Media reports revealed that commercial fishers at Bermagui on the New South Wales Far South Coast are very much concerned about their livelihood as they fear the industry will collapse if the Federal Government establishes a network of marine reserves. The Environment Department says it discussed its plans with stakeholders at Bermagui, Eden and Merimbula last week.
According to the Department commercial fishers may be affected from the marine reserve project, but policies to assist them are being established including a licence buy-out plan. A Director of the Bermagui Fisherman’s Co-operative, Allan Broadhurst, told that fishers have left the area because of changes to the industry over the past five years. He added that there will not be enough people to support the infrastructure if more choose to leave, and the government will have to buy all the licences.
Broadhurst also told that the government should think twice before giving green signal to the marine projects as they need to decide, do they want a fishing industry or not. He adsvised if the government is determined about the projects then it should come and buy the whole fishing industry out, and we’ll just get our fish from New Zealand or somewhere else. He opined that there is no point in having a few token people floating around in the ocean, either we’ve got a fishing industry or we don’t have a fishing industry.
