Recreational fishers warn of political campaign against Berejiklian Government on fishing bans
FISHERMEN and women are up in arms over new proposed bans on popular fishing spots across Sydney, warning State Government MPs could lose their seats over the issue.
NSW
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THE Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party will target vulnerable Berejiklian government seats in Sydney over sweeping plans to extend fishing bans.
The Shooters have never campaigned in city seats, but warn the government’s proposal for 25 new “marine parks” will be a repeat of the greyhound racing ban debacle.
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The fishing bans exclude recreational anglers from zones from Newcastle to Wollongong — including Sydney’s Camp Cove, Botany Bay and a 2028ha site off the south end of Bondi Beach and the north end of Coogee Beach.
The state seat of Coogee, held by Liberal MP Bruce Notley-Smith on a 2.9 per cent margin, is among a swath of seats to be hit in the campaign.
Upper House Shooters MP Robert Borsak said Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s plan would affect 900,000 fishers.
“They will not be happy until all forms of recreational fishing are banned so they can appease their inner city Green voters,” he said.
“Bega, Goulburn, Drummoyne, Oatley, South Coast, East Hills, Coogee, and Hawkesbury: these are just some of the Liberal seats in our sights sitting on small margins.”
Shooters Fishers Farmers MP Philip Donato, who won the seat of Orange from the Nationals in 2016 in the first lower house win for the party amid the greyhound controversy and council mergers, said: “This fishing lockout is just like the greyhound racing ban all over again,”
Last night Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said the government was still seeking community views over the next six weeks.
“It’s not a done deal,” he said. “I’m a recreational fisherman myself and we want to get the balance right.”
Upper House MLC Robert Brown said the Shooters party had already fought against the marine park extensions in 2011 and “we will squash it again”.
“Make no mistake, this is purely a political decision,” he said. “It has nothing to do with science or the protection of marine estate.
“Inner city Liberals are sitting on smaller margins than they were in 2011 so they created this a way to claw back green votes.
“We’re coming after their seats.”
MORE: SHOOTERS PARTY’S TRUMP-STYLE APPROACH
NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance president Stan Konstantaras said “he’d never seen anything like it” in his 30 years of fishing.
“They’ve woken a sleeping giant, the amount of people who are talking about this is unbelievable, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Mr Konstantaras said.
“There’s no science behind the announcement and they have ignored all our local knowledge.”
Current popular fishing spots which will become off limits include South Bondi, Mackenzies, Bronte Beach, Waverly Cemetery, Shark Point, Clovelly Point, North Coogee Point and the drifting grounds off Gordon’s Bay.