‘We’ll get this ironed out as quickly as possible’: Fishing Minister says fishing permit confusion will be ironed out

FISHING Minister Paul Kirby has called for calm amid sudden confusion reigning over fishing access to large slabs of the Territory coastline

Paul Kirby has called for calm amid the confusion reigning over fishing access to large slabs of the Territory coastline. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

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NT Fishing Minister Paul Kirby has called for calm amid the confusion reigning over fishing access to large slabs of the Territory coastline.

Mr Kirby has promised the NT Government will clear up the uncertainty created for recreational and commercial fishermen by a Northern Land Council (NLC) public notice in Friday’s NT News, which advised that from 2021 permits would be required to access sections of Indigenous intertidal waters.

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The public notice appears to contradict a press release sent to the NT News on December 11, which said “The NLC Full Council approves permit-free fishing until 2022”.

Mr Kirby says his message for Territory fishermen is that the no permit promise for the next two years still holds and it is business as usual.

“We’ll get this ironed out as quickly as possible,” he said.

“From discussions we’ve had nothing has changed with the December 22 permit promise with the NLC.

“We will get clarification in writing, but from all indications in discussions we are having they are still committed to permit free waivers until the end of 2022.”

Mr Kirby said an agreement was signed with the NLC in August that recreational fishing access would continue.

Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the NT chief executive David Ciaravolo said adding to the permit confusion is NLC maps, indicating permit areas do not relate to the intertidal zone.

It says some of the no-go zone areas of the rivers seem to be coloured in red when parts the river are not Aboriginal land.

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President Warren de With said the industry is looking for clarity around the issue.

“It is very confusing,” he said.

“We were of the understanding that the access has been extended for another two years

“Hopefully the Northern Land Council can get together and make this clearer before the first of January.”

Mr de With urged fishermen not to panic and he believed the issue would be sorted out.