Townsville fish and chips face uncertainty with gillnet fishing ban

The humble fish and chips shop could soon struggle to serve local barramundi, as the price of Australian-caught fish looks likely to skyrocket. Here’s what it means for North Queenslanders.

The humble fish and chips shop could soon struggle to serve local barramundi, as the price of Australian-caught fish looks likely to skyrocket.

Tobin Fish Tales owner Renae Tobin said the gillnet fishing ban brought in by state and federal governments would severely impact the supply of local fish available to customers.

Those in the industry are concerned the price of local fish will rise as locally-caught barramundi and other species become harder to source, while customers spoken to by the Bulletin all agreed - Aussie fish are just better.

“The spawning closure starts (Wednesday), and that marks the end of the fishery due to the new net fishery closure,” Mrs Tobin said.

“If we aren’t able to access local wild caught barramundi at a price that people can afford, then we will just have to replace that with something else (like imported foreign fish).

Renae Tobin from Tobin Fish with a wild-caught barra at the North Ward store. Picture: Evan Morgan

“Our entire model is built on local and wild caught fish, so that’s certainly what we’re relying on. We as a business will keep operating because we’ll be able to find local fish, but it affects price.

“Therefore it affects how many people are going to keep supporting us and it mostly affects the fishermen.”

In a complete coincidence, Fisheries Minister Mark Furner stopped by Tobin Fish Tales for lunch on Tuesday while Mrs Tobin was being interviewed by the Townsville Bulletin.

Mr Furner would not comment on the gillnet fishing ban, but added, “I always drop in for my local fish and chips when I’m in town”.

Previously Mr Furner said, “protecting good jobs in the fishing industry is crucial for the livelihoods of thousands of Queenslanders who depend on the state’s seafood supply chain.

“By transitioning to more sustainable fishing practices and taking measures to maintain fish stocks, we can ensure the long-term viability of good jobs in the fishing industry for our children and our grandchildren.”

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NCA NewsWire

“We don’t know how many people will be able to fish, who those fishers will be, how they’re able to operate in terms of what gear they’re allowed to use, and what areas are allowed to fish,” she said.

Mrs Tobin and her husband Andrew are fishery ecology scientists, and they said the strict ban on gillnet fishing made no sense scientifically.

“The change to management has come from international pressure from UNESCO to remove any impact on species of conservation interests, like dugong, also sharks.

“While there might be a minor interaction with those species, there isn’t the science to back the complete removal of netting to protect those species.”

Originally published as Townsville fish and chips face uncertainty with gillnet fishing ban