North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

What do they say Tristan there are a few dinosaurs left that aren't on Facebook. I am one of them.

Basically the Fisheries Minister says AFANT were briefed on all of the changes implemented. And had a full understanding on all these changes

Ronald said RFAC suggested that the areas remain open to pelagic species fishing like mackeral but the government said it was to hard to enforce and should remain no go zones and at no point in time were RFAC informed of any forms of commercial fishing in those areas

Comment by Rohan Short....

I am both a committee member of AFANT and an independent member of RFAC. In neither of these forums was I made aware of the fact that the government were going to, or were even considering, allowing Professional fishermen inside the new fish protection zones.
The people sitting on these committees would never have approved the closures to amateurs whilst knowing the pros would still be allowed to enter the areas.
This is wrong on so many levels and the minister should be strong enough to admit publicly that this decision was made without the support or knowledge of either AFANT or his very own Advisory body RFAC.
The Fisheries Minister has lost my support

Good job Rohan your scalp should be safe. I detest the way many people insert some less offensive word these days when they mean to say "liar". Who's next?

Good to hear you guys aren't holding back. Keep Pushing. Even Ghound may then have a nice word to say!

I'm always nice!
Should put out a press release.

"Our advise to our 19 members (not counting charter operators) the 38 rec fisho's that hate our guts and the thousands that can't get the energy up to give a poop will be not to vote for you tossers ever again!. Fair enough fishing isn't everything but we have sat idly by while you squander our tax paper dollars on holidays for the boys, Subdivide rural blocks, Sell TIO and run PAWA into the ground but we won't accept this."

politics and personal attack don't achieve anything

I don't think Dave Tollner agrees with this. If we tip toe around trying to be nice to everyone the message can become wishy washy I reckon. Hell maybe if you guys were firmer in the delivery of "it needs to be closed to everyone" things would be different now.

Ghound

Ghound, I've taken the liberty of attaching a couple of selections you may consider as potential replacements for 'Tigers 08'.

The Hound; a man of principle and tenacity, quite apt.

I love game of thrones too! I keep thinking of changing it but lose interest when I try to work out how.

And we are about level in the good looking stakes

I'm guessing you love your chicken also...!

Disputing / calling bullshit.... All the same to me..

I Look forward to seeing all this play out...

Also.. Tristan, rumour has it you refuse to have your name/photo on afants website
with the others...?? Why's that.??

Screwed again, into them Tristan. This is typical of a morally bankrupt organisation, the government I'm talking about. What has Giles had to say about the situation, is he backing his Minister? The time has come to look at alternatives, give the main streams the heave ho.
Gagey

From the TV interview I heard Ron Vouklous make a statement that at the meeting it was raised that pelagics might still be allowed to be fished for and the fisheries officer is claimed to have said "No. That would be too hard to police or regulate". (or words to that effect).

THAT was the point at which everything went pear-shaped because that fisheries officer obviously didn't know either. Confidently wrong but not necessarily being deceitful.

You can bet that the Minister has hammered this guy for answers after the AFANT press release and he sure wasn't going to get offside with the Minister.
The Sgt Schultz defence.

We now have a position that nobody really wants to own and that everybody has been pointing the finger at everybody else for having arrived there.

From old defence force days there are 2 people that you never want to get offside with.

The cook and the pay-clerk.

This particular guy (who is both cook and pay-clerk) happens to be the Minister whose Dept feeds and pays AFANT. The daily double.

Lets hope that cooler heads prevail and things get sorted out. There'd be more value in the protagonists talking directly to each other rather than via the media.

I believe it's better not to be too cosy in the negociation stage sometimes anyway. Diplomacy by megaphone can be the only way if the other parties ears are blocked.

Good analysis ronje. Sounds like an all-round balls up.

Good time for the minister to announce a Dundee ramp upgrade, this matter would soon be forgiven/forgotten

Well Matt, your easily bought off, we're talking about looking after our fish stocks, that may be in peril or so we are lead to believe. We need to hold these people to account.

Gagey