Maryborough’s Sugar Coast Seafood shuts down after 39 years

The owners of a Qld seafood business say the Great Sandy Strait’s new gill net fishing laws have killed their supply of local fish and forced them to shut down after four decades.

Loretta Schwarzrock and her family have run Sugar Coast Seafoods, supply fresh seafood to the Fraser Coast, for almost four decades.

An inter-generational seafood business closed its doors in late June, blaming the state government’s closure of the gill net fishing in the Great Sandy Strait for blocking its supply of local fresh fish and forcing it to make the decision.

Sugar Coast Seafoods had been operating in Maryborough for 39 years, but the lack of locally-sourced fresh seafood meant the family-owned business closed its doors for the final time on Saturday, June 29.

Owner Loretta Schwarzrock said customers wanted to buy local fresh fish, and the many tourists passing through the region only wanted very fresh local seafood.

“Our business was based on fresh local product, we bought directly off fishermen, we would fillet the fish and straight into our shop,” she said.

Sugar Coast Seafoods owner Loretta Schwarzrock.

“The government bought back the gill net licences in the Great Sandy Strait.

“The fishermen we have bought off for at least 20 years got a pay out and weren’t allowed to fish after May 21.

“We did have reef fish from North Queensland and other local product, prawns and crabs not in the closure area.

“We weren’t getting enough volume in our local product to be viable.

“We needed at least up to 800kgs per week just in local product, after the buy back we only got 100-200 kgs from another area.

“The biggest seller was our mullet fillets, very popular in Maryborough.”

The family said it had been a “very emotional week” as they prepared to close.

Loretta Schwarzrock and her family have run Sugar Coast Seafoods, supply fresh seafood to the Fraser Coast, for almost four decades.

“Due to the government buying back gill net fishing licences we will be closing on Saturday 29th June,” they revealed on Facebook.

“Our business is based on fresh local fish and this will be harder to source in the coming months. Thank you so much for your continued support for the past 39 years, we will really miss our lovely customers. Thank you from The Schwarzrock family and staff.”

Many customers expressed their frustration over the closure, including commercial fisherman Shane Snow, who said it was the “senseless destruction” of a very successful generational family business.

Former Fraser Coast councillor Julie Arthur said it was sad for the Schwarzrock and the community.

“Thank you for your service, always with a smile and a cheery chat, you will be missed.”

Maryborough's Sugar Coast Seafood has closed its doors for the final time.

In May, a range of zoning and management changes within the Great Sandy Marine Park took effect.

The proportion of marine national park green zones was increased from 3.9 per cent to 12.8 per cent, with 28.5 per cent of the marine park now within highly protected green and yellow zones.

In addition, increased highly protected designated areas such as Go-Slow areas were introduced to better protect the area’s threatened marine species such as turtles, dugongs, shorebirds and grey nurse sharks.

Finally, the changes included the removal of commercial large mesh gill and ring netting from the yellow conservation park zones within Baffle Creek, Elliott River, Burrum River system, the Great Sandy Strait and Tin Can Inlet.

Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Linard speaks at Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

“The changes help protect the iconic and threatened species that call the park home while supporting nature-based tourism and recreational fishing sectors,” a state government statement read at the time.

Financial assistance was available for the commercial fishing sector directly impacted by the rezoning, the state government said.

“We consulted extensively as part of the review process and found most Queenslanders want enhanced protections for the Great Sandy Strait and marine park as a whole, valuing the unique environment adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef and K’gari and the benefits it brings to the local economy,” Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Innovation Leanne Linard said.

“The area is also one of deep cultural and spiritual importance to local First Nations peoples, who have made significant contributions to the zoning review process.”

The Australian and Queensland governments had committed $185 million to support fisheries operators and downstream businesses impacted by changes to fisheries in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the rezoning of the Great Sandy Marine Park, a spokesman from the State Government said.

Maryborough's Sugar Coast Seafood has closed its doors for the final time.

“Applications for assistance remain open and in the Great Sandy Marine Park we have seen a strong response so far, with 169 applications received to date and a payout of $10.25 million,” he said.

“If businesses can demonstrate they have been impacted by the changes to fisheries within the Great Sand Marine Park they may be eligible for financial assistance, and we encourage affected businesses to apply through Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority.

“These changes are necessary to protect Queensland’s world heritage marine environment and to ensure our fisheries are sustainable for future generations.

“The commercial fishing sector is still able to provide fresh, local seafood and bait through high-value trawl, ocean beach netting, crab and line fishing, with tunnel netting and set pocket netting maintained in limited areas of the park.”

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