Fisho was alerted this week to a review of fishing restrictions currently in place at two sites on the Northern NSW coast. Fish Rock and Green Island at South West Rocks are featured in two proposals outlined in a NSW Industry & Investment document circulated this week – one prohibits all forms of fishing apart from trolling and spinning, the other proposes a blanket ban on any fishing at the sites.
As it currently stands, bait fishing and/or the use of wire traces is permitted from unanchored boats at the two locations, which are recognised by NSW Fisheries as grey nurse shark aggregation sites. Grey nurse sharks are currently listed as being critically endangered although exact remaining numbers of the species remains the subject of debate.
Under one of the proposal options, all line fishing except trolling and lure fishing is prohibited for a stretch of approximately six kilometres, covering the two sites. The other option proposes a total ban on fishing directly at and around the sites for approximately a 500m radius.
NSW I&I says the proposals are the result of research conducted at Fish Rock that suggests that fishing with bait and types of jigs in close proximity to grey nurse sharks is likely to result in “interactions”. The document also states that while trolling is a “low risk method” in terms of potential interaction with grey nurse sharks, there is a risk of hooking them if they are attracted by, and follow, lure-hooked fish.
Fisho has contacted NSW I&I for more information on these proposals and will publish details of any developments as they come to hand.
