Earlier this month, Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair released a series of draft recommendations outlining proposed reforms in the hope of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the commercial fishing industry in NSW.

The independent Structural Adjustment Review Committee (SARC) is writing to all commercial fishing businesses in NSW, with each fisher receiving the draft recommendations that relate to their business. 

“This state needs a commercial fishing sector that is viable and sustainable long in to the future. Doing nothing is not an option, which is why the government will make the necessary reforms to secure the future of this industry,” Mr Blair said. 

“This reform is about providing greater certainty and security to the commercial fishing industry – something this sector deserves.” 

However, the SARC recommendations, proposed to take effect in 2018, are coming under fire from the local commercial fishing industry.

Jerseyville Fishermen's Co-op manager Lawrie McEnally said if the SARC reforms were implemented in their current form, the Co-op would go out of business.

“If the current reforms are implemented in full the Co-op won’t survive,” Mr McEnally said.

“We were just about to announce an expansion of the Co-op which would employ more people, but because of the announcement of reforms that will have to be put on hold.

“For me to currently go crabbing in the Macleay River I have to have 125 shares to have a valid entitlement to go to work, and I need 125 more shares to either net fish, trap fish or to catch eels, so each category has a share endorsement.

“Each share doesn’t have a value but you need a certain number of shares to be endorsed in that fishery, and what the government is saying is when it goes to a quota I will only be able to take 1100kg of mud crabs per year, which is worth about $22,000.

“On the numbers they are giving us our catch will be reduced by 25 per cent and if that is the case we won’t survive.”

Local commercial fisherman Nathan Neilly agreed with Mr McEnally and said if the reforms were passed in their current form, many local commercial fishermen would go out of business.

“It is scary, Mr Neilly said.

“At the moment I am able to mesh-net for 249 days in the Macleay River and if the SARC reforms come in I’ll only be allocated 80 days.  

“Under the SARC reforms I’ll have to buy more shares so I can continue to operate at the current level I do now.

“It is my hope that Mr Blair and Oxley MP Melinda Pavey, will see through SARC and have the foresight to see that this reform and restructure is beyond unworkable - it is idiocy on a grand scale.”

Mrs Pavey repeated the government’s message that the state needs a commercial fishing sector that is viable and sustainable long into the future, and to do nothing is not an option.

 “This reform is about providing greater certainty and security,” Mrs Pavey said.

“It’s also about assisting licence holders who wish to either remain in or exit the industry through a $16 million business adjustment program that is on the table.

“I strongly encourage commercial fishers to examine the information they receive from SARC and provide feedback. 

“The SARC has already recommended modifying the $16 million adjustment program, by removing a number of high impact options and giving commercial fishers more time.”

More information, including all of the SARC’s draft recommendations, is available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/commercial/reform