- Hobsons Bay Leader
- September 10, 2014
A Fairy Penguin in full speed.
THE recent death of 25 penguins found at Altona Beach has added
impetus to a campaign to ban commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay.
A Department of Environment and Primary Industries investigation
found the fairy penguins, which washed ashore on August 20, died after
becoming entangled in a commercial fishing net.Recreational anglers’ group Futurefish Foundation director David Kramer said his organisation was leading a campaign – together with Australian Fishing Trade Association, which represents tackle stores – to ban commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay.
Mr Kramer said the campaign focused on the social and economic benefits of banning commercial net fishing to encourage the growth of tourism and recreational fishing. He said the 42 commercial net fishing boats operating in Port Phillip Bay repeatedly depleted areas of fish at the expense of recreational anglers.
But he also said he hoped the penguin deaths would be “the nail in the coffin’’ for commercial net fishing. “It’s another reason commercial fishing needs to cease,” Mr Kramer said. “The environment and wildlife will benefit from (banning the practice).’’
But Seafood Industry Victoria and the Department of Environment and Primary Industries both said fishing was being managed sustainably for both commercial and recreational use and there were no plans to ban commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay.
He said while recreational anglers were policed to take only small numbers of mature fish, commercial fishing nets trawled everything and undersized fish were fed to pelicans. “Because commercial fishing takes place in the middle of the night, you don’t see what happens until something like the death of these penguins brings it to light,’’ Mr Kramer said.
They said they regretted the penguin deaths, but would work with the industry and each other to identify ways to further protect marine life.
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