North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

The Kakadu NP management plan is up for review and people have a chance to comment.


http://www.environment.gov.au/resource/ ... ement-plan

Here is text from AFANT's submission ...

AFANT welcomes the opportunity to comment on the draft plan of management for Kakadu
National Park.
The rivers and billabongs in Kakadu are some of the most important areas for recreational fishing
in the Northern Territory and as such AFANT has a strong interest in ensuring the best outcomes
for recreational fishing are delivered in the management plan.
The recreational fishing sector has some significant areas of Kakadu that are off limits, we are
strongly of the view that management of access not exclusion of recreational fishing from areas
will deliver the best benefit not just for the recreational fishing but also the future visitation,
management, public standing and use of the park.
Impact of fishing and boating
While the draft plan does not specify access or restricted areas for recreational fishing other than
the current areas that remain open the draft does make a number of negative comments
regarding concern with fishing pressure and number of boats. AFANT notes that these
comments are not based on any scientific research or justification which is a concern.
AFANT strongly supports recreational fishing practices that are low impact, sustainable and
ensure a high quality experience whilst protecting the special natural assets of the Kakadu NP.
We would be the first organisation to support or recommend measures to address actual
identified impacts or sustainability concerns.
Like many areas across the Territory, Kakadu NP has seen an increase in fishing effort. This is
predominantly managed in the NT with possession limits. With the exception of reef fish species
like snapper and jewfish, the sustainability of fish stocks in the NT is very good and the current
possession limits of fish like barramundi are sufficient to manage the stocks and leave a
significant buffer to ensure quality fishing is available into the future.
The proposal in the draft plan for the reduction in the possession limit of barramundi from 5 to 3
(10.7.17) in Kakadu, while not based on current sustainability concerns, is supported by AFANT
as a prudent management tool change to ensure the protection of the barramundi stocks. AFANT
believes that this change will add value to the Kakadu barramundi fishery whilst still allowing
anglers to retain a reasonable number of fish for the table.
AFANT is strongly of the view that spreading the recreational fishing effort through improvements
to accessible areas has the potential to improve the Kakadu recreational fishing experience and
reducing any real or perceived fishing pressure concerns.
In regards to research into the impact of fishing pressure and boat traffic on bank erosion
(5.3.40) AFANT believes that Kakadu NP has had the opportunity to conduct research into these
issues more so than other areas of the Northern Territory with a number of areas off limits to
recreational fishing and boating but we are surprised that this has not been undertaken when this
was the justification for the closure of rivers like the west alligator.
While we do not support these closures we would be happy to participate or be involved in any
research projects even though we believe that the management arrangements in place will show
limited impact on the waterways of Kakadu from recreational fishing.
AFANT would also like to offer our members services as volunteers for fisheries tagging or catch
and effort data collection, this is research which we currently undertake in a number of river
AFANT Representing recreational fishing in the NT and ensuring the quality of our sport
systems across the Northern Territory and we believe targeted research in Kakadu could provide
valuable information to parks management on the state of fish stocks.
Salvinia
AFANT has concerns that areas closed to recreational fishing/boating due to salvinia which was
first detected in the Magela catchment in 1983 have remained closed in the park, although it is
acknowledged that salvinia has since still spread through a range of areas where it was not
previously present and that the transfer or spread was most likely due to water birds or other
vectors.
The justification for closures of fishing areas to prevent salvinia spread was based on the
perceived risk of boats and trailers spreading the weed. While we acknowledge that salvinia can
be spread by vessels, it is currently established in all waters open to recreational fishing vessels
as well as a number of closed waterways and this spread has not been attributed to boat trailers.
We acknowledge that salvinia management is still an issue in the park and AFANT is willing to
work with Kakadu park management and traditional owners on any programs across all
waterways to improve the removal of salvinia or through educating rec fishers about protecting
our waterways particularly from the spread of salvinia or other introduced plants.
AFANT would like to work with traditional owners and park managers in the process of reopening
the waters that were closed on the basis of the now non-existent risk of salvinia spread.
Areas open to recreational fishing
AFANT supports the review of areas within the park and would welcome the opportunity to be
involved as a key stakeholder. We believe that some of the areas that are currently closed on the
east of the Kakadu highway could be opened up to land based lure and fly only catch and
release fishing, with negligible impact on the fish stocks. Exclusions could be put into place
around swimming areas or high tourist areas.
AFANT has identified a number of billabongs and areas that are currently closed or without
access that with the implementation of reasonable management arrangements, could be
reopened to recreational angling whilst still protecting the values and principles of the national
park.
AFANT believes that the current areas that are closed in the park are not clearly defined or
explained and justified and AFANT believes that clearer maps and information for recreational
anglers is required.
AFANT also has concerns regarding the comments within the draft plan regarding
recommending recreational fishers avoid areas such as bird rookeries on the East Alligator and
South Alligator rivers.
AFANT believes that the following areas should be considered for improving access:
• Island billabong
• Jabaluka billabong
• Ja Ja billabong
• Magela billabongs south of the Oenpelli Road
• Nourlangie River below Anbangbang billabong
• Extension of the access at the top of the South Alligator River to take in the 2km above
the current closure
• Jim Jim upstream of the communities
• West Alligator River
AFANT Representing recreational fishing in the NT and ensuring the quality of our sport
Regulations
AFANT would like clarification on the ability of the director to change rules in the park (10.7.15)
and what consultation agreement and process will be undertaken before any change which may
impact on recreational fishing and boating access or operation.
While we accept the need for flexibility within the plan over its lifetime and the ability of parks
management to make required changes based on unforseen issues, AFANT has real concerns
with some clauses in the draft that could have a negative impact on recreational fishing within the
Kakadu national park.
A number of provisions within the plan which would seem to allow the director to make significant
changes to boating or fishing in the park with limited consultation are a real concern.
AFANT would also like clarification on the purpose of the provisions that allow the
implementation of a licence system in the park.
AFANT would like the plan to recognise the use of landing nets as a legitimate fishing gear in the
park as the plan is unclear on landing nets
AFANT also questions the provisions to allow the carriage of mud Crab pots through the park for
their legitimate use outside the park boundary’s without a similar provision to allow the carriage
of a legal catch of mud crabs
We would welcome the opportunity to provide additional information or to discuss any of the
issues raised in this submission.
Yours sincerely
Craig Ingram

How about they work on all the stuff they claimed was the reason they supported the CLP in the last election first.

STANDY wrote:How about they work on all the stuff they claimed was the reason they supported the CLP in the last election first.

Do afant still exist?.... Havent heard much from or about them in a long time?

Some good points above on improving access ...

"AFANT believes that the following areas should be considered for improving access:
• Island billabong
• Jabaluka billabong
• Ja Ja billabong
• Magela billabongs south of the Oenpelli Road
• Nourlangie River below Anbangbang billabong
• Extension of the access at the top of the South Alligator River to take in the 2km above
the current closure
• Jim Jim upstream of the communities
• West Alligator"

Fishos should write letters about this for submission to the draft management planners. Only way it is going to change anything, whining about AFANT won't fix anything.