North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Interesting story about MDF here ... https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-28/ ... e/12189130

It's working alright, there were 21,000 registrations even in its worst year, which was Season 5.

From an NT perspective, local fishos are very happy to chase and catch the $10k barra, it is a lifestyle bonus. The NT has been losing people interstate so the more lifestyle bonuses the better.

Even at its lowest, 21,000 is a lot of people taking the time to sign up, and no doubt plenty of them went fishing. Not all interstate visitors go fishing with tour guides, a lot are self-drivers, and locals fishing with their interstate mates, etc.

Recent below-average wet seasons could have been very poor for the Darwin tackle industry and fishing tourism if the lure of the $10k tagged fish wasn't there. Dud wet seasons will affect interstate fishing visitation to the NT regardless of carrots dangled.

The first two MDF years saw more than 43,000 people sign up, when the event was new and exciting they got ridiculous numbers. A great many of the registrations would have been just wishful thinking, as registration was free and carried no obligations.

Having said all this, given recent events, maybe they should be tagging threadies ...

I always thought that if they had a $5/10 registration fee, that went towards various Charity Groups up here, then it would be a good idea. Anyways, I think it's marketed well. And let's be honest, a lot of NT locals register anyway, so it's a Gimme for the Territory, with a lot of $$ getting spent every year.
Anyone that comes up from down south for it, is just a bonus..

I believe the initiative was aimed at the tourism-fishing industry to attract more visitors to the NT and the numbers visiting seem to have been dropping over the the last few years.

Maybe the falling numbers are simply one part of harder economic times and little or no improvement in disposable income with little wages growth over the last 4-5 years.

A visitor's choices are fly up and go on guided outing OR self-drive up towing boat. There are only so many southern self-drive visitors who would be prepared to tow a boat that far EVERY year (it is a bl..dy long way).

The MDF was a bonus to both sorts of visitors on a trip to the NT.

Now the covid19 lockdowns put a stop to visitors whether they wanted to chase the MDF or not.

When those border restrictions are lifted it'll get better but recovery won't be immediate. That'll take time. I understand that there's some late movement on the virus restrictions in last couple of days.

Imagine the publicity if somebody actually caught a MDF.

Its a good initiative and the NT govt gets sufficient extra funds from China's Belt and Road assistance package for the lease of Darwin port to pay the running costs for it.

Maybe the falling numbers are simply one part of harder economic times and little or no improvement in disposable income with little wages growth over the last 4-5 years.

Yep, a big part of it, and the wet seasons.

Its a good initiative and the NT govt gets sufficient extra funds from China's Belt and Road assistance package for the lease of Darwin port to pay the running costs for it.

Yep.

Was talking to a Darwin businessperson recently who is getting rid of Chinese product where possible, too many bad things coming out of China they said, all the censorship around the virus was the last straw. I think many are joining this thinking around the world.

Lot of truth in this Chinese post on Twitter though ....

Still the best thing the old Gov ever did, bring in the Comp!

If it "works" for the bad part of the Year, just imagine what it might do, if it was on all year round.
It is fairly obvious, that it is unlikly that any more than 20 Fish, would be caught any Year.

"They" keep saying, that they want the Million Dollar fish to get caught.
They keep saying, that there are 6 Million Dollar fish out there still swiming around, but nobody can be sure about that.

As much as I like the chances, of catching 1, out of 6 Million Dollar Fish, better than catching 1 out off 1, they could just bring it back to -
1, Million Dollar Fish
100, $ 10,000 Fish
and, I like the idea, of the Charity Fish, but these could be removed, to help cover the extra "possible" costs.

Especially now, when they are trying to restart the economy.

Try it Next Season, and see what happens.

I know if I was a Grey Nomad, going North, to get away, from the Cold, there are 3 States to head for.
Only 1 of them gives You the chance to become a Millionaire or perhaps Pay for Your 3 - 4 Month Holiday, with 1 Fish.

Yes, going all year seems logical.

You know
I don't recall ever seeing any promotional material about the NT's $1m fish in this neck of the woods (Central Qld).

I "work" in the tourism industry information area.

Maybe the promotion needs a bit of a short in the arm.

There are a lot of Qld'ers who would travel to the NT to participate and I'm sure that some do.

Perhaps its not so much the amount of money being spent on promotion but where its being carried out?