According to Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald the closures of prawn trawling in ocean waters off the mouths of the Bellinger, Nambucca and Hastings Rivers have been done to protect fish washed out of the rivers as a result of the floods. Macdonald also informed that the closures will be in place until 16 April for the Nambucca and Hastings River areas and until 23 April for the Bellinger area.
Director of Fisheries Operation with NSW Department of Primary Industries Peter Turnell told that during floods a greater number of juvenile and non-target fish are flushed from the upper reaches of the rivers out to sea. He added the waters adjacent to the three rivers had only recently been re-opened after the February floods in the area.
Turnell expressed that the flood closures complement a number of rules and regulations in place to ensure the ocean trawl fishery was fished in a sustainable way. He opined that there are input controls on the fishery that restrict things like the number of licences, the size and engine capacity of boats, the length and mesh size of nets, and the areas and times which can be worked.
