Larkin Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 (edited) Council is proposing a new aquatic reserve in port hacking. The aquatic reserve covers an area that is a very popular squid fishing area. For those wanting to have their voice heard, Council meeting starts at 18:30 on 19th February 2024 -Level 2, Council Administration Building, 4-20 Eton Street, Sutherland. https://cms.ssc.nsw.gov.au/files/sharedassets/website/document-library/governance/council-meetings/2024-02-19-council-business-paper.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2-DsPUtnLAUsfUhUA2pqBkfkdGB2MwPrvsuM_h4vsCXXSpLJNkj6ZwzeE Edited February 12 by Larkin 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabstar Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 I wish i could attend this. (Nightshift) This is outrageous, surely not! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restyle Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 Typical silly government. The bloke who speared the grouper was already breaking the law, so what would these changes even achieve? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted February 13 Author Share Posted February 13 (edited) 11 hours ago, Crabstar said: I wish i could attend this. (Nightshift) This is outrageous, surely not! So many boats stop at this area for a squid - hope it doesn’t get up. I might go past if I’m not stuck at work. 11 hours ago, Restyle said: Typical silly government. The bloke who speared the grouper was already breaking the law, so what would these changes even achieve? Knee jerk reaction mate, to one idiot. I don’t think many fishos know that this is on the councils agenda. Edited February 13 by Larkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onearmedfisho Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 is there a petition or something we can sign to oppose the change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob81 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Its probably the illegal spearo killing of Gus that happens almost yearly now thats sparked this. I forget which version of Gus we're up to now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD351 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 This sounds eerily like the council meeting they had to try and get Mona vale basin turned into a marine sanctuary zone - in the end it was decided that the council didn’t have the power to implement anything because it is a DPI controlled region . Best they can do is ask for a case study in which case they will probably have to pay for it, these studies can take years and cost a lot of money . There are other issues at play here as well like people catching undersized fish and cutting these up to hand feed these groper- if it is illegal for me to cut up an undersized tailor for bait how can it be legal for them to do it ? I think an overhaul of the spear fishing / skin diving regulations and a way better education program are in urgent order . Now I’m obviously not a spear fisher so not certain on this but if I have to pay a fishing fee to line fish why shouldn’t the spear fishers also be made to pay the same fee? Do they pay an fee?Also do you have to register a spear gun ? Do you need a licence for one ? I don’t want to debate the last two as I don’t think this forum is the place to argue the intricacies of spear guns / weapons or their ownership- just a simple yes or no answer is all I want . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fried Rice Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 You need a fishing fee receipt (licence) to take anything living from the ocean in NSW by any means, including spearfishing. No licence or registration (or age limit) required to own a speargun. I used to spearfish when I was in primary school. Very unwise to fire a speargun on land. I've heard that the recoil is most unpleasant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 here we go again-NIMBY's , greenies , they all hate us-starts with one person doing the wrong thing and we are tarred with the same brush. Society really has reached maximum stupidity when we start naming fish-but no one bats an eyelid over the massacre of skipjack and yellowfin for catfood and tinned tuna . Good news is that Fisheries will most likely say no to this but writing a few letter and maybe having a meeting with however the local member is usually a good idea. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fried Rice Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Yup, try being a hunter if you want to get persecuted. I actually gave up spearfishing for line fishing as it is much easier. Spearfishers generally "release" before they pull the trigger. No bycatch if you do it right. Hopefully we have the numbers to head this stupidity off. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Thanks for bringing this to the attention of members. It is now closed for comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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