Territorians rally against no go, no take zones

NT anglers have signalled in no uncertain terms that they will not tolerate the imposition of no go, no take zones by extremist anti-fishing groups during an “I Float and I Vote” rally staged in Darwin on the weekend.

Chris Makepeace, the executive officer of Amateur Fishermen's Association NT told Marine Business that there was a “terrific turnout for the I FLOAT and I VOTE rally organised by local radio station Mix 104.9 and the NT News on Saturday”.

According to NT media reports, more than 200 boats and about 1500 protesters attended the rally denouncing calls by the Australian Marine Conservation Society for vast areas of the Top End to be closed to fishing.

In what pundits consider a body blow to the push by anti-fishing groups for massive no-take zones, NT politicians from all sides united to oppose the proposed closures. NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson told the crowd that his Government would reject any moves to limit Territorians’ right to fish and said that the NT recreational fisheries were healthier now than 20 years ago.

Chief Minister Henderson’s statements were echoed by NT Opposition Leader Terry Mills, NT CLP Senator Nigel Scullion and NT MHR Natasha Griggs. The Chief Minister said he had spoken with federal Environment Minister Tony Burke (see video HERE) and was certain of a positive outcome.

“I think we might just have managed to turn the tide on this issue both here and nationally. NT — the mouse that roared,” said AFANT’s Chris Makepeace.

Senior rec fishing players say that the AMCS’s ambit claim to close large areas of the Top End to fishing was a tactical blunder. “By signalling their plans, these guys have shown themselves to be pushing an extremist barrow. This recent move just shows that these sort of groups are out to close fishing down, they are making wild and irrational claims which just don’t cut it with the public or with the politicians. It’s pretty clear that this latest claim has blown up in their faces,” one source told Marine Business.