Fishing OK if for food or essential travel, State Government clarifies

Lines of communication were well and truly tangled today after authorities alerted the region to a ban on recreational boating and fishing. WE UNTANGLE THE RULES >>

LINES of communication were well and truly tangled today after authorities alerted the region to a ban on recreational boating and fishing.

Maritime Safety Queensland and VMR organisations this afternoon put out advice to say recreational boating was now off limits as COVID-19 regulations limited non-essential activities.

Hinchinbrook Mayor Ramon Jayo said he “sought clarification from the state” and the answer on whether fishing and crabbing was still allowable was “no”.

“Fishing and crabbing is non essential activity and the home confinement directive applies,” Cr Jayo said.

VMR Whitsunday posted that “recreational boating is off the agenda for everyone until further advised”.

But late today, Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey clarified Queenslanders can still take their boats out – but only if they are catching fish for their family to eat or “essential” travel.

“If you own a boat and want to head out in the water in your local community to fish for food this weekend, you can,” Mr Bailey said.

“If you need your boat to travel locally in your community, you can still do that.

“If you want to head out on your kayak or stand up paddle board for exercise, you still can.

“State Government boat ramps will remain open to boaties.

“We want people to continue living their lives as normally as possible under the current circumstances, but the advice of the Chief Health Officer needs to be followed.

“No one should be leaving their home unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Greg Ridgeway, at Aplins Weir, is not happy coronavirus restrictions now impact fishing. Picture: Evan Morgan

Mr Bailey said recent national directives limiting public gatherings to two people or less and limiting travel to essential purposes still applied.

“This isn’t a special rule to let people out on the water for non-essential reasons this weekend,” Mr Bailey said.

“There’s no reason for anyone to be taking the boat out unless it’s for essential travel to get to work, to and from your home, to local shops for provisions or catching fish for your family.

“Even then, there should be no more than two people, or immediate family members on board, and the social distancing rules everyone is being asked to follow still apply.

“Boaties should also be mindful of hygiene when putting boats in the water at public facilities.”

Mr Bailey encouraged boaties to continue monitoring the national health advice on COVID-19.

“As the nation works together to stop the spread of the virus, there is new advice daily,” he said.

“Boaties should be aware of the current restrictions on boat use, and be prepared for that advice to change again, should tougher rules to limit public movements and interaction come in.”

Townsville Bulletin fishing columnist and charter boat operator Eddie Riddle. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Charter fisherman Eddie Riddle is facing more than six months of lost business but he’d rather stay at home and help stop the spread than throw a line out.

“Everyone has got to knuckle down … we have a chance to halt the spread in an area where we have few cases and let’s keep it this way,” Mr Riddle said.

He said while people will want to try and “get around” the 1.5m rule, his advice to all anglers was to stay at home. “Social distancing and isolation is something we all have to do. We all have grandmothers and grandfathers and vulnerable people in our lives we have to think about; not ourselves.”

Seqwater has announced that, as from March 26, all recreation areas at Seqwater-managed lakes and parks are closed until further notice.

The Department of Environment and Science has announced the closure of all camping areas within Queensland National Parks, State Forests and recreational areas, while governments have placed restrictions on access to some remote and indigenous communities.

Burdekin MP and fisheries shadow minister Dale Last said the boating ban “defies all logic”.

“Being out in the boat is the ultimate form of isolation. I think this is going overboard and there is more important issues than people going fishing.”

About Town Bait and Tackle owner Michael Detenon said the shop had seen a few people come through planning to go fishing this weekend.

“The weather is finally coming good on the weekend so definitely a lot of people were looking forward (to getting out),” Mr Detenon said.

About Town Bait and Tackle owner Michael Detenon. Photo: John Andersen

He said people were waiting until closer to the weekend to finalise plans but “it was looking good enough people could get out to the reef as well as inshore”.

Mr Detenon said he had first heard of the measure from Hinchinbrook Mayor Ramon Jayo on social media however there “is a lot of conflicting information”.

He said it was coming into the busy period for the bait and tackle store with Easter coming next week.

Mr Detenon suggested the State Government should look at measures similar to the Northern Territory who had allowed the favourite pastime to go ahead under strict guidelines.

Locky Hurst, owner of Halifax Homebrew and Tackle in Hinchinbrook Shire, said a ban on boating, fishing and crabbing would have a detrimental effect on businesses and small rural communities where enjoying the great outdoors was a way of life.

“It’s going to cause a lot of angst for people in houses, people want to get out,” he said.

“It’s okay if you’re sitting in a high-rise building, but we’re not in high-rise buildings, where out in the bush and there shouldn’t be any reason why we can’t jump in a boat and go fishing.”

Maritime Safety Queensland also said in the current environment volunteer marine rescue organisations may experience staff shortages and find it difficult to maintain normal levels of service to the boating community should you encounter difficulties on the water.

At this stage, boating compliance officers from Maritime Safety Queensland, Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol and Queensland Police Service will continue to conduct operations and enforce boating regulations, but will ensure their operations are conducted in accordance with social distancing and hygiene requirements.