Unattended gill net fishing is still being allowed and is licensed within extremely sensitive wetland environments of which tens of thousands of Australian’s have been fighting to save and help preserve for years.
The Coorong and its associated lakes are home to tens of thousands of sea and shore birds, some native to Australia and other International visitors, all of which require protection and have a right to live a safe and non-human influenced life.The Coorong, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert and associated wetland environments are of upmost importance for the vast majority of Australians’ and cover a mammoth 140,000 plus hectares. These environments are of International importance so much so they are listed as a Ramsar Convention Wetland and have been since 1985.
Despite thousands of South Australians’ fighting for these lakes and wetlands to receive much needed inflows to maintain a healthy and sustainable ecosystem; our government departments responsible for issue licenses and setting rules and regulations within these areas in order to minimize the impact of fishing; still allow professional fishing activities to continue and of which have huge impacts on seabird and marine mammal species due to extremely relaxed rules, regulations and policing.
This fishery somehow managed to be crowned one of the very few “sustainable and eco-friendly” fisheries in Australia by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and holds this accreditation for being noninvasive fishery to the environment.
Great Cormorants leg entangled. Photos thanks to Mike and Sarah
However, AMWRRO has for many years been informed by many concerned boat users, kayakers and recreational fishers of the poor fishing practices that effect other wildlife that rely of these water to survive.
Last weekend AMWRRO was notified by two young people kayaking in the Coorong lakes that at least six Great Cormorants were found entangled in a single gill net that was set and left unattended. One of the birds had already perished and the remaining were still very much alive and in need of immediate assistance.
Despite being bitten several times these two young people worked for over an hour to free the birds and did so successfully. Advice was provided over the phone and a request for photographic evidence was also accommodated due to the difficultly surrounding visual evidence concerning poor commercial fishing practice.
One must ask: how this fishery was ever accredited by the MSC of which is an international fishery accreditation body for safe and eco-friendly fishing practice and furthermore, what must the said fishery do in order to be accredited with such an award and how does one police this accreditation once issued (if at all).
After reading through the MSC website, according to the “guidelines” associated with such an accreditation – this fishery is clearly in need of restructure and a close look at current fishing practices. It is our view that this accreditation should not be awarded to any such fishery that leaving unattended set nets and furthermore the MSC should consider ongoing independent policing of the said accredited fisheries that they accredit.
Dead Cormorants found in Gill Net. Photos thanks to Mike and Sarah
In AMWRRO’s view the overall accreditation should not be issued to any one fishery for more than 12 months and or, after any change of management within that said fishery, as oppose to the 5 year accreditation that currently stands.
In this instance the accreditation by the MSC has clearly failed to provide the general public and industries alike with peace of mind that “we the people” are purchasing a eco-friendly product and as a consequence should be removed immediately and not reinstated until such time as more “eco-friendly” practice are adopted and policed by an independent body within the said fisheries.
