LAST week as part of Fisho’s coverage of the NSW Government’s controversial change to salmon netting quotas, we spoke to specialist sportfishing charter operator Justin Duggan who had some insightful and well thought out views on the issue.
Justin has since contacted NSW Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson to let her know his thoughts on a decision that is set to annihalate salmon stocks along the east coast – see Justin’s letter to the minister below.
Dear Minister Hodgkinson,
I am a recreational fishing charter operator who specialises in fly and lure sport fishing in the Sydney region, including Broken Bay in Northern Sydney. I know I speak with the sentiments of many recreational charter operators and anglers.
I have recently become aware of your decision to allow netting of Australian Salmon north of Barrenjoey Headland by Commercial license holders, up to 3 Tonnes per endorsement, per day.
I believe advise was given to you about the rebound of east coast Salmon stocks since they were previously decimated for pet food and trap bait however, I believe the advise to re-introduce netting has not taken many factors into account. I also believe this decision comes without complete clarity of the issues it creates, including impacts on endangered species and the direct impact on specific locations where numbers of recreational and commercial fisherman are concentrated.
It is simply not possible to base re-netting of Salmon on viewing them as a single Biomass and then simply attributing a workable percentage to be culled. In the Broken Bay region for example, recreational sports anglers including overseas tourists book my charters to catch and for the most part, release salmon. We target impressive surface feeding schools that aggregate in a few distinct areas of the Bay. My customers are there to sight the fish and cast to them. These are the same salmon schools and locations that will almost certainly be netted. Netters will target the visible surface fish. At 3 tonnes per endorsement per day I foresee the surface salmon schools will be wiped out of this fishery. I cannot charter offshore and recreational anglers will have to risk increased danger to get to outlying areas further afield once these local stocks are gone.
The chief aggregation areas of the salmon schools are usually the river mouths where the food is most prolific, these are the very areas most heavily fished. The problem is that netters and recreational fisherman will be in direct competition for a small number of fish in a concentrated area. What studies have been done on salmon population recruitment after an area has been cleared of salmon? What about genetic memory of fish to return to the same locations? Will other fish return at all after the previous ones are killed? What do I do for the 4 or so months of the year that my customers book me to chase surface schools of salmon? The Fish won’t be there because at 3 tonnes per endorsement per day and with a large number of netters, every surface school in my area will be the first to be culled!
Apart from being one of natures most awesome spectacles, surface feeding salmon schools are an essential component of the ecology. Salmon push baitfish to the surface which are in turn fed on by countless birds including the endangered Little Tern and the vulnerable Sooty Tern. The salmon themselves represent a major source of food for seals, dolphins, sharks and larger fish. At a time when world shark populations plummet, why risk removing a food source?
Minister, what studies were done into the well known aggregation of endangered juvenile and sub adult great white sharks at stockton beach near Newcastle? This aggregation coincides with the salmon schools aggregating at the back of the beach. This is an area with professional netting pressure, so what will happen to these sharks if the salmon are removed?
There is a strong evidence that endangered Grey Nurse Sharks also rely on Salmon as a food source. What will happen if the salmon are netted away from major Grey Nurse aggregation points?
As I have outlined here, viewing salmon on a percentage of biomass basis and allowing more netting pressure may or may not be a good thing, however, when you look at the impact it will have on localised environments, fishing related businesses and recreational anglers, this has the potential for carnage.
Minister, once localised populations of Salmon are removed what guarantee can you give that they will return anytime soon, if at all?
The Australian salmon is an iconic Sportfish that is, without any doubt, worth significantly more economically has a recreational fish than as “bait” for lobster pots and the like. Carp are environmentally disastrous and a perfect option for trap bait. Why plunder native fish when you can extricate them from our rivers and improve the environment whilst assisting the commercial fishery.
Whilst I respect and acknowledge the rights of the commercial fishing sector to earn a living I feel 3 tonnes per day, per endorsement for an iconic sport fish to be turned to Bait is madness.
I ask with much concern that you reverse this decision to increase salmon netting North of Barrenjoey Headland Immediately.
With anticipation,
Justin Duggan,
Owner/operator Sydney Flyfishing Tours
www.sydneyflyfishing.com.au
