2014-10-20 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   20 OCTOBER 2014




                                      Page 18 of 26

The commercial fisheries authorised to operate in the NNS area consists of:
e   anocean beach net fishery (K8 fishery symbol) — targeting mullet; and
e   an inshore fin fish fishery (N1 fishery symbol) — targeting various inshore fin fish species by net
    in estuaries and offshore waters (see K8 and N1 fishery area maps attached).
Those commercial fishermen with the K8 symbol on their commercial fishing boat license are also
allowed the use of N1 gear in the N1 fishery area.
Given this high recreational use of the Noosa North Shore beach and the commercial fishery
operations occurring within this space, it is not uncommon for conflicts to occur between the
recreational and commercial fishermen and other members of the community; and also between
groups within the commercial fishing sector itself.
Council receives historic and on-going complaints from residents and visitors to the Noosa North
Shore specifically about the:
e   lack of fish caught by recreational fishers and their families visiting the Noosa North Shore;
e   the quantity of fish caught by commercial fishermen; and
e   incidental catch left dead on the Noosa North Shore beach»by commercial fishermen in full
    view of visitors and recreational fishers.

Consequently Council is often asked why these commercial fishing operations are allowed in a
State declared recreational area which visitors pay.to access; why aren’t recreational fishers given
‘reasonable access’ to the fishery resource; is the area beingoverfished; andjis an adjustment to
this fishery overdue.
From 1992 to 2014 the netted catch recorded,by commerciahfishermen on the Noosa North Shore
(i.e. Noosa River-mouth to Double Island, Point)was 3,176.16)tonne (see detailed graph below).
This data is gleaned from the logbooks of,the commercial operations and should be viewed as
having around 70% confidence,rate of accuracy.

                 Weight (t) of Netted Fish
 250.00 +
 200.00                            rT
 moo              aT
 100.00        TT                              m Weight (t) of Netted Fish
  ooo        ALTE
   0.00
         SanananRnoSoHES SRS
         Dnannodssdsdsdodbd6S8o       oO 8
         fat   t at aa gag aq
         Nn tT wOWoenNnanesktswHovoo wn
         ARRRSSSSSSES
         ct ci ci ANN NN NN N
Source: Fisheries Queensland, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 2014.
The catch and effort over this 22 year period was the result of between 6 to 21 licensed operators
fishing. Conflicts within the commercial fishing sector itself also seem to be exacerbated by the
two different types of commercial fishermen who are authorised to access the fisheries in this area
— local commercial fishermen and itinerant commercial fishermen. The locals tend to work as a
group to establish and preserve fish aggregations as they move northwards. Their method of
working collectively often has the by-product of generating disharmony with itinerant commercial
fishermen which often spills over into intimidating and other behaviours.

                                                                                     Page 18 of 26