Trawlers dragging in spawning King George whiting leaves fishery under threat

An “alarming” increase in trawlers taking King George whiting at one of Victoria’s most prized recreational fishery is being condemned by fishers and a Victorian MP.

One of the trawlers operating off Wilsons Promontory, dragging in a big female gummy shark and King George whiting.

Recreational anglers and Victoria’s fishing minister have joined forces to condemn a 14-fold hike in the heavy trawler catch of 50cm-plus spawning King George whiting off the state’s coast.

Over the past week Corner Inlet fishers witnessed trawlers at Rabbit Island off Wilsons Promontory taking tonnes of the prized whiting and leaving what VRFish executive officer Ben Scullin described as a “mile-long carpet of pinkies” or juvenile snapper as bycatch.

“They’re targeting spawning fish, whose young help populate all our bays and inlets,” Mr Scullin said.

Ironically, while Federal Fisheries Minister Jonathan Duniam has allowed trawlers unfettered access to Victoria’s King George whiting, the Commonwealth has banned the practice in the waters of his home state Tasmania and across the border in South Australia.

Victorian Boating and Fishing Minister Melissa Horne has written to Senator Duniam demanding the trawlers under the Commonwealth’s control halt any further take of whiting in Victorian waters.

“I have written to Senator Duniam asking him to halt the rapid increase in King George whiting catches by Commonwealth trawl fishers in waters adjacent to Victoria,” Ms Horne said.

“This increase is alarming as it coincides with spawning, meaning unregulated targeting of these populations would pose a significant sustainability risk.”

“South Australia and Tasmania have a zero catch and possession limit for Commonwealth licensed trawlers for King George whiting, and we are calling on them to bring rules for Victoria into line with those for other states.”

Senator Duniam defended the trawlers saying, “Commonwealth-licensed vessels are entitled to catch King George whiting under longstanding arrangements between the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments”.

But the small group of live wild catch commercial fishers in Corner Inlet say they’re alarmed by the way trawlers are carving up the King George whiting’s seagrass spawning grounds, in an area called the humps off Wilsons Promontory.

“I can’t cope with them killing these spawning fish, as well as small snapper (as bycatch),” Corner Inlet live catch fisherman Bruce Collis said.

“When we catch from Corner Inlet, our bycatch goes back live.”

The Victorian Government has spent more than 20 years buying out commercial netting licences in Port Phillip and Western Port bays to boost the whiting and recreational species fishery.

But Mr Scullin said the Commonwealth’s “no trip limit” on trawlers taking whiting put all that effort at risk.

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