South Australian Fishers Want Action to Protect Fish Stocks

By Duncan Bailey

By Daniel Keane

Topic: Fishing and Aquaculture Industry

Fishing has been in Bart Butson's family for many years.

In short:

Easter is a time when people buy fish, but there are not many fish in South Australia.

Fishers want the government to close the gulfs to fishing to save the fish.

What's next?

The government is looking at the situation to see if it needs to make any changes.

Easter is usually a busy time for fisher Bart Butson, but this year he has only been on the water for research.

The Gulf St Vincent has been closed to commercial fishing since November because of the algal bloom.

There are hardly any crustaceans, cephalopods, or fish left.

Temporary fishing restrictions have been put in place.

Bart Butson has only taken his boat out to check on fish numbers.

Some species are starting to recover, but most are still very low.

The government has given support to the commercial fishing sector.

The government has announced grants to help commercial fisheries and protect jobs.

The Gulf St Vincent restricted area is set to reopen in July, but fishers want it to stay closed.

Ardrossan fisher Michael Pennington has been fishing for over 15 years.

Michael Pennington says the survival of the sector is at stake.

It would be bad to reopen the fishery now.

All key species in Gulf St Vincent are almost gone.

Squid need to reproduce to come back.

Bart Butson says stocks have been destroyed in the gulf.

Bart Butson thinks the zone should stay closed for at least a year or two.

Some fishers will have to stop fishing because of the long recovery time.

Bart Butson does not think fishing can start again in July.

Michael Pennington has asked the government to close the gulf to all fishing.

Michael Pennington is frustrated with the difference in rules for commercial and recreational fishing.

Michael Pennington says stocks are at very low levels.

The commercial sector has only caught a few squid since June.

Recreational fishers are allowed to keep squid, but commercial fishers are not.

It will take a long time for the squid fishery to recover.

The situation is bad in both gulfs.

On the Spencer Gulf, squid fishers say the decline in stock is a crisis.

Commercial data shows a big drop in calamari catches in the Spencer Gulf.

The commercial calamari catch in the Spencer Gulf is very low.

Some fishers think they have caught the last commercial squid they will ever catch.

David Backen wants restrictions to protect the fishery.

David Backen has not caught a commercial quantity of squid since June.

Many fishers are saying the same thing - there are not enough squid.

The fishery is in disarray.

It is hard to catch squid now.

Jarrod Day has not brought home a commercial-sized calamari catch for eight months.

Jarrod Day has to fish far from home to make a living.

Jarrod Day says calamari stocks are in a very bad state.

Data shows the downturn in calamari catches in the Spencer Gulf.

Squid live for a short time, so if one generation is wiped out, they are gone.

Fishers want the government to take action to protect the fishery.

Jarrod Day wants to see immediate restrictions on all fishing.

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas says the government is concerned about the squid in Gulf St Vincent.

The government wants to balance the needs of the fishers and the environment.

The government will not reopen the fishery until the science says it is safe.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions is assessing the situation.

The government will evaluate the temporary restrictions and consider new ones.

Bart Butson wants the fishery to stay closed.

The price of fish may go up, which will be painful for consumers.

Bart Butson thinks the solution is to leave the fish alone when stocks are low.

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