Local Fisherman Making Waves

After Government’s Gillnet Ban

A local fisherman is working to protect the rights of his industry after the federal and Queensland governments announced a ban on the use of gillnets in commercial fishing in north Queensland.

Alva’s Neil Green is a second-generation fisherman, in the industry for 47 years and using gillnets throughout the duration of his career.

He said the ban, which will see the use of gillnets phased out and completely banned on the Great Barrier Reef by mid-2027, will remove 30% of his income, impact other businesses throughout the community and put unnecessary pressure on other areas of the waterways.

“It’ll be a struggle to continue,” Mr Green said.

“Small businesses in small towns don’t need these impacts.

“I’d be very concerned if we weren’t net fishing because of the pressures put on the other fisheries trying to make up what you’ve lost out of net fishing.”

UNESCO’s recommendation to ban gillnets came into the spotlight in April when a series of photos taken over 12 years at Wunjunga showed threatened species including dugongs, narrow sawfish and green turtles dead on the beach or entangled in gillnets, however Mr Green said the devastation found on Wunjunga Beach was caused by onshore net fishing, a practise unrelated to his.

“When we fish outside along the coastlines, we’re right on our nets and if we’re using the right net, dugongs are just going to go over, under or around it,” he said.

“It’s completely different to the onshore nets that are a lot longer and have nothing to do with us.

“I think that was the fishery that UNESCO wanted to shut down and for some reason, we were dragged in.”

Mr Green received a visit from Independent Senator David Van who was in north Queensland earlier this week on a “fact finding mission”.

“I’m passionate about the environment but I’m also passionate about the fishers and the farmers who make a living on the land up here,” Mr Van said.

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox also shared his concern for the ban’s adverse impacts on local fisherman, regional businesses, and Dawson residents.

“With hundreds employed within the fishing industry right here in Dawson, this shock ban has blindsided our local fishing industry and will leave many people jobless,” Mr Willcox said.

“The gillnet ban will inevitably lead to a lower amount of sustainably caught wild fish being available to Australian consumers, which will drive prices up.”

Mr Green’s passionate campaign against the ban saw him and his daughter, Sienna, lead a rally in Home Hill and Ayr in July before travelling to Brisbane to present in front of a government task force and protest outside Parliament House.

Presenting on where he thought the alternatives were, his message was to the Government was: “You have no choice but to buy out all licenses, all symbols and all the quota attached to them.

“To satisfy UNESCO, they’ve done that, but in doing that they need to create another symbol to let some fishers continue fishing for the next three years.

“I think I’ve got their ear and hopefully we’ll get something.”

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Alva Fisherman, Neil Green