NSW considers fishing ban as abalone populations collapse on South Coast

The New South Wales (NSW) government is contemplating a ban on commercial abalone fishing along a significant portion of its South Coast, from Bundeena south of Sydney to Eden near the Victorian border. This proposed shutdown aims to allow severely depleted abalone populations to recover.

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It has now got to a state where three-quarters of the fishery is probably unrecoverable.

A draft management proposal from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) highlights pressure from overfishing and "resource-sharing issues" with native title holders as major sustainability challenges. If implemented, the ban would affect approximately 350 kilometers of coastline, rendering it off-limits for commercial abalone fishers.

Stephen Bunney, chair of the Abalone Association of NSW (AANSW), expressed dismay among divers, stating that "three-quarters of the fishery is probably unrecoverable" and that it is "certainly no longer commercially viable." He noted that the fishery has "pretty much collapsed" north of Eden.

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It's certainly no longer commercially viable.

The proposal comes after the independent Total Allowable Fishing Committee (TAFC) reported a "severe decline" in abalone stocks across the NSW coastline over the past year. In response, DPIRD recently slashed the allowable catch for the upcoming season by over 40 percent. A significant issue identified by TAFC is illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing, which DPIRD previously estimated at 25 to 35 tonnes annually.

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Many people have just lost absolute confidence in the government to manage this.

Bunney also voiced concerns that the proposed closure does not address the ongoing issue of IUU fishing, suggesting the government's inability to stop illegal activities leaves them with no choice but to remove the commercial fishery. Meanwhile, Wally Stewart, a lead applicant in the South Coast people's native title claim, stated that the Aboriginal community is being "used as a scapegoat" for the depletion, despite welcoming the proposed closure.

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The only thing they can do, if they're not going to pursue compliance and illegal fishing, is remove the commercial fishery because it's the only thing they've got control over.