Fishers See Tourism Potential in '12 Species in a Day' Marine Park

By James Elton

Topic: Marine Parks

Sat 25 Jul 2026 at 8:48am

Jacinta Hammer is a Marranbala ranger who patrols the Limmen Bight Marine Park, east of Katherine.

The Marranbala rangers spot a saltwater crocodile on the banks of Limmen Bight.

A bird stands nearby, looking like it's in danger.

One of the rangers says the crocodile will clean the bird's teeth.

Saltwater crocodiles are among the diverse wildlife in Limmen Bight.

Commercial mud crabbers work in the mangrove-lined banks, while recreational fishers go deeper into the river system.

Limmen Bight is a thriving ecosystem with a lot of wildlife.

Underwater cameras have captured over 100 hours of footage showing what's beneath the water.

David Barrett says there's potential for more tourism if the roads are upgraded.

David Barrett says they got great footage of sharks.

They saw different seagrass species and corals.

They looked at the fish stocks, which was really cool.

The seagrass is home to a big population of dugongs.

Ranger Emmalou Barrett says she had to go slow to avoid hitting dugongs and turtles with her boat.

She says it was amazing to see so many.

Long-promised extension

There are two marine parks at Limmen, one run by the Northern Territory and one by the Commonwealth.

The NT government wants to extend its part of the park south.

The extension would create a protected corridor and add 185 square kilometers to the park.

The Limmen Bight Marine Park is on the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The NT government is proposing to extend its section south.

The seagrass in the area is special.

It's food for dugongs, turtles, fish, prawns, and mud crabs.

NT Environment Minister Marie-Clare Boothby says an announcement on the extension is coming soon.

Fishing mecca

The fishing camp at Limmen Bight is popular with fishers from all over Australia.

Territory fisherman Ben Rosevear says there's a unique camaraderie around the camp.

Ben Rosevear says it's easy to catch 12 species in a day at Limmen Bight.

He describes a typical day of fishing at Limmen Bight.

Ben Rosevear stands on a sandy bank and hooks up live mullet as bait.

He catches a giant queenfish within minutes.

He says Limmen Bight is one of the most alive places in the Territory.

He wants to keep the area clean and pristine.

The NT government says there's untapped potential in the recreational fishing market.

The park is a mecca for recreational fishers from the NT and the rest of Australia.

While in opposition, now-Treasurer Bill Yan said the extension would help put the Territory's wild coastlines on every fisher's bucket list.

Ranger David Barrett agrees there's potential for more tourism, but the access road needs to be upgraded.

The area can handle more tourism, but the roads need to be fixed.

Ben Rosevear wants to see tourism extend beyond fishing to attract visitors without boats.

Ben Rosevear says Limmen Bight is one of the most alive places in the Territory.

He thinks there's an opportunity for wildlife tours, birdwatching tours, and sunset tours.

A tale of two parks

The topic of commercial fishing in the park is controversial.

The NT marine park allows prawn trawling, but the Commonwealth park next door does not.

Commercial mud crabbers operate in and around the NT park.

Ben Rosevear says commercial fishing and marine parks are distinct and allowing it risks making Limmen a 'Clayton's marine park'.

He suggests restricting operators to handlines could be a starting point.

Commercial mud crabbers operate in Limmen Bight, but there are different rules for different areas.

Adele Pedder says the rules should be the same across both parks.

She says many people would be surprised to hear that damaging fishing practices are still allowed in the marine park.

David Barrett says he'd like to see temporary closures of the crab fishery to give it a chance to recover.

Funding questions and the next marine park

The work on the extension at Limmen Bight has been supported by $2.27 million in federal government funding.

A federal government spokesperson says a 10-year deal has been made with the sea rangers to patrol both NT and federal parks.

Jacinta Hammer says the job involves hard work and early mornings.

David Barrett says there should be seasonal closures of the Limmen Bight crab fishery.

Community members from Borroloola, Ngukurr, Numbulwar, and Minyerri have expressed interest in joining the Marranbala rangers.

Lots of family members have asked to join the rangers.

Illegal fishing is a big problem worldwide, and it's creating a mess for governments.

The federal government spokesperson says the integrated management approach at Limmen could be a model for future marine parks.

The NT currently has two marine parks, one at Limmen and one on the Cobourg Peninsula.

The NT has produced a report for the Commonwealth on potential areas for a third marine park.

A spokesperson for the NT parks and wildlife minister says the establishment of the next protected area will require further investigation and consultation.

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