Dugongs surface to breathe
Photo © Ian and Jill BrownWildlife Queensland welcomes the assurance from Federal and State Government that they are standing firm on their commitment to ban nets in the Hinchinbrook dugong protection area in North Queensland. After pressure from the commercial fishing industry to open the channel up for barramundi fishing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Queensland fisheries representatives assured the community at the latest fin fish review meeting at Cardwell that netting would not be allowed in the channel.
Currently set nets are banned in Hinchinbrook channel. During the review of the east coast inshore fin fishery, Wildlife Queensland advocated banning all gillnetting (other than cast nets, bait nets, tunnel nets and ring nets) from all areas frequented by marine mammals, particularly those areas identified as supporting dugongs, whether inside or outside Dugong Protection Areas (DPA’s). The recent death of two dugongs reported to have drowned after becoming entangled in a fishing net at Repulse Creek near the Whitsunday Islands demonstrates that there is no such thing as a dugong safe set net.
For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email. |
