2019-07-18 OM Agenda - Item 1 - Attachment 1 - Noosa Fishing Futures

POTENTIAL ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS AND BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED
CHANGE

Commercial fishers with a significant proportion of their catch history from the Noosa lakes will likely suffer
economic loss and potentially some social impacts. However, the non-tangible benefits such as environmental
improvements to the lakes may have a community-wide benefit. Whilst these benefits may be more difficult
to measure and quantify at a local level, the long-term benefits of marine protected areas or aquatic reserves
or net free zones, whatever they may be described as, are well documented.15

                                 INTRODUCE A WEEKEND CLOSURE FOR THE OCEAN BEACH NET FISHERY
                                            Part 9, Division 3 – Possessing or using nets – regulated periods
                                                                                         Prohibited activities
                                                        A regulated person must not in the regulated waters—
                                                     (a) possess a net for taking fish for trade or commerce; or
                                                        (b) use a net for taking a fish for trade or commerce; or
                                                    (c) possess a fish taken in contravention of paragraph (b).

A regulated closure in waterways south of Double Island Point from 6pm on Friday to 6pm on Sunday currently
applies to Weyba Creek, the Noosa River and Noosa’s main beach, Lake Como, Kin Kin Creek, the upper Noosa
River and Lake Cootharaba. The closure applies to the river, estuary and lakes and Noosa main beach, not
Noosa North Shore and refers to netting during this period (every weekend) however commercial fishers are
permitted to crab and line fish during this period. Feedback from some stakeholders and commercial fishers
notes this regulation should also be applied to the Ocean Beach Fishery north of the mouth of the Noosa River
in Laguna Bay. The basis for these views is principally to address conflict issues between recreational and
commercial fishers and tourists and commercial fishers, particularly when greater numbers of tourists are
visiting during weekends and peak tourist periods.

POTENTIAL ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS AND BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED
CHANGE

The potential benefits of introducing a regulated closure on weekends to the ocean beach net fishery according
to some commercial N1 net fishers and other key stakeholders would be to further reduce conflict in the fishery
that has historically been a source of concern for commercial fishers and the community. Whilst anecdotally
this conflict has subsided somewhat due to a range of factors, it has the potential to continue into the future if
left unchecked. Removing commercial fishing operations from Laguna Bay (Noosa North Shore) for the same
time period as the closure that applies to the rivers and lakes would lessen the likelihood of interactions
between commercial fishers, recreational fishers, tourists and the wider community.

Measuring the costs of such a closure would require analysis of recorded catch history on weekends from
logbook data. The two months of June and July that record a high concentration of catch history in the whole
mullet ocean beach fishery may be impacted however this is an unknown until a deeper analysis is undertaken
on peak catch days during this period.

The tangible benefits are less potential conflict for the aforementioned groups, but importantly, this was raised
by numerous stakeholders during the consultation phase of this paper as being one of the major issues and
sources of conflict between commercial fishers and the community. This issue was discussed in the context of
contributing to the long term ‘bad image’ that has continued to prevail in the community and that no one
group or authority had been able to change. By giving consideration to the Rules around priority of shot may
go some way to addressing conflict and this is something Fisheries Queensland have advised they are willing
to consider, however removing commercial fishing from the Noosa North Shore during periods of high
exposure to visitors and the community is worth considering based on stakeholder feedback. The economic
impact of a weekend closure in the river and lakes would be subject to closer analysis.

15
     https://www.coastalconference.com/2014/papers2014/Julia%20Mayo-Ramsay%20Full%20Paper.pdf
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