Wide Bay Wildcatch in Hervey Bay, Queensland | Food & drink

Wide Bay Wildcatch

Locality: Hervey Bay, Queensland

Address: Waters of the Wide Bay 4655 Hervey Bay, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.widebaywildcatch.org

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25.01.2022 What is the ‘proper’ role for an industry body? Tomorrow the election process reaches its conclusion. Many industry bodies will have identified their wish list...s amongst the major and minor parties seeking either a change to policy or maintaining the status quo. This Association has done, what some have argued is broken an unspoken rule we have targeted political messaging, targeted the State Government and continued to seek a better deal than the garbage masquerading as fisheries policy we have today. However, deals are best made by parties who show respect and understanding for the position of the other party. This has most definitely NOT been the case. If there are no repercussions for draconian imposition then there is no impetus for equitable dealing. The current, so-called fisheries reform process presents some of the worst elements of government policy making that will (1) limit what can be harvested, despite there being no sustainability emergency, (2) a conservative estimate suggests 30-40% of viable, working commercial fishing families will lose their incomes, (3) less seafood will encourage more imported seafood and (4) quota management will reduce local small business participation in commercial fishing and attract larger corporates as investors (both foreign and domestic). The community never got the chance to debate these changes, not really. There was no modelling of the impacts of policy that was driven by the very cosy relationship between the ALP, conservation and recreational fishing groups. What State Governments won’t discuss, at least publicly, is that despite green and recreational fishing groups being unelected stakeholders they seem to have an inordinate amount of sway when it comes to fisheries policy. These groups have inordinate influence because no one wants to upset the ‘fish are friends not food brigade’ or the ‘I fish I vote’ constituency. A few reality checks are needed: (1) Conservation groups Thankfully, the majority of Queenslanders are not conservation group supporters or you might see more evidence of their political wing winning more seats in Queensland. Consider for example loss of the Queensland net fishery’s export accreditation. The State Government had 3 years to do something but sat on its arse the entire time and then had the nerve to blame a global pandemic for their incompetence. You might wonder, if you were a conspiracy theorist, that it was done on purpose to, you know, make the conservation groups happy that another step in undermining commercial net fishing had been achieved. (2) Recreational groups let’s be crystal clear. The average recreational fisher is not a member of a Fraser Coast Fishing Alliance for example or its many clone bodies along the coast. Most enjoy their hobby and ironically buy local seafood harvested by commercial fishers. These groups use the ‘fear’ of large numbers to scare politicians into submission. Imagine a State Government or set of political parties that demanded a full accounting of the impacts of recreational fishing on fish and crustacean stocks. If you ever get the chance to speak to a politician, of any stripe, ask them would they back pushing for greater recreational sector accountability and watch them run a mile in the other direction. These are the groups this industry are asked to deal with in good faith and an anti-commercial fishing / pro-conservation State Government and a spineless Fisheries Queensland and there you have fisheries management in 2020. The community’s access to fresh local seafood is under threat. Stop being alarmist QSIA we hear you cry. Let’s test a theory: The ALP government’s long-term agenda is to replace commercial fishing with domestic aquaculture, promote the exclusion of commercial fishing in favour of a recreational only fishing Queensland coastline and rebuild the charter fishing sector. The evidence supporting this theory: * The so-called reform will introduce quota (maintaining access for some and excluding commercial fishers without a sufficient amount of quota to be considered a fisheries participant); * Some fisheries statistics will help support the theory: (1) over the 2000-2019 period, commercial fisher actively fishing and recording catch as is mandated by the State Government have decreased by 37.5 percent, (2) in the Blue Swimmer and Mud Crab fisheries between 2000-2019, the reduction in commercial fishing is 38.4 percent. In the Spanner Crab (a quota managed fishery) the reduction is 65.5 percent, (3) n the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Finfish fishery, the reduction of commercial fishing is 21.1 percent between 2000-2019. In the East Coast Inshore Finfish fishery, the reduction between 2000-2019 is 36.7 percent, (4) n the Gulf of Carpentaria Line fishery, the reduction of commercial fishing is 33.3 percent between 2000-2019. In the East Coast Line fishery, the reduction between 2000-2019 is 52.9 percent, (5) in the East Coast Trawl fishery, the reduction of commercial fishing is 51.2 percent between 2000-2019. In the Beam Trawl fishery, the reduction between 2000-2019 is 57.8 percent and (6) Wall to wall marine parks, recreational fishing closures including the Net Free Zones. There is a common factor underlying this decline 6 ALP governments over the last 20 years has led to the significant undermining of an industry that could have been assisted to expand or value add. Look at the major parties falling over themselves to promote aquaculture. Again, we are not supposed to write about these issues. Those days are long gone and 6 ALP State Governments later we have a so-called reform process that presents as massive a change as the zoning of the Great Barrier Reef zoning process and businesses losses in the hundreds. The Green Shirts Movement Qld have provided a template of what future advocacy efforts need to encompass (1) engaging the community, (2) unapologetically holding politicians to account and (3) working with other primary industry stakeholders to remind the public that within their lifetimes eating local caught seafood will be a privilege not your right. A final thought, being a fence sitting stakeholder and having a seat at the table has won this industry absolutely nothing but misery, gaslighting and stress. It’s like being invited to dinner and when arriving all we have is access to crumbs and that should be all we are satisfied with. This election has ended that mentality whether we see a change of government or not our advocacy will continue as will our work with the Green Shirts Movement Qld.

24.01.2022 Reform Update #03 A big hello to the brains trust at Fisheries Queensland and the State Government. So what's next in the wold class fisheries management playbook Minister Furner?

24.01.2022 Fishermen and farmers feed fellow human beings

18.01.2022 so close to home

16.01.2022 Always ask "is it local?" and support your local sustainable commercial fishing industry.

13.01.2022 Seafood consumers buy their local seafood from the business of fishing producing food for everyone

10.01.2022 #lnp #visitqueensland

10.01.2022 Wide Bay's fishing operators provide us with high-quality, wild caught fish from our clean ocean waters in a far more sustainable way than their overseas counte...rparts. They do more than look after our domestic needs, they also export our seafood to the global market. However, commercial fishers in Wide Bay have been left without the ability to export some fish products after the Queensland Labor Government failed to meet several conditions of the Wildlife Trade Operation Declaration, contravening the law and forcing the revocation of export permits. As a result, an industry that brings millions of dollars into the state has been left in limbo while the Queensland Premier go on the campaign trail leaving this important reform abandoned in caretaker mode. Complying with the WTO is critical to the livelihoods of commercial fishers. Without the ability to export mullet roe the whole Queensland sea mullet fishery would collapse, costing our economy millions.

09.01.2022 Food for thought

05.01.2022 Abandoned fishing village in China is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

03.01.2022 Local seafood is on the line with the Qld Governments Fisheries Reform. Tin Can Bay inshore fishermen placed this and other advertisments in the Gympie TodayYes once quota is law, fishers will have to discard good quality protein all too often...it begs the question what entities will end up owning our states community resource and who will be eating our Qld seafood ?