What we want from Government

We had a discussion at the last SFD meeting, and I got some helpful messages. Amongst other suggestions Rob commented that we don’t take our eyes off the main ball, that is, keep a continued watch on matters such as open days and bag limits for abalone, and rock lobster. Murray indicated that kingfish FADs, near to shore, would be desirable. Lethal added that we should be careful about the way we go, and not do anything that might have undesirable consequences later. (I reckon he is absolutely right, and we need to get all other interest groups agreeing before we try to push for change.)

After looking at the way things seem to work, and what other recreational fishing sectors look at it, is seems to me that we can split requests to government into three categories:
1. Access to new waters
2. Access to new species
3. A slice of the revenue coming from recreational fishing licence fee

If we go for too much at any one time, we are not so likely to succeed, so I suggest we decide on one matter for each category. We ought to look for the easiest thing to change, but which has some importance to spearfishers.

I propose:
1. Seek access to Anderson’s Inlet
2. Seek access to carp
3. Suggest to Fisheries that they consider the needs of spearfishers when locating artificial reefs.


Its easier to influence how the Government spends money than to change legislation, so I thought we might also suggest that Fisheries also consider future creation of a/some nearshore kingfish FAD(s)

Comments?

Ric

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Ric Fallu started spearfishing in Pt Phillip in the early 1960s, and never really stopped

A kingfish FAD would be great, but we are well outnumbered by lino boats and it'd be swarming with boats trolling lines before you knew it. Which might be a good thing if it thins them out elsewhere I suppose, but it'd be a nasty accident for anyone swimming out there.

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Civilisation ends at the waterline. Beyond that, we all enter the food chain, and not always right at the top.

Looking at actual FAD design, surely they cannot be too expensive (in relative terms), its a buoy, a nav light, and an anchoring system..... even if the government refused to fund them, would they allow private parties to fund and place FADs themselves?

Or are there other factors im not taking into consideration here?

Prior to it being made an illegal commercial fishing method, kingfish traps used FAD like structures to bring in the kings. The technology need not be all that different.

I am sure there would be laws that prevent a private person just going out and and setting up a fish attracting device. This is not to say that if you get the neccessary permissions, you might not be able to privately fund the constructions, but it would have to be safe, and have the appropriate lights, and not get in the way of shipping channels etc. And I also suspect that you wouldn't be allowed to have private access - that is, anybody might want to use it.

Ric

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Ric Fallu started spearfishing in Pt Phillip in the early 1960s, and never really stopped