OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
 
Thanks for taking the time to read our October 2013 newsletter.
 
WARNING TO BOATIES
 
Two boat trailers have been stolen from regional boat ramps last month. On Saturday the 28th of September a member had his 4.3m boat trailer stolen from Constant Creek in the middle of the day. A week later it is reported that a commercial fisher had his trailer stolen from Murray Creek. Anglers may be wise to padlock their trailers to their vehicle.
 
The crab pot fairy is alive and well in Boundary  Creek and Rocky Dam Creek. It’s not a matter of if but when someone is going to be seriously injured getting caught stealing pots but unfortunately there will collateral consequences.
 
MACKAY BOATING AND FISHERIES STAFFING LEVELS 
 
Departmental spin or creative accounting? Fisheries Queensland has amalgamated   Mackay, the Whitsundays and Bowen into one operational region being managed from the Whitsundays.
 
Sarina  commercial crabber Greg  Sichter   recently  received   a  letter from the Queensland  fisheries minister  following his complaint about the theft of his crab pots  saying  in part  staffing  that Mackay Boating and Fisheries Staffing Levels are eight ( 8). 
 
The truth is staffing levels in Mackay are three, which include one district officer, one field officer and one trainee – the same number of staff as when I arrived in Mackay in 1974  when the then population was 28000, now the population is closer to 100 000.
 
If one reads the 74 page plus 2010   State Wide Recreational  Fishing Survey commissioned by the Queensland Government   it says  in the executive summary that over one third of all recreational fishers lived in  the Brisbane region but the participation rate among local residents was highest in the Mackay and Wide Bay- regions where 28% and 26% of the local residents were recreational fishers.
 
Over the years we have made dozens of representations to various ministers/shadow ministers for an increase in staffing levels all to no avail.
 
I  would like to conclude on this subject by saying  that   the  staffing level of Mackay Boating and Fisheries Patrol is a  BLOODY  PUBLIC DISGRACE  !
 
NET FREE PROPOSAL
 
Another of our projects going gang busters.
 
Our support documentation  includes letters of support from the Mackay Chamber of Commerce, Seaforth Progress Association, Mackay Tourism,  the Yuibera  Traditional  Owners and the Mackay Amateur Fishing Club  Association and also from the big guns in the drive tourist  market in Australia, namely the Caravan Parks Association of Queensland  and the   Caravan  RV and Accommodation  Industry of Australia .
 
With these credentials  government agencies, local and state must take our proposal seriously.
 
Once again we wish to reinforce our Mackay Recreational Fishers Alliance Inc.  position that any displaced commercial fishers must be financially compensated.
 
Our hard copy petition numbers currently are a tad short of 3000. So far the public and stakeholder support we have received has surpassed our expectation.  Our Intention from here on, is to break down the barriers of resistance  in the White  House , Gordon  Street Mackay and   George Street Brisbane.
 
Chill the champers I can feel a net free zone coming on!
 
ANGLER EDUCATION:  Something to brag  about !
 
Another milestone  was reached last month  when we took our 8000th. student fishing on a  day long school fish excursion as part of our Schoolfish Angler Education program.
 
Glenn Fahy and Mick Connolly our Angler Education co-coordinators and their team of helpers worked with 225 students in   September and the year will wrap up with fishing with another 45 children at Cape Hillsborough in  October.
 
The Schoolfish Angler Education program  was  the brain child of  MRFA  member  Noel Whitehead, and Qld Fisheries officer Brett  Depper, with seed funding from the then DPI,  Noel and Brett ventured to local schools about 15 years ago, and look at what it has become today.  
 
When the dust settles we will be making an appropriate  presentation to the 8000th student and it would be fantastic if Noel and Brett could attend the event along with our long time exclusive Schoolfish sponsors, Greg Camilleri and Brett Griffin of Reef Marine,  Prospect Street Mackay.
 
Incidentally we have excluded the number of children who have participated in our annual family fishing days at Shoal Point or the hundreds of children who have participated in our annual Pioneer River Kids fishing competition, which is sponsored by Tackle World Mackay;
 
We estimate over 5000 children have participated in these two events alone over the years.
 
Junior Angler Education is alive and well whilst we are still around and we express our appreciation to our two major sponsors Tackle World Mackay and Reef Marine  who make this possible.
 
SNIPPETS
 
2015 is going to be a monster year for   Hervey Bay and the  Fraser Coast when it hosts the world’s first $ 1 million dollar fishing competition. This event is being sponsored by  Tourist Fraser Coast, with funding from the Queensland Events Corporation,  our ‘cousins’ Fraser Coast Recreational Fishing Alliance Inc. are partners along with the charter industry and all those involved in recreational fishing on the Fraser Coast. I’m sharpening the hooks, $1 million dollars will lure all the fisher persons in Australia and overseas to the Fraser Coast region.  
 
This will put Hervey Bay, the Fraser Coast and Queensland on the map, congratulations to all involved. More about this exciting venture as information comes to hard.
 
QUEENSLAND POLLIES IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT NET FREE ZONES.
 
Right now,   Friday the 11th of October a number of state politicians are in the  Northern Territory on a study tour to see firsthand the economic benefits of Net Free Zones, sure hope they come back hooked. !
 
CRAB MANAGEMENT  PLAN
Make sure you have your say! The long awaited crab management plan  Regulatory Impact Statement will be released before the end of this year (2013). The community is encouraged to fill in the questionnaire, have your say about crab pot theft, crab pot interference . This is your chance to stand up and be counted.
 
We commend Fisheries Queensland for expediting this update of the management plan as it’s been half started, aborted, changed, pigeon holed  for  at least 10 years under the previous government’s administration.
 Information will soon be available on the Dept. Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website   www.daff.qld.gov.au
 
FEEDBACK
 
We welcome feedback from our members, friends and associates. We can handle the good/bad and ugly. Feel free to email me   lancemurray@mcs.net.au