Marine Parks compo lawyer: Once proud multi-generational fisher reduced to a welfare recipient

THE marine parks scheme in South Australia has “reduced a proud multi-generational fisher to a welfare recipient”, says the lawyer leading one of the first compensation claims resulting from the redesignation of fishing zones.

Fisherman Bart Butson with two of his sons, Alex, 12, and Lachlan, 9, at Port Wakefield. AAP Image/Dean Martin.

THE marine parks scheme in South Australia has “reduced a proud multi-generational fisher to a welfare recipient”, says the lawyer leading one of the first compensation claims resulting from the redesignation of fishing zones.

Mellor Ollson lawyer Thea Birss said fisher Bart Butson’s claim for about $60,000 in lost annual income since October 2014 was the first of at least half a dozen compensation demands being looked into by her firm.

“We wanted to separate fear from the facts so forensic accountants were brought in to look at the impact on the fishers’ businesses,” Ms Birss said.

“In Bart’s case, his business is now decimated. and he is now required to use Centrelink support.”

Port Wakefield marine scale fisher Bart Butson said he had followed in his grandfather and father’s footsteps into setting up a small fishing business to support his family.

“In the last three years, I have had to sell one of my two fishing licences and two of my boats to help lessen my losses to my business and to fund my family expenses.

“This was a sad process to do.”

“I now travel up to 400km for days at a time to the Eyre Peninsula to go fishing in an attempt to catch more fish and make more money.

“This has been a hard burden for my family life and one that I did not do before the marine park sanctuaries were in place,” Mr Butson said.

SA now has about 19 marine parks with more than 80 sanctuary zones that ban fishing and commercial activity.

The Advertiser in January reported on the commercial fishing industry seeking compensation for what they claimed is “death by a thousand cuts” due to exclusion from SA’s marine parks.

Wildcatch Fisheries SA president Dennis Holder spoke of “growing anger and frustration” with people going broke, family upheavals and the emotional stress.

Wildcatch Fisheries SA and the South Australian Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishermen’s Association have each backed one member as a “test case” ahead of a “flood of claims”.

Lobster fisher Joe Gobin has put in a separate claim through local law firm Camatta Lempens.

He referred actual claim details to his lawyers but said his business had been adversely affected and the stress had pushed him to seek compensation.

“It’s a lot harder to catch our allocated quota now and we are just not making as much as we used to,” Mr Gobin said.

The South Australian Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishermen’s Association estimates 63 local lobster fishers have taken a hit of $30 million to $50 million.

A recent Environment Department marine parks status report for 2012-17 said there was “no evidence of negative regional impact that correlates with the implementation of marine park management plans”, but Mr Holder said the findings were “open for debate”.

The restrictions have hit fishing areas near Kangaroo Island and Gulf St Vincent the hardest.

Prominent SA lobster exporter Ferguson Australia’s Andrew Ferguson on Tuesday expressed frustration at the lack of science-based management of the fisheries — the worst policy change he had seen in his many decades in the industry.

He said the Liberal Party had promised to revisit the legislation with the Labor Party completely ruling out any changes. The group was yet to meet with SA Best leader Nick Xenophon to assess his position.

“'Marine Parks were supposed to always be about habitat protection but we ended up with many no-take zones causing unsustainable fishing in the left over areas,” Mr Ferguson said.

The impact on the state as a whole and especially the small country towns that depend on the commercial fishing industry was devastating, he said.

A private members Bill by Liberal MP Michelle Lensink to reduce fishing restrictions in 12 zones was defeated by one vote in 2014.