ACCESS to a popular fishing spot on the NSW South Coast is under threat following the release Booderee National Park’s draft Management Plan.
The plan outlines the direction and management actions for Booderee National Park over the next 10 years and has been developed with the National Park’s Board of Management through an Aboriginal-led, participatory planning process.
A key change in the draft Management Plan is the introduction of a 500-metre no-take zone around Scottish Rocks, placing the popular fishing area within a protected Nature Conservation Zone and effectively closing it to all forms of recreational fishing.
At nearby Bowen Island, under the proposal, an existing 100 metre protection zone will be extended to 200 metres.
Under the plan, fishing competitions will not be allowed in the park. This includes fishing in park waters in a competition arranged outside the park and all activities associated with a fishing competition, other than boat launching and retrieval at Murrays Beach boat ramp.
Further restrictions, some pre-existing, apply to fish cleaning, rock fishing access, boat anchoring, and bait collecting.
Have you say on the draft Management Plan at https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/booderee-national-park-management-plan-2026-36. Submissions close at 9.00pm AEST on Tuesday, 7 April 2026.
