13.2 The Wallis Lake Estuary Management Committee - Great Lakes ...

Wallis Lake Estuary Management Plan
Management Objective Ensure the Wallis Lake commercial estuary general fishery operates in a sustainable manner that is compatible with conservation
and estuary management objectives
F.2
Management Area A, B, C, D, E, F
Action
No
F.2.1
F.2.2
Action
Ensure that the commercial fishery operates in accordance with the Estuary
general fishery management strategy (EGFMS)
Support the development of a code of practice for the NSW estuary general
fishery and communicate through a workshop
Indicative
Cost
Priority Responsibilities Progress
Staff time Immediate (B1) DPI Ongoing
$2,000 +
staff time
High (B3)
Ocean Watch,
Fish Coop, DPI,
WLEMIC
Comments
Regulations outlined in the EGFMS include banning fish spikes, clubs or other implements which could harm species which need to be released; banning the discarding of cooked
prawns; banning all net hauling over beds of Posidonia australis; defining designated landing sites for fish hauling nets in estuaries where seagrass (of any species) exists around
shoreline areas.
Ocean Watch is currently preparing a code of practice for the NSW estuary general fishery. Once this code is completed, estuary general fishery Region 4 (within central MAC
REGION 4) should be considered for a regional supplement referring to specific issues in Wallis Lake. Issues in particular that make the Wallis Lake situation unique and worthy
of consideration for a regional supplement include the presence of vast shallow seagrass beds, presence of large beds of Posidonia australis at its northern distribution limit and
the considerable fishing effort (16,087 days 1999/00) and catch (439 tonnes 1999/00) from the Wallis Lake estuary general fishery (NSW DPI 2001).
Management Objective Ensure that recreational fishing in Wallis Lake operates in a sustainable manner that is compatible with conservation and estuary
management objectives
F.3
Management Area A, B, C, D, E, F
Action
No
F.3.1
Action
Indicative Priority Responsibilities Progress
Cost
$200,000 Immediate (A2) DPI, WLEMIC
Consider conducting a survey of recreational fishing effort in Wallis Lake during
both peak and non-peak holiday periods
F.3.2 Evaluate the forthcoming management strategy for recreational fishing in NSW Staff time Immediate (A2) WLEMIC, DPI,
Comments
Once the recreational fishing effort is quantified in Wallis Lake, any necessary appropriate measures can be taken to balance recreational and commercial fishing efforts in the
area and to comprehensively assess the sustainability of Wallis Lake fish stocks.
On completion of the EIS for the NSW recreational fishery, NSW DPI plan to produce a management strategy for recreational fishing outlining best practice techniques and
regulations under which recreational anglers should operate.
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