Manning Valley Alert and Alarm

[CEO]

This is just what our ECOfishes cause needed - NOT!

[clive]

This is just what our ECOfishes cause needed - NOT!

Dont let it get you down CEO. This was probably perpetrated by commercial fishos and illegal ones at that. It might be a good opportunity to again draw a distinction between high demand commercial fishing and low impact family fishing.

Clive

[CEO]

ECOfishers, I am finding this story not only a bit of a beat-up, but highly fanciful too. But then again, when Minister Macdonald closes the Taree Fisheries Office and deploys the staff elsewhere, there is clearly going to be fewer Fisheries patrols in the Crowdy area. Macdonald is the only one who thinks he can do more with less!
  But lets look at the reported or alleged "facts." An interstate hauling crew? Working as far south as Crowdy? Do you understand the huge volumes of red tape and the expense involved in such a venture and the necessity to own NSW shares etc? And if the crew were from interstate also, (apart from the skipper) they too need separate NSW licences. And if they follow the fish right up the coast through to Qld, they need endorsements for Zones 3, Zone 2 and Zone 1. Besides, the skipper must own a fishing business in NSW as wel as interstate. So is it likely? No, but is it possible? Yes!
  Then we have difficulty with the "fact," that a seal and a Grey Nurse shark were caught in the same shot. How likely is that?  What are the odds against that? Not very likely at all! And the mullet shot was supposed to have taken place at night. Not very likely again, because even on a full moon, beach hauling around part of a school of mullet is nearly impossible. You just can't see well enough and it was the dark of the moon at the at time. Now what is a Grey Nurse shark doing just off an open beach? That is not their habitat at all. Additional reports ECOfishers have had, indicate the seal had been dead for a lot longer than 3 days. Also, the weather was so rough at the time a beach haul shot is most unlikely to have been the issue. Could this all have happened further south and the carcasses washed up on Crowdy? Really, anything is possible. And if both animals were shot, surely they were shot in the head. So how can anyone ascertain they were shot in the head, if both carcasses were decapitated?
  So it just goes to show. Had the hapless seal and the unfortunate Grey Nurse shark, stuck to the pink waters (sanctuary zones) that have been set aside for them by the Labor government in their marine parks, ECOfishers is sure this incident would never have happened. Because fishers have been excluded from all pink waters. Now is it possible that endangered species can't tell the difference in the marine park coloured zones? Over to you!

[CEO]

IT'S A BEAT UP! ECOfishers continuing enquiries, have confirmed the National Parks & Wildlife Service allegations of the capture, shooting and decapitation of a Grey Nurse shark by a beach hauling crew, is a total beat-up. There was never any Grey Nurse shark carcass found or washed up. And if a shark was to be shot, obviously it would be shot in the head. If it was decapitated, then how the devil would anyone ascertain whether it was shot? No GNS carcass, no witness, no beach hauling crew (interstate or local) in the area at the time - only an anonymous contact to the Taree NPWS office making these unsubstantiated, untrue and wild allegations. It is nothing more than pure rumour for goodness sake! And brickbats again, to the NPWS for reacting to vicious rumour. No GNS carcass, no witness, no beach hauling crew, only the rotting, putrid carcass of an old headless seal that had to be lifted out of the harbour with a crane. Shame on you NPWS! And very poor reporting by the Manning River Times. And it again highlights the fact that some greenies will stoop to incredibly low levels to alarm, misinform the community and tarnish fishers. Another green myth exposed and exploded by ECOfishers.

[CEO]

.

[CEO]

  No LFB number, no vehicle registration, no names, no dates, no specific identified site, just an anonymous call to a NPWS Info Line. And NPWS acted on that alone, with an announcement to the media!!!

[kingpro]

CEO,
       You are right. Interstate hauling crews (from Qld) moved south at a time when mullet prices were much higher than we have seen in the recent past. The industry has changed dramatically since those days. The mullet haul fishery was zoned as a response to the problems of transient hauling crews and effectively brought an end to travelling crews. The further introduction of share management in the fishery was the death nell. I have not seen or heard of travelling crews for many many years. The incentive is no longer there with the mullet roe market now oversupplied and bulk mullet prices at the lowest ever.
                    I had spoken to some fishers concerning Crowdy just a couple of weeks ago and no mention of any crews other than the resident local blokes was mentioned. Pro Fishers get the blame for just about everything and a dead seal washed up is a great opportunity for a story like the one which has emerged in this case.
                    It really does reflect badly on a government dept to print a story based on so little evidence, to blatantly embellish the facts and the draw such dramatic deductions from so little evidence.
Kingpro

[Open Oyster]

More misinformation from the Greens. Always general never naming names to protect them from legal action. Pleasing to read Bob Brown has been made to pay for his little adventure.
 Maybe this opens the door for challenges to the frauduently created sanctuary zoning.

[CEO]

  I am keen to make an official and formal complaint to the Minister (Tebbutt) about this latest misadventure fom her NPWS Taree Office. It doesn't rank with the burning alive of the Fairy Penguin population on Montague Is, a few years ago by ill informed NPWS, who couldn't tell which way the wind was blowing, but seriously, it deserves a response and someone's back side well and truly imprinted. Any support out there?

[Spiney]

I sent a letter on Wednesday to NP&W Taree asking them to substantiate the claims and if they could not do this to offer an apology in the paper.

[CEO]

 Great initiative, Spiney! Why not send a copy of your letter to the paper?

[CEO]

.