Dear Mr Baldwin
Thank you for meeting with me on Tuesday 17 February to discuss industry concerns regarding statewide landing requirements and the closure of the sand flathead recreational fishing zone in southeastern Tasmania. I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from you and other representatives from the retail, boating and recreational fishing sectors on your concerns and the impacts of management settings on businesses.
Recreational fishing plays an important role for many Tasmanians – dropping a line whether it be from a boat or the shore is something tens of thousands of us enjoy and as you would be aware from the briefings delivered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas), and the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, there are significant challenges facing the future sustainability of the fishery.
The objective of these management arrangements is not to diminish recreational fishing opportunities unnecessarily, but to secure a sustainable sand flathead fishery into the future for the benefit of all stakeholders. Upon consideration of the advice put to me from NRE Tas and key stakeholders, I have determined that the intended management setting should be implemented from 1 March 2026.
I value AFTA’s willingness to engage constructively and contribute to solutions that support and encourage participation in recreational fishing. I also acknowledge that initiatives involving direct engagement and the promotion of fishing by those at the coalface have proven successful elsewhere. I would welcome further discussions with you and TARFish about what this could look like in a Tasmanian context.
Thank you again for your correspondence and for the considered manner in which you presented your views.
Yours sincerely
Hon Gavin Pearce MP
Minister for Primary Industries and Water
cc: Jane Gallichan, CEO, TARFish
