While some recreational anglers are pushing for an extension of beach net
fishing bans to Bunbury, bait shop owners are feeling the squeeze from =
changes
to the industry over the past few years.
Fisheries Minister Norman =
Moore
announced a ban on commercial net fishing from beaches between Port Geographe =
at
Busselton and Black Point, east of Augusta, to begin on Tuesday.
The
Department of Fisheries will offer compensation to 11 commercial beach
fishermen, who usually target bait fish, and allow some to continue fishing
beaches between Port Geographe and Tims Thicket, south of
Mandurah.
The recreational angler
Former commercial fisherman turned recreational angler Bruce Olsen said he =
would write to Mr Moore asking for an extension of the ban to Bunbury
beaches.
He said population and infrastructure growth in the last 30
years has put more demand on local beaches, especially Belvedere Beach and
Leschenault Peninsula, where people from surrounding towns congregate to camp =
and fish.
"Dolphins that are resident in Koombana Bay spend a lot of their time =
hunting
natural food in the areas mentioned would be a lot better off if all netting
activities were to be ceased as soon as possible," Mr Olsen said.
He =
said
fish like herring, mullet, flathead and flounder couldn't survive if their =
main
food source, whitehead, was taken away by commercial beach
fishers.
The commercial fisherman
Emmanuel
Sofilas is a third generation commercial fisherman who wants to pass the
business to his 16-year-old son even though half of his fishing area will be
stripped away by the net ban.
He used to be able to cast nets anywhere =
between Black Point and Tims Thicket but next week that area will shrink to =
the
coast between Point Geographe and Tims Thicket.
"It'll all change but =
at
least we have half a chance whereas it'll be really hard for the Dunsborough
fisherman," he said.
"But if it goes to Bunbury we're finished.
[Recreational fishers] can't have their cake and eat it too, if they go to =
bait
shops they'll find they can't get any mullet."
The bait shop
owner
WA Bait owner Tim Bailey said he wanted compensation for the erosion of =
his
business over the years, citing changes to the industry such as the ban on
commercial fishing in metropolitan areas and introduction of boat license
fees.
"We had the worst November for five years last year, and October =
and December were also bad," Mr Bailey said.
"The commercial beach fishermen are the ones that catch the fish that we =
need
to sell to recreational fishermen.
"We're already dealing with low
supplies as it is, it's very hard to get."