Tag Archives: Queensland
Gulf fishermen’s livelihoods obliterated with 14 days’ notice
Fishermen in the Gulf of Carpentaria were given two weeks notice that five gillnet-free zones will be implemented in their waters, in an announcement released by Queensland’s Agriculture Minister Mark Furner last Friday afternoon. Gulf of Carpentaria Commercial Fishermen Association spokesperson Shawn McAtamney described the decision as flawed and disappointing, while Traeger MP Robbie Katter said it was an utter slap in the face to fishers who’d had their livelihoods obliterated with 14 days’ notice. In addition to the impacts it will have, Mr. McAtamney said the haste with which it was pushed through was concerning. “It didn’t even go through parliamentary debate,” he said. “The Governor signed off on it, an archaic piece of colonial history.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:37
Cairns detectives charge man with torture and slavery offences against deckhands on board his fishing vessels
Operation Victor Diabelli
Deckhands allegedly swam through crocodile-infested waters to escape being tortured, with police charging a Karumba man with 46 offences including assault and slavery. Queensland Police Acting Inspector Jason Chetham said deckhands on board the man’s vessel were allegedly abused and assaulted and had food and water withheld. “They unfortunately worked without wages, they were forced to sleep on the open deck of the boat,” he said. Acting Inspector Chetham said police would allege there were five male victims and one 25-year-old female victim. more, >>click to read<< 09:37
Mullet fishers keep proud tradition alive for next generation along south-east Queensland beaches
For more than a century, commercial fishermen have been gathering on some of Queensland’s most popular beaches every winter, poised for action as a cool breeze blows. Their four-wheel drives, stacked with metal cages and boats piled with fishing nets, take up room usually reserved for sunbathing holidaymakers. It’s mullet fishing season along Queensland’s southern coast as the fish migrate north to spawn during the colder months of the year. The practice of fishing for mullet with nets off the beach, and the highly prized licences, are passed down through the generations. “I do it because that’s virtually all I know and I’ve done this since I was a little kid,” commercial fisherman Michael Thompson says. Video, photos, >click to read< 10:56
Commercial fishers fear gillnet ban on Great Barrier Reef will destroy business, communities
“I’ve got an 18 month-old daughter and I don’t know how I’ll provide for her at the end of the year,” Mr Waldon said. The third-generation commercial fisherman runs a large gillnetting operation near Marlborough off the central Queensland coast and spends long hours at sea catching fish, such as barramundi and threadfin, to provide for his young family. But with a recently announced ban on gillnet fishing, he feared he would not be able to earn a living anymore. “We’ve got all our life savings tied up in fishing licences, quotas, boats and it’s all rendered completely useless … it’s scary,” Mr Waldon said. Video, >click to read< 09:52
Fisheries scientist fears fish and chip prices will increase following gillnet fishing ban
For decades, fishers in Queensland have used large rectangular gillnets in creek mouths to catch barramundi, threadfin, and other popular table fish. But this week the Queensland and federal governments announced a ban on the practice by 2027, after conservationists raised concerns about the impact of the nets on dugongs, turtles, and sharks. The move has infuriated the fishing industry, which warns fresh Australian fish will be taken off the market and replaced with overseas farmed products. Fisheries scientist and commercial fisher Andrew Tobin said the industry was “completely blindsided” by the ban. >click to read< 08:14
Seismic survey debate returns to south-west Victoria after national talks with fishers break down
Lobster fisher Gary Ryan believes the public ought to know more about seismic surveying. The technique involves shooting loud airwaves at the ocean floor to uncover subterranean oil and gas reserves. “I just believe that if this was happening on land and the public could see the damage it was causing there would be an uproar,” Mr Ryan said. When energy giant Origin Energy decided to survey off the coast of Warrnambool in Victoria’s south west in 2017, the community had little option but to accept it. “At the time, we were compensated and it seemed like a reasonable figure,” Mr Ryan said. “But we accepted it because either we took it or we were going to get nothing.” >click to read< 09:12
Fishermen spend night stranded after wild weather claims their vessel
Fears capsized trawler is spilling pollutants into Burnett River
A sunken trawler that has leaked pollutants in Bundaberg’s main river could pose a danger to people’s safety and the environment, a commercial fisherman and environmentalist says. The capsized boat was first noticed in the Burnett River last week and the boat owner has been given until December 9 to move it. Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) said it had deployed a floating boom around the trawler to prevent pollutants entering the waterway. It said it was inspecting the vessel twice a day and adjusting the boom to ensure it was effective. >click to read< 08:40
Maritime Safety Queensland launches new dredging plan at Mooloolaba Harbour
Maritime Safety Queensland will trial a new dredging technique in response to community anger over treacherous sandbanks building up at the entrance to Mooloolaba Harbour. Video footage of waves crashing over the back of the prawn trawler Canipa earlier this year demonstrated a dangerous problem that repeatedly plagues the busy seaport. Sand shoaling has limited access, endangered lives and vessels and restricted commercial trade, forcing some vessels to unload in other ports. Protests were held and more than 1,200 people signed a petition. The entrance was dredged but the search for long-term solutions continued. Video, >click to read< 14:52
Great Sandy Marine Park fisheries could shut down and seafood prices increase
Commercial fishing is the only job Brett Fuchs has ever known, but the Hervey Bay fisher says plans to increase no-fish zones in the Great Sandy Marine Park will be enough to sink his business, as retailers predict seafood lovers will wear the cost of limited supplies. The Queensland government has proposed to expand the green zone by almost 9 per cent in the 6,000-square-kilometre marine park that stretches from Baffle Creek to Double Island Point. Commercial fishers would be forced to remove large gill nets and ring nets from the water. “There’s nothing left for us,” Mr Fuchs said. >click to read< 11:12
Plans to increase no-fish zones in Great Sandy Marine Park worry Queensland seafood industry
It is considered a win for conservationists and recreational fishers, but seafood lovers and commercial fisheries will pay the price for proposed changes to one of Queensland’s greatest marine parks, an industry body says. The state government has released the draft for the new Great Sandy Marine Park Zoning Plan, which would see green zones increase from 3.9 per cent to 12.8 per cent. But the Queensland Seafood Industry Association said the expansion of no-fish zones had little regard for local fishers and felt the government had ignored their concerns. “The plan will have a massive impact on the supply of fresh fish … 95 per cent of the net fisheries will be shut down in the Great Sandy Marine Park,” CEO Eric Perez said in a statement. >click to read< 13:07
Spanish mackerel catch quota reduction ‘catastrophic’ for north Queensland fishers, industry says
New quotas that will dramatically reduce the number of Spanish mackerel commercial fishers can catch will “devastate” the industry, according to north Queensland fishers. The Queensland government has unveiled a suite of changes that slash the total catch quota for the state from 570 tonnes to 165 tonnes for commercial fishers. Chloe Bauer’s family business, Bowen Fisherman Seafood Company, has been supplying Spanish mackerel to restaurants up and down the Queensland coast for 40 years. She said the new quotas would “devastate” the industry. >click to read< 11:22
New memorial for six men killed in sunken trawler off Queensland coast
A permanent memorial will be built for the six crewmen killed when the fishing trawler F/V Dianne capsized and sank in wild seas off the central Queensland coast. One crew member survived, the bodies of two men were found in the sunken vessel by a police diver, and the bodies of the remaining four crewmen have never been recovered. “It has been nearly five years since the tragedy, but it is important we get this right,” Transport Minister Mark Bailey said. “An artist’s impression of the memorial was designed with guidance from the families of the FV Dianne crew. >click to read< 08:43
Fisherman Yarn Garrick Ward accused of making deckhand swim across crocodile-inhabited river walks free
A professional fisherman accused of torturing his deckhand, including making him swim across a crocodile-inhabited river, has been found not guilty in a Far North Queensland court. Yarn Garrick Ward, from the small fishing community of Karumba, was on trial at the District Court in Cairns this week over the torture of Cairns man George Jelef in 2019. It took the jury less than half a day on Friday to find Mr Ward not guilty. Mr Ward denied assaulting Mr Jelef and suggested his deckhand was under the influence of drugs, which he said would describe his “erratic” behaviour. >click to read< 09:23
Goodbye F/V Santiego, Hello F/V Diamond Lil
It’s always sad when an old lady of the sea is shipped off to far away waters especially when they’ve been a permanent sight in Port Douglas for decades. Such is the case with the FV Santiego, built in Brisbane and owned by her skipper Laurie Moull. The fishing trawler has been in operation for 21 years and to see her sail off into the sunset is tinged with sadness. The old girl is now in Innisfail with her new owners and their gain is certainly our 
loss, however skipper Laurie is like a kid in a candy shop because he has a new gal in his life. He’s bought a new vessel named ‘Diamond Lil’ and she’s a ‘BIG UN’. Laurie and the crew will be proudly showing off Diamond Lil this weekend at the Port Douglas public jetty when they sell their new season prawns tomorrow and Sunday. Photos, >click to read< 08:14
Fisherman forced deckhand to swim across crocodile-inhabited Queensland river
A Far North Queensland fisherman has denied claims he forced a deckhand to swim across a river known for crocodiles, starved him and locked him in a freezer. Yarn Garrick Ward is on trial at the District Court in Cairns, accused of torturing his former worker, George Jelef, in a remote river system near Karumba in June 2019. Mr Ward has pleaded not guilty. “He said he was going to break my legs … I thought he was going to bash the shit out of me,” Mr Jelef told the court. >click to read< 11:25
Queensland’s scallop industry in doubt
Fisheries Queensland says recent figures show scallop numbers are in serious decline with the biomass, or the amount that can be fished, dropping to 12 per cent of 1977 levels. But Queensland Seafood Industry Association treasurer and scallop fisherman Kevin Reibel said completely closing the fishery would be devastating to south-east Queensland communities. >click to read< 22:00
A “freak wave”,,, Fishing Trawler aground, skipper and two deckhands safe
The skipper of a fishing trawler has been treated for a head injury after his vessel was hit by big waves while trying to navigate the Gold Coast Seaway. The trawler is understood to have lost power and steering as it tried to enter the Seaway just before 1pm on Tuesday. The vessel was then pounded by big waves which have been hitting the Gold Coast all day. >click to read< The crew have described the moment a “freak wave” smashed the boat, shutting down its power and leaving them at the mercy of mother nature. video, photos, >click to read< 08:50
Queensland Government says it’s done enough for the domestic fishing fleet to weather the coronavirus storm
QSIA CEO Eric Perez described the state government’s response as a shameful position, saying commercial fishermen were only asking for a waiver for 12 months, not forever, and it would significantly assist a struggling industry. “The government knows what pressure we’re under,” he said. “Domestic markets have taken a massive hit that we didn’t see coming, because tourists aren’t going to restaurants to eat.” He said the industry wasn’t seeking a handout, rather relief from regulatory fees. “It appears the state government is hesitant to part with $5.1-$5.2 million to help an industry that generates over $350 million to the state economy.” >click to read< 10:07
Queensland: Crab pot pincher nipped with $5000 fine
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the man was caught after Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers began investigating reports of people interfering with commercial crab apparatus in March 2019. “This hard-working commercial crabber has had valuable infrastructure interfered with and lost valuable income from someone stealing his mud crabs,” he said. “People interfering with crab pots is one of the biggest complaints that we get from the public and the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol has been cracking down on it through additional patrols and the use of cameras and drones. Our state’s fisheries resources belong to all Queenslanders and it’s our job to protect fish stocks for the future.” >click to read< 10:19
Coronavirus devastates Bowen’s fishing industry, farmers face uncertain winter
The live coral trout trade, which underpins the fishing sector in the north Queensland town of Bowen, has been shut down since January with dozens of crews out of work and boats for sale. Ben Collison, a 22-year veteran of the Bowen line-fishing industry, said it was the worst he had ever seen the market. “Ninety per cent of the boats — as soon as China stopped, they stopped,” he said. “They all relied on the Chinese market.”,, Adding to the pain for Bowen’s fishermen, prices crashed from $60 per kilogram early in the year to just $17 last week, less than half the break-even price. Retailers suffer,Uncertainty for farmers, >click to read< 11:52
“They Go To Sea”: Local prawn fishermen highlighted in short film
A short film highlighting the life of Queensland’s hard working prawn fishermen has featured Grunske’s By The River owners and their passion for local seafood. Focusing on areas including Bundaberg and Hervey Bay to Townsville and the Gold Coast, the video titled “They Go To Sea” was posted recently by Australian Wild Prawns. Grunske’s By The River has been included in the short film with owner/skipper Paul Grunske stating the hard working fishermen and women he deals with every day was a big part of the success of his business. Video, >click to read< 09:23
Giant Bundaberg prawns bigger than a stubby
They can grow bigger than a stubby and are often mistaken for lobsters but these giant creatures are actually prawns and they’re being caught in waterways around Bundaberg. Photos of leader prawns have been circulating social media, with local fisherman comparing their biggest catches from the Burnett River and ocean surrounding the region. Leader prawns are from the banana or tiger prawn family, so named for their massive size and they role they play in a school of prawns. >click to read< 08:16
Queensland’s commercial fishing industry ‘torn apart’ by government’s green agenda
After 100 years of involvement in all aspects of commercial fisheries management and consultation, QSIA president Keith Harris said they were now being excluded and ignored in matters that affect every part of their lives. He blamed an extreme green and anti-fishing ideology that the government was unable to walk away from and called for the removal of WWF Australia and the Australian Marine Conservation Society from government working groups. His statements were rejected by Fisheries Minister Mark Furner,,, >click to read< 09:14
Queensland fisheries face tighter regulations? No, They face elimination, which contiues world wide.
New fishing regulations announced by the Queensland Government could seriously harm regional communities, limit the supply of fresh seafood and force long-term fishers out of the industry,,, But the commercial sector said the changes would cripple an industry already struggling under heavy regulation and increasing overhead costs. Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA) senior vice president Allan Bobberman said the decision to cut 25 per cent of his allocation in the inshore net fishery was neither justified nor based on science. >click to read< 08:52
Come on Queensland, it’s your future.
Last week the Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA) met for their Annual General Meeting in Tin Can Bay.,, It is an industry in turmoil following the recent recommendations proposed by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries that the Trawl Fishery be locked into five zones and only by leasing or buying from other operators, can you enter other zones to work.,,, Blindsided by The Hon. Mark Furner,,, While claiming to be effecting reforms proposed by MRAG they are picking the worst bits out and these changes are unprecedented in the history of the industry. >click to read< 16:22
Queensland coroner lashes Fisheries over missing alert after eight die, inquest condemn bureaucrats, urges inflatable vests for fishers
A coroner investigating the deaths of eight men after two trawlers capsized off Queensland has criticised authorities for failing to implement a safety feature to alert police when a boat vanishes. Coroner David O’Connell says the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries should immediately implement the vessel-monitoring-system feature designed to send an SMS or email to police if a boat or ship fails to “poll” on the system, which may indicate it has sunk. >click to read< Findings from trawler Dianne sinking inquest condemn bureaucrats, urges inflatable vests for fishers – Video, >click to read< 15:34
An explosion of lucrative banana prawns – Flood disaster turns a profit downstream in the Gulf of Carpentaria
Raptis Pearl skipper Mick McGillivray, with one of his deckhands, celebrated the best start to the banana prawn season in the Gulf of Carpentaria since 1974. A two billion dollar damage bill to Queensland graziers, with an AgForce estimate of 664,000 head dead after February floods – the worst since 1974 – has been compensated to some degree by the best start to the banana prawn harvest in the southern end of the Gulf of Carpentaria for decades. Hardest hit areas, like Julia Creek and McKinlay Shire where 274,000 head were lost, drain into the Flinders River which has nourished an explosion of lucrative banana prawns in warm shallow waters just beyond its mouth. >photo’s, click to read<14:03
Overhaul trawler safety, coroner urged
A Queensland coroner is considering the words of the mother of a fisherman lost when a trawler capsized off Queensland who said the crew deserved to have been rescued, not recovered. Coroner David O’Connell has retired to consider his findings after a two week inquest into the deaths of eight men after two fishing vessel tragedies. This week he investigated in Gladstone the deaths of men when the FV Dianne rolled and sank off the Town of 1770 on October 16, 2017. >click to read<10:23
Kitchen freezer could have become a missile as stricken trawler sank
An unsecured kitchen freezer on board a Queensland trawler that sank with the loss of two men could have become a missile inside the stricken vessel as it rolled in rough seas before plummeting to the ocean floor, an inquest has heard. The bodies of skipper Matt Roberts, 61, and crewman David Chivers, 36, have never been found but investigators say it’s likely they were inside the wheelhouse of the FV Cassandra as it rolled in the early hours of April 4, 2016. >click to read>13:02
