On December 21, 2011, just in time for the school holidays, there was an identical press release from both Luke Foley, opposition spokesman for Primary Industries and Cate Faerhmann, Greens MLC NSW State Parliament. This statement suggested that the Grey Nurse shark was being placed in mortal danger because the Liberal State government had revoked fishing bans at Fish Rock, Green Island and Solitary Islands.
We were told that it was certain that there would be multiple hookings and subsequent potential deaths that could lead to the eventual extinction of the species. It was suggested that the O’Farrell government had declared “open season” on the Grey Nurse and that we were going into the holiday season with the Grey Nurse “unprotected”.
This press release was repeated by many other media outlets with one even reporting that fishers were going to “plunder” the Grey Nurse shark. So what was the outcome after all the warnings of wholesale slaughter and prophets of doom?
Absolutely nothing! A phone call to NSW Fisheries, protected species section, revealed that there was not one single interaction reported between recreational fishers and Grey Nurse sharks anywhere in New South Wales during the Christmas school holidays.
How can this be so? Firstly, the Grey Nurse is a protected species and any interaction must be reported. Secondly, because of its protected status, the Grey Nurse is not targeted by fishers. Thirdly, as usual when the Grey Nurse is concerned, it was nothing more than “Hysterical Green Propaganda!!!”
A relentless campaign by minority vested interests and some political opportunists against recreational fishers over many years has yet to show proof that recreational fishing at aggregation sites has any detrimental effect on the Grey Nurse shark.
Once again we see another media release that smells like nothing more than rotting fish bait.
Chris Wallis
Publicity officer, Community Action for Fish Rock (CAFR)
