Report says striped marlin should be rec only

A lax attitude from politicians and their failure to heed expert advice are among the greatest threats to our fish stocks. Take the valuable striped marlin in Australia, for example.

While fishing regulations prevent commercial fishers from keeping blue and black marlin in Australian waters, the striped marlin has become an unfortunate target in recent years. In fact, the current commercial take of striped marlin from the Australian Fishing Zone - which starts just three nautical miles off our coast - is about 600 tonnes or more than 10,000 fish a year, and climbing.

Longliners using live baits on known marlin grounds underscore the fact that the fish has gone from being bycatch to a prized scalp.

Currently the cornerstone of game and charter fisheries along the east coast, striped marlin is the only billfish that anglers can reliably expect to catch almost year-round. But for how much longer?

Without any commercial fishing controls in place there is a very real danger of overexploitation of striped marlin stocks. The economic argument for letting the longliners fish for striped marlin doesn't hold water.

The value of the recreational striped marlin fishery in New South Wales is said to be worth as much as 27 times more than the commercial sector. As such, there is a strong case for a ban on commercial fishers landing striped marlin in NSW.

The NSW Fisheries Minister, Ian Macdonald, has a new report to hand funded by the recreational fishing licence and compiled by Ernst and Young that BlueWater believes backs a ban on commercial marlin fishing in the state.

BlueWater has it on good authority that the report, entitled Economic Impact of the NSW Striped Marlin Fishery, supports the view that the striped marlin should be made a recreational-only fish in NSW waters.

Accordingly, we believe the NSW Fisheries Minister should release the report, ban the landing of striped marlin on NSW longliners, ban the fish from the docks and stop the sale of marlin steaks, which are dangerously high in mercury anyway.

Instead, after three months of navel-gazing, Mr Macdonald was still sitting on the report. We can only guess he has a fear of fuelling the fire in recreational anglers. Or should that be commercial fishers. Macdonald is himself a primary producer.

BlueWater asked the minister why he was sitting on the report and when he would release it. A spokesperson for his department took our questions, but no one got back to us. We chased a response. Our calls were not answered. This, it seems, is how government works these days.

At the time of writing we knew that at least one concerned gamefisher had applied to see the report under the Freedom of Information Act, so stay tuned for the report to be aired in these pages.

Meantime, the only Australian state where longliners are banned from landing striped marlin is Western Australia. Interestingly, a commercial fisher, Radar Holdings, who held a Commonwealth longline licence entitling him to take striped marlin, recently challenged that state law.

In what is an interesting case of constitutional law, the court ruled that Commonwealth fishing entitlements don't override state fisheries legislation. The judgement said there was an operational inconsistency but that the State Act is valid insofar as it applies to fish after they have been landed.

BlueWater had heard that the Australian Fish Management Authority (AFMA) might try to legislate over the states. But for now, a ban on commercial fishing for striped marlin stands in WA. A ban in NSW would go along way to putting a halt to the harvesting on the Australian east coast.

Recreational anglers release more than 95 per cent of all marlin caught, and most gamefishing clubs impose minimum sizes at which their marlin can be weighed. The future health of the precious marlin fishery lies in state and, ultimately, Commonwealth protection. Politicians need to act. - David Lockwood

FOOTNOTE: This writer has heard that certain Australian gamefishing administrators are negotiating with AFMA to have longliners banned from fishing for striped marlin inside 1000 fathoms. At the same time, gamefishers would be banned from fishing beyond 1000 fathoms.

We feel any such proposal is unacceptable, unenforceable and short-sighted. Only yesterday, the 100-fathom line seemed like a long way. Nowadays, we think nothing of fishing in 500 fathoms. Before long, 1000 fathoms will be a regular run and new sea mountains will be the focus.

Nothing but a ban on taking striped marlin is acceptable to Australian anglers.

Share your views with the Honourable Ian Macdonald MLC, Minister for Primary Industries in NSW: tel (02) 9228 3344, fax (02) 9228 3452 or email office@macdonald.minister.nsw.gov.au.