NT barramundi fishery threatened species plan underwhelms, says alliance of marine conservationists

An alliance of marine conservation groups say the NT government’s new plan to prevent protected species deaths in the barramundi fishery is a bitterly disappointing document with few mandatory actions.

A sawfish captured in a Northern Australian gillnet. Picture: NESP Marine and Coastal Hub

An alliance of marine conservation groups say the NT government’s new plan to prevent endangered species deaths in the barramundi fisher is a bitterly disappointing document with few mandatory actions.

The recently released Barramundi Fishery Threatened, Endangered and Protected Species Strategy 2024–2029 aims to “reduce the risk posed by the NT Barramundi Fishery to priority TEPS”.

The protection is targeted at four species of sawfish, two of river sharks, three of dolphins, six of turtles, and dugongs.

“The aim of the Strategy is to take all reasonable steps to ensure that TEPS, particularly members of listed threatened species... are not killed or injured as a result of fishing,” the strategy says.

Major changes included in the plan are a new maximum gillnet size of 180mm, the closure of Cooper Creek and part of East Alligator River to commercial barramundi fishing due to the high presence of river sharks, and a greater requirement for commercial fishing operations to provide data on their interactions with TEPS.

Each operation must produce an Individual TEPS Mitigation Plan, but it is the lack of mandatory actions, as opposed to voluntary, that has caught the ire of the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), Environment Centre Northern Territory, (ECNT), Keep Top End Coasts Healthy and Humane Society International Australia.

Cooper Creek and part of East Alligator River have been closed to commercial barramundi fishing due to the high presence of river sharks. Picture: Barramundi Fishery Threatened, Endangered and Protected Species Strategy 2024-2029

Under individuals plans, the only mandatory actions are “[promoting] stewardship around increasing the survivorship of TEPS, and decreasing the number of interactions,” surveying an area for TEPS prior to setting nets, and attempting to revive trapped turtles by placing a damp towel over them and lifting them from their tail end to drain water from their lungs.

Actions such as moving on after TEPS interactions, attending the nets hourly when safe to do so in order to free trapped animals, and providing crew with “basic TEPS knowledge and training” are all voluntary.

AMCS shark biologist Dr Leonardo Guida said the NT government’s plan was “fundamentally flawed”.

“It’s like Swiss cheese, there are so many holes in it,” he said.

Dr Leonardo Guida, a shark scientist and spokesperson with the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Picture: Supplied

“Unbelievably, [it] gives almost no protection to threatened and endangered species except around Cooper Creek near Kakadu and a mandatory action requiring giving turtles CPR if they are caught in the nets.

“Gillnets are indiscriminate killers that entangle endangered species as well as the targeted fish.”

According to Dr Guida the glaring omissions in the plan are a lack of protection in the Van Diemen Gulf, the southern part of the Gulf of Carpentaria and Roper River, and an absence of a plan to transition to predominantly line-caught fishing.

Fisheries Minister Mark Monaghan said the government was taking “appropriate measures ensure the sustainability of the industry for all parties”.

“[We take] protection of our wildlife extremely seriously; as such, the Threatened Endangered and Protected Species Strategy, designed by experts and already in place, mandates actions to ensure operators who work within our waterways protect all endangered species,” he said.