VRFish Oppose Proposed Commercial Increase in Port Phillip Bay

[Andrews]

VRFish Oppose Proposed Commercial Increase in Port Phillip Bay
https://www.vrfish.com.au/2022/02/11/vr ... illip-bay/
FEBRUARY 11, 2022

We regularly hear from recfishers just how great the fishing is in the Bay now that the netters have been removed. Can you imagine what our fishing will be like if the remaining commercials have no limit on their bycatch?

VRFish is calling on recfishers to oppose a proposal by Seafood Industry Victoria (SIV) for their long-line commercial fishers to have an unlimited bycatch limit in Port Phillip Bay.

A bipartisan election promise in 2014 was to remove commercial netters from Corio Bay and Port Phillip Bay with 8 remaining as long-line fishers and allowed to catch 11 tonnes of snapper (per licence) only. The fishery resource was to be allocated to us, recfishers. This was the intent of parliament with the passing of the Fisheries Amendment Act 2015.

Now SIV have proposed to the Minister for Fishing and Boating that the remaining long-line fishers should have no limits on their bycatch. Further to that, Victorian Fisheries Authority have provided an unacceptable counteroffer of allowing 232 tonnes of catch. There has been NO consultation with the recreational sector. This is a clear breach of the consultation principles in the Fisheries Act 1995.

VRFish will not support either proposal. Tell the Minister Melissa Horne that you oppose this proposal from SIV and the VFA and will not accept any addition to the commercial sectors catch in the Bay.

Contact Melissa Horne via: melissa.horne@parliament.vic.gov.au

[Laze]

Thanks for posting this Andrews.

I may be out of my depth here with the politics of commercial fishing/recreational fishing and the overall stance of this forum.

That being said I've gone ahead and emailed the minister as I am definitely an advocate for a sustainable future and if that means less pressure on PPB's ecosystem I am all for it.

If anyone else feels the same heres a copy and paste of a quick email draft I made based on the post above, if you want to use it as a template:

Dear Melissa Horne,

I am writing to you with regards to oppose a proposal by Seafood Industry Victoria (SIV) for their long-line commercial fishers to have an unlimited by catch limit in Port Phillip Bay. Further to that, Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) have provided an unacceptable counteroffer of allowing 232 tonnes of catch. There has been no consultation with the recreational sector. This is a clear breach of the consultation principles in the fisheries Act 1995.

I oppose SIV and VFA proposals and do not accept any addition to the commercial sectors catch in the bay.

As a recreational fisherman, i have a deep respect for the waters of Port Phillip Bay. I practice sustainable fishing so there is a future for our waters and so the next generation of fishermen/women have the same experience. As the Minister for Fishing and Boating, I trust you have the same interests in mind.

[cobby]

Vrfish are a bunch of self absorbed, self serving fuckwits and have been for years. I'd take their foot stomping seriously if they bothered to highlight that we take a hell of a lot more than pros, even if they got their extra 232 tonnes, and had the nets they had before the ban.

Hell, if I could be bothered I'd write an email to Horne in favour of increased quota even if it's nothing more than a **** you gesture towards Vrfish

[Seniorfisho]

Vrfish are a bunch of self absorbed, self serving fuckwits and have been for years. I'd take their foot stomping seriously if they bothered to highlight that we take a hell of a lot more than pros, even if they got their extra 232 tonnes, and had the nets they had before the ban.

Hell, if I could be bothered I'd write an email to Horne in favour of increased quota even if it's nothing more than a **** you gesture towards Vrfish

There must be a hell of a lot of mystery fishos around if they are taking more fish than the pros, most fishos fishing the bay are lucky to get a fish every trip. If it was up to me I would get rid of all pro fishos in PPB forever

[bowl]

Vrfish are a bunch of self absorbed, self serving fuckwits and have been for years. I'd take their foot stomping seriously if they bothered to highlight that we take a hell of a lot more than pros, even if they got their extra 232 tonnes, and had the nets they had before the ban.

Hell, if I could be bothered I'd write an email to Horne in favour of increased quota even if it's nothing more than a **** you gesture towards Vrfish

There must be a hell of a lot of mystery fishos around if they are taking more fish than the pros, most fishos fishing the bay are lucky to get a fish every trip. If it was up to me I would get rid of all pro fishos in PPB forever

Lucky to get one fish every trip ..c'mon they try to catch them by hand or something....

Fishing was fine when all netters where In bay.

[Seniorfisho]

Vrfish are a bunch of self absorbed, self serving fuckwits and have been for years. I'd take their foot stomping seriously if they bothered to highlight that we take a hell of a lot more than pros, even if they got their extra 232 tonnes, and had the nets they had before the ban.

Hell, if I could be bothered I'd write an email to Horne in favour of increased quota even if it's nothing more than a **** you gesture towards Vrfish

There must be a hell of a lot of mystery fishos around if they are taking more fish than the pros, most fishos fishing the bay are lucky to get a fish every trip. If it was up to me I would get rid of all pro fishos in PPB forever

Lucky to get one fish every trip ..c'mon they try to catch them by hand or something....

Fishing was fine when all netters where In bay.

How many big snapper have you caught this year that is contributing to the angling pressure? If you believe the netters were fine then you have no idea of what the northern end of the bay was like in the 70's and 80's. your bag limit of whiting is 20 fish, do you think that puts angling pressure on whiting stocks? How many times have been fishing this year and caught donuts?, and by that i mean decent fish?

[purple5ive]

I'd take their foot stomping seriously if they bothered to highlight that we take a hell of a lot more than pros, even if they got their extra 232 tonnes

Have you got some solid proof to back this claim up?
If you do then please post it up, I'd love to see it and be educated some more.

[re-tyred]

This is a screen shot from page 17 of the document " state of Victorian recreational fishing" it clearly shows the majority of table fish caught in Victoria are caught by recreational anglers. Infact recreational fishers passed commercial fishing total catch back around the year 2000. Many reductions have been made to commercial fishing in Victoria. Meanwhile recreational angling has been increased dramatically. I do not have an opinion regarding increasing the commercial catch, however I do know that considerable research is conducted before changes to commercial or recreational limits.
If you don't have commercial fishers then the only fish you can buy is from farms or overseas. There is a place for controlled commercial wild fish catching. I am completely at ease about how Victorian fishing is managed. Fish have never been more plentiful. I have fished for over 60 years.

[4liters]

There is an unsourced claim on the SIV website saying that recreational fishors take more snapper than the pros. While they don't say how they arrived at that figure it wouldn't surprise me if they were right.

https://www.siv.com.au/port-phillip-bay-fishery.html

[re-tyred]

There is an unsourced claim on the SIV website saying that recreational fishors take more snapper than the pros. While they don't say how they arrived at that figure it wouldn't surprise me if they were right.

https://www.siv.com.au/port-phillip-bay-fishery.html

According to catch statistics, there are around 7 times more snapper caught by recreational anglers than commercial fishers. KGWs it is about even.