NLC says no change to fishing access

THE Northern Land Council says the status quo remains and recreational and commercial fishermen will not be losing the current access they have to Indigenous intertidal waters

• Fishing turmoil in NT over NLC permit decision

THE Northern Land Council (NLC) says the status quo remains and recreational and commercial fishermen will not be losing the current access they have to Indigenous intertidal waters on January 1.

NLC chief executive Marion Scrymgour dismissed claims to the contrary.

Confusion has reigned among the NT government and fishing sectors since the NLC placed a public notice in last 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 appeared to contradict a December 11 press release that said: “The NLC Full Council approves permit-free fishing until 2022.”

“As reported by me to stakeholders and the media recently many traditional owner groups have agreed for their waters to continue to be accessed through to 31 December 2022,” Ms Scrymgour said in a statement.

“This interim arrangement is to be subject to a new online registration process to be put in place by March 2021.”

Ms Scrymgour said the extension until March would allow the land council time to finish consultations before permits could formally be waived until 2022.

She said the NLC had always been open and transparent in explaining that there were areas where traditional owners may never be willing to reconsider open access and there were others where traditional owner groups were still to make their mind up.

“Comments made to media on behalf of the NTG suggesting that the suspension of open access in respect of those areas where consultation is currently being undertaken has taken them by surprise are disingenuous,” Ms Scrymgour said.

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

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It says some of the no-go zone parts of the rivers seem to include areas that are not Aboriginal land.

AFANT president Warren de With said the industry had been looking for clarity around the issue.

“It is very confusing,” he said.

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