WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

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Matt Flynn
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by Matt Flynn »

I was being a bit tongue in cheek Gagey.

Regardless of what happened, they should now make it so the closed zones are actually closed zones.


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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by NBN »

Interesting reference to Craig Ingram in AJs article below.

If the areas are promptly closed the hunt for the 'rotten egg' will be less of an issue. Might prevent that egg exploding onto other faces...

For the record, in my view, Craig is most certainly not the rotten egg.

Alex's Fishing Report 2 July 2015

With a fishing writer

Some of you may have been following the news reports concerning the newly-implemented Reef Fish Protection Areas, in particular the fact that some commercial fishermen are still permitted to fish in these areas.

This is despite the fact that they are fully closed to any form of recreational fishing.

The forms of commercial fishing that are still permitted in the closed fishing zones are: aquarium fishing, Spanish mackerel fishing, trepang fishing and, potentially, barramundi fishing.

You may think it’s weird, nonsensical, even ridiculous that any form of commercial fishing is allowed in areas that are totally closed to recreational fishing of any sort.

I think that, and so do AFANT President Warren De With, the entire AFANT Committee, and each and every member of the Government’s own Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC).

In fact, until very recently, all of the above were comfortable in the knowledge that the Reef Fish Protection Areas were in fact closed to any form of commercial fishing.

But then a couple of recreational fishermen observed a commercial Spanish mackerel fishermen catching fish inside a reef fish protection area, and contacted an RFAC member to report it.

Well, hasn’t the poop hit the fan since then?

AFANT President and RFAC member, Warren De With, issued a media release expressing “anger at the deceit and deliberate lack of transparency displayed by Government around the new reef fish regulations and reef fish protection areas”.

“It has come to the attention of AFANT that the majority of commercial fishermen are still allowed to fish and operate inside the newly-implemented Reef Fish Protection Areas,” the AFANT President.

“This was despite Government’s repeated assurances that all commercial and recreational fishermen were excluded from fishing these areas to aid in the protection and recovery of at-risk reef fish species (golden snapper and jewfish).

“At no stage during the discussions on this issue was AFANT or any other member of RFAC advised that commercial fishing, regardless of technique used or species targeted, was allowed to operate within these reef fish protection areas.

“The understanding was that all commercial fishing would be excluded and that this was supported by Government,” Warren said.

The situation then escalated when Primary Industries and Fisheries Deputy Chief Executive, Ian Curnow, emailed AFANT Executive Officer, Tristan Sloan, that: “I am assured (by staff involved in the meeting) that the Government decision to allow commercial fishing that did not have impact on reef fish was discussed with Craig (Ingram) at a briefing that the Minister requested of all stakeholder groups to advise them of the Gov decision prior to his public announcement.”

Craig Ingram was the previous AFANT Executive Officer, and even Fisheries Minister Willem Westra van Holthe has now stated publically that Craig was told by department officers that some commercial fishing would be allowed in the Reef Fish Protection Areas. Craig has since moved back to Victoria for family reasons, but I managed to speak with him this morning.

He denies emphatically that he was briefed by Fisheries staff that some forms of commercial fishing would be allowed in the protected areas.

“There’s no way I was told… if I had been told that, I would have said ‘No!’” Craig said.

“We were running a campaign whereby everyone took a hit, and I’ll tell you absolutely that not at any stage was it mentioned,” Craig told me.

To me, as an RFAC member myself, it doesn’t make sense that Craig would be hiding anything because he was the strongest advocate on RFAC for the Reef Fish Protection Areas to be closed to any form of fishing at all.

The question I’d like to ask is: why wasn’t the Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee briefed about those commercial fisheries that would be permitted to continue operating in the closed areas?

As written above, the Minister requested the department to advise all stakeholder groups of the Government’s decision prior to him making his public announcement.

If RFAC is not a stakeholder group, then what is?

Another question I think needs asking is: why the hell would the Government want to give itself the headache anyway of allowing commercial fishing in what are supposed to be fish protection areas?

Darwin anglers everywhere are spitting chips about it.

As a member of RFAC too, Ronald Voukolos told me he is tired of fending off accusations of betrayal by irate customers at his Fishing and Outdoor World store.

Warren De With is getting calls from rec fishermen saying: “You knew about this; why did you let it happen?”

This is a no-win scenario for the Government, and the no-brainer smart thing to do is to close those areas to all forms of commercial fishing immediately, and perhaps be a bit humble about it.

And just for the record, a great way to catch Spanish mackerel is to drop metal jigs down on schools hanging off the bottom.

This is also not a bad way to catch great big old golden snapper.
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by AM »

Only so many chairs available when the music stops
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by ghound »

so we have

Craig Ingram
Rohan Short
A lex Julius
Ron Voukolous
Warren De with

On the advisory committee. Two of these guys are really good fella's in my view. Being a good fella obviously doesn't equate to much in this case.
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by NBN »

AM wrote:Only so many chairs available when the music stops


Sure but depending on who's DJing the music might play on for a while or may never stop. Tackle the problem then go about sorting out the cause.
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by ghound »

Tackle the problem then go about sorting out the cause

spot on I reckon. I actually thought the problem would have been sorted by now. Willem must be pretty keen for it to remain so.
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by Hemi »

Afant's gone very quiet.....????????

Funny that..!
"Bite off more than you can chew - Then chew like hell.." - PETER BROCK.
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by tristan.sloan »

AJ is a life member of AFANT and Craig was on Territory FM yesterday morning.....I can almost hear the crickets Hemi ;)
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by Robert Hope »

Hey Tristan, I heard the Fishing Minister on Tales from the Tinny this morning, he stated that AFANT were informed and his department cronies gave him this advice. I have no doubt that this present CLP Government are not worthy of office. Nothing but a nest of vipers.....
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by the big one »

Let's start a protest. This is wrong in so many ways for us territorians
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by tristan.sloan »

Thanks Robert, as per AJ's article above the government is claiming they verbally briefed Craig despite him publicly and repeatedly denying ever being briefed. In fact nobody in AFANT or the RFAC was ever briefed on this issue. Craig has a reputation for his directness and honesty and I certaintly believe him. It has now become a case of "he said, she said" which is ultimately unproductive. We are now trying to work with government to find a solution.
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by nomad »

tristan.sloan wrote: We are now trying to work with government to find a solution.

That should read "trying to work with A government to find a solution" ie get a new govt

a verbal agreement isn't worth the paper its written on especially with this mob. Remember what Abbot said about anything that's not in writing - it doesn't exist.
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by NBN »

tristan.sloan wrote:We are now trying to work with government to find a solution.


To quote a vertically challenged wise green unit;

Do or Do Not, there is no try.

:mrgreen:
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by AM »

NBN wrote:
tristan.sloan wrote:We are now trying to work with government to find a solution.


To quote a vertically challenged wise green unit;

Do or Do Not, there is no try.

:mrgreen:

Now your talkng my language you are
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Re: WTF NEWS FLASH: Pros allowed to fish in NT closure zones

Post by ghound »

A snowballs chance in Tatooine of working with this Government methinks
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