Ban Lake Tyers netting

The Ban Lake Tyers Netting Committee writes:

Members representing local angling clubs and the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust have formed a committee in a concerted effort to rid Lake Tyers of commercial netting.

Lake Tyers is a beautiful waterway only minutes from Lakes Entrance in East Gippsland. Between April and September 2001, tailor to 6kg, trevally around 2kg, excellent pinkie snapper and large bream have been caught... unfortunately they have been caught in commercial nets.

The people who manage our fishery have decided that for around $500 p.a commercial fishermen can net the lake while businesses, tourism and the community suffer while the netters accumulate wealth. It must be stressed that although Lake Tyers has incredible potential as a recreational fishery it provides far less than 1% of fish to the economy as a recreational
fishery cannot be underestimated.

Other states have taken steps to remove (or have already removed) netting from bays and estuaries because they realise the value of the recreational fishery.

It must be noted the remaining netters in Lake Tyers are not reliant on Lake Tyers for their livings... they have licences to fish elsewhere.

Has the Victorian Government declared commercial fishermen to be the first protected species in Lake Tyers?

Lake tyers opens to the sea on average every three years for a brief period. Obviously for long periods the lake receives no new stocks of migratory fish such as trevally, tailor, whiting and snapper and the other species such as bream and luderick which spawn in the lake are netted mercilessly.

Commercial netters are not required to supply daily catch records and are rarely, if even checked by fisheries. Catch records are easily "fudged" to suit the needs if the netters, so no-one least of all fishermen know what damage the netters do.

Yet again the recreational sector is being duped. If you feel strongly about this issue contact us:

Ban Lake Tyers Netting Committee
P.O Box 653
Lakes Entrance
Victoria 3909

or contact Ms Candy Broad
Minister for Natural Resources
80 Collins Street Melbourne

and demand the cessation of netting in Lake Tyers.

We hope that by targeting Lake Tyers and winning the battle, that the Government will see fit to extend netting bans to other areas.

One thing is painfully obvious... constant pressure is needed. If we don't keep at it this disgraceful inequity will continue.

(11 October 2001)


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