Bill passes banning commercial net fishing in Melbourne

The commercial fisheries authority in Victoria has declared Wednesday as a “black day” for the fishing industry after a ban has been posed on commercial net fishing in Port Phillip and Corio Bays. The legislation was passed in the parliament on Tuesday.

According to the ABC, the ban will be implemented over the next eight years and about 43 commercial fishing license holders will claim compensation of $27 million. The commercial net fishing at Port Phillip Bay provides small portion of the annual fishing products of around 700 tonnes.

Chefs, wholesale seafood suppliers, commercial fishers and retailers gathered out of the State Parliament on Monday to present a petition against the bill.

Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford said that it was a major transformation that the people were waiting for long. It was a historic event awaited since 1971. “I think that the arrangements Parliament agreed to will pave the way for a quick exit and a quick improvement to recreational fishing in the bay,” the ABC quoted her as saying.

Seafood Industry’s executive director Johnathon Davey declared the bill as unpleasant for those who possess a business directly or indirectly dependent on fishing. He said that the industry had been assessed by a third-party and passing the bill was “gut wrenching.” He added that the compensation being offered to the commercial fishing license holders was also low.

“Most of these families are fourth and fifth generation fishing families. Fishing is all that they know, fishing is all that they want to do,” Davey stated, referring to the families that earn bread from the fishing industry business for years.

The government’s one million package for recreational fishing aims at inviting more anglers, who use rod and line for fishing, and thereby remove net fishing completely within the eight said years of implementation.

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