VICTORIAN anglers marched yesterday in Geelong to support commercial netting bans on Port Phillip and Corio bays.
About 700 recreational anglers marched down Moorabool St to Cunningham Pier for the rally, which was led by fishing identity Rex Hunt.
According to Hunt the show of unity marked the rally as “the best day in Victorian fishing history”.
Victoria’s major political parties were represented at the march with the Government and Opposition sending respective fisheries spokespeople Peter Walsh and Jacinta Allan.
The march was a direct result of Dennis Napthine’s Coalition Government recently announcing plans to ban commercial netting on the waterways.
The Geelong Advertiser reports the rally was organised before Labor confirmed its support for the netting bans on Saturday.
Each party has pledged to spend $20 million to start buying back licences from commercial operators. Labor has given itself an eight-year deadline, the Coalition says it will spend the $20 million in the next four years, and complete the buyback within a decade.
The marchers head to Cunningham Pier for the rally. Image: Keep Australia Fishing
Chanting “What do we want? Netting gone. When do we want it? Now!”, the marchers told the politicians these deadlines were not prompt enough, a point emphasised by Country Alliance candidate for Bellarine Jock Irvine.
“You get elected for four years, you fix it in four years,” he said.
Ms Allan said Labor would gradually reduce the cap on commercial operators over coming years, replenish depleted waterways and fisheries offices, and commit more money to fishing programs.
According to a media release on Labor leader Daniel Andrews’ website, “a Labor Government will invest $35 million to phase out commercial netting, upgrade fishing clubs and increase the number of recreational fishers to one million by the year 2020.”
“Under Labor’s plan, Target One Million, we will encourage more Victorians to take up a great pastime which currently contributes $2.3 billion to Victoria’s social and economic wellbeing.”
Labor says it will also take action to maintain Lake Toolondo as Victoria’s best trout fishing location, open recreational trout cod fisheries in Beechworth and aim to stock 15,000 one year old barramundi into Hazelwood Pondage to create a new recreational fishery for the Latrobe Valley. In addition, no new marine parks will be established under Labor.
The Government’s Peter Walsh said the Coalition’s proposed buyback was part of a $65 million plan for Victoria’s bays.
Responding to calls to fast-track the licence phase-out, he said: “I can assure you if we can do it quicker, we will.” He also told anglers that Labor’s plan to consider developing Victoria’s second container port at Bay West, near Point Wilson, would undermine their favourite pastime.
Rex Hunt addresses yesterday’s crowd. Image: Keep Australia Fishing
Rex Hunt told the gathering that whatever the outcome of the election, “netting is gone … the people have spoken”.
“It’s not the end of commercial fishing … the fish and chip industry will prosper, but not at the expense of the environment (and) our fish stocks,” he said.
Australian Fishing Trade Association CEO Allan Hansard said his industry would try to harness its new-found political clout in other states.
“What we have achieved is unprecedented; to have support for this from both parties so far out from the election is a great achievement,” Mr Hansard said.
“We’ll now be going across the country to establish recreational fishing havens.”