proof will be in the pudding and it will be interesting to review labors policy and achievements in a couple of years time.
/>http://annastacia.com.au/Policies/Sustainable%20Fishing.pdf

Here are a couple of emails that I have received recently.

Hi All,

We have a new minister for fisheries, Bill Byrne MP. Bill is the local member in Rockhampton and I met him while doing media work on the Rocky Barra Bounty, on the water with a fishing rod in his hand as it happens. Bill has been supportive of recreational fishing and is a straight shooter being ex Army. Having looked over Labors election platform, if they deliver on what they say recreational fishers will benefit, particularly in the north.

Bill has been heavily exposed to Central Queensland where so much work has gone into deciding what sort of fishery they want and the very visible effort that has gone in to make it happen. That more than anything else is why I believe we have a minister that is willing to listen to us.

Having been involved in the fisheries review, more recently the SIPS review and the election, recreational fishers have sent two clear messages. One, they want a bigger share of the fishing resources (less nets, less pros) and two that the recreational fishing industry is the future, not the commercial sector.

The evidence from those states with Recreation Licenses is conclusive that both arguments are real and valid and increasingly there is a begrudging recognition of this fact.

The battle isn’t won, but it will be.

Right now, one of the biggest things holding back the sector is a lack of clear vision of what sort of fishery we are fighting for. I know the rhetoric, more fish, bigger fish, less nets but that is a demand not a vision.

In the past two years I have seen a lot of things that don’t make sense. I look at things like the ABT circuit, where there is a huge investment of funds and time by competitors. Yet beyond the bass fishery, which is there by accident more than design the conditions they fish in are not exactly country leading let alone world class. To me it’s like sending the Australian cricket team to play a world cup match on a weekend warrior cricket field. Many of the better fisheries are in the north where there are less people and that is where much of the next round of investment from government will be going. From an economic point of view though, better fisheries closer to population centres deliver more bang for buck. I wonder, with so many dams filled with Bass is that the best way forward for SIPS? If the problem is no alternatives, then we as fishers need to find and argue for solutions.

I ask the question, what sort of fishery do we need?

Is it one that will draw the best fishers in the world to compete in our events? Is it one where someone can put a feed on the table, or is it one that seriously challenges anglers and their skills? Is it one that balances tourism with local opportunities? Is it one that delivers big local economic benefits?

It is possible to have all of the above, but not not without vision and planning. If you were to ask me, I would say we need all of them but simply saying “get rid of the nets†will not deliver them by magic. It will help a lot no doubt but really we all know that there is no magic silver bullet. Like all things, good fisheries need good planning and the hard work and investment of the communities that will benefit from them. That cannot be left to fisheries alone.

In this, Rockhampton have set a good example for the minister and other fishers alike.

I think the new minister is an opportunity, I expect Recreational fishing to make progress in the next three years. All the same, he is not the cure.

We as fishers, have the be the ones to set our own destiny, and make it clear to the minister what we are working towards, why it’s to everyones benefit and what we need from government to make it happen.

I am always open to hearing what the priorities should be and how we can target the tagging effort to help collect the data that supports those priorities.

2015 represents an opportunity. I hope come 2018, we haven’t wasted that opportunity.

Regards

--

Stefan Sawynok

Infofish Australia

And another

web: www.mackayrecfishersalliance.org

phone 4955 0600

We are proud to be sponsored by Reef Marine & Tackle World

January 2015 Newsletter

Welcome to our belated January 2015 newsletter.

This newsletter contains the BEST NEWS EVER

Following the victory of the ALP in the state election, our

net free zone St. Helens - Cape Hillsborough is GOING TO

BE DELIVERED.

In a letter from Tim Mulherin on behalf of Queensland Labor

and addressed to Mackay Recreational Fishers Alliance ,

reference no C/15/7532 The ALP have committed to declare

net free zones in the following locations.

St. Helens - Cape Hillsborough, North of Mackay, Trinity

Inlet Cairns, and Fitzroy River, Keppel Bay, Yeppoon,

Capricorn Coast.

This will be funded by a $10 million from the Great Barrier

Reef policy fund.

Mr Mulherin has also committed to improvements at the VMR

boat ramp at Cannonvale along with a commitment to conclude

the current Fisheries Management Review and they have also

committed to publically release the report document.

Members can read in full this fantastic letter along with

Labor's Sustainable Fishing Policy for Queensland on our

MRFA webpage or newly developed face book, readers can also

contact me direct by email - lancemurray@mcs.net.au and I

will only be too happy to forward you a copy by email.

This breakthrough has been made possible by working in

partnership with Queensland Recreational Fishers network, a

group of like minded recreational anglers who have been

frustrated with fisheries management, concerned about local

fish stock depletion in certain locations, and not happy

chappies when it comes to the subject of compliance. You

can check out their webpage qrfn/org.

To the almost 4000 people who signed our net free petition

we express our sincere thanks.

When you table impressive documents such as our net free

petition politicians take note and listen.

To those who became financial members of Mackay Recreational

Fishers Alliance because of our net free campaign, you too

can claim ownership.

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the assistance

of John Formosa, and Geoff Walsh who have been with us on

this campaign for a long 16 years, Darrell McLennan, for

hanging in there for 13.5 years, Councillor Alison Jones,

who just happens to be a committee member of MRFA for

preparing our formal submission to this and the previous

government, to Mick O'Donnell representing the Seaforth

Progress Association and Seaforth Boating club who carried

the load when it got too heavy, and his for his words of

encouragement, and to Ben Atherton, for his words of

inspiration and behind the scenes work in rallying support

from the Caravan Parks Association of Queensland, and the

Caravan Park and R.V Association of Australia, and

obtaining the REMPLAN economic benefits document contained

in our proposal and the management committee of Mackay

Recreational Fishers Alliance for having the courage to

make a substantial financial investment in this project.

So far, I estimate this project has consumed about 4,000

volunteer man hours.

Our net free zone will be the catalyst to achieving our

primary goal of making Mackay the Fishing Destination of

Queensland.

Members there is much more work to do, we are hoping to work

in partnership with commercial fishers to ensure that they

are adequately financially compensated.

We will keep you in the loop with further developments.

TILAPIA

It appears that we have lost the battle and possibly the

war.

Up until last Thursday, 22nd January they were

"confined" in the Gooseponds. A 150 mm one day rain

event changed all that.

The Gooseponds flooded as would be expected and it can be

presumed that many of the stocked barramundi have escaped

along with a number of tilapia and were flushed into Vines

Creek which is a tributary of the Pioneer River.

As Keith Day, spokesperson for Mackay Area Fish Stocking

Association said, "The horse with fins has bolted."

Tilapia in our water ways are akin to a smouldering bush

fire, they can be extinguished, contained or become out of

control. I would suggest the latter is appropriate on this

occasion.

Cheers

Ray

[Dinodadog]

Looks like central Qld will get their attention at this stage.

[STKE]

I think i may have said it before but i'd happy pay $15 a year for a recreational fishing permit if it goes towards buying out netters and pro's in the LOCAL AREA'S.

One day i'd like to take my kids crabbing and them still been there.

[Gad]

Shortly I will be contacting my local Labor MP and emailing the Minister`s office asking what they will do with the approx. $4.8m raised through the Recreational Use Fee (RUF) on recreational boat registrations that was, pre Newman, used towards rec fishing projects.

I`m sure a lot of stocking groups would like to see that money back where it started from and doing what is was intended to do.