A LOCAL and recreational fisherman for 25 years has spotted fishermen netting in small creeks, leaving little for others to catch.
Rod photographed two nets which were about 50m long each in “local secret” spot, Moore Park Creek.
“This whole system is only about 8km long.
“I have heard professional crabbers go in there, which means most of what you catch are either undersized or female, so without extensive local knowledge it’s hard to bring anything home.
Rod said the fishing is usually “very good from time to time but that will change with nets being used”.
The usual haul is a mix of bream, flathead, moses perch and grunter, according to Rod.
“(I) met a bloke down there on Wednesday when I was there that had been going there for over 50 years, (and) we both agreed that the fishing and crabbing isn’t what it used to be.” he said.
“I used to get sick of too much mud crab, but not these days – this place is popular with local fisherman, and looked after by them as well, most do the right and legal thing.”
A Fisheries Queensland spokeswoman said Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol received 17 complaints regarding netting in the Bundaberg district (Burrum River to Baffle Creek) since April 1 2016.
“Ten separate offenders have been subject to enforcement action in the district for either using or possessing illegal nets during the last 12 months. These offenders included both recreational and commercial fishers,” the spokeswoman said.
“Fisheries Infringement Notices ranging from $235 to $1178 were issued and in most cases the nets were seized. Court action is still pending on one matter.
Despite multiple netting offences, the spokesperson said logbook data showed the number of commercial net fishers and the number of days they fished decreased over the last decade in the Wide Bay area around Bundaberg.
Fisheries Queensland has no plans for a net-free zone in the Wide Bay area.
About Redden Custom Netting
In 1958, John Redden started Redden Net Co. Ltd to supply commercial fishing gear to the fishing communities of the Pacific Northwest. Now, more than fifty years later, we have an in-house net loft staffed by professional, experienced net builders – and our executive team has more than 100 combined years of experience in every facet of industrial netting. So no matter what industry you’re in, if you need a net, we can build it.
Over the last fifty years, our technology, applications, and materials have become more complex, but our business philosophy remains simple. Treat employees and customers – right. We do. And we’ll do it for you.
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