Busselton Jetty Section 10: proposal to close it to fishing
Anyone else seen this load of c**k? Feel free to drill a few holes in it, and remember to submit your comments online both here AND at the website mentioned at the end of the page. You can read a little more about it here too; WAD.
Have your say on the Busselton Jetty
Anna Micha from The Busselton Jetty has provided the following information.
As you may be aware, the Busselton Jetty is nearing the end of a 27 million dollar restoration project.
The Busselton Jetty is important to many user groups; swimmers, walkers, historians, divers, fishers, snorkelers, photographers and families. With such a diverse array of user groups, it is important to create safe and equitable areas along the jetty to ensure all users can enjoy our jetty.
It is also important to remember The Busselton Jetty is home to a unique marine ecosystem. There are 300 known species found in the area and the influence of the Leeuwin Current brings a variety of corals and tropical species to the Geographe Bay regions and beneath the jetty.
Although the Busselton Jetty is included in the proposed Capes Marine Park, the Marine Park status has yet to be implemented and the Busselton Jetty currently has no fishing restrictions except for the 50m exclusion zone protecting the Underwater Observatory.
The 60metre end section of the 1841m jetty structure (section 10) located north of the Underwater Observatory has been closed to public access since a significant fire in 1999. Now that restoration of the Jetty will reopen this area to public access, the Busselton Shire has a difficult decision to make; should section 10 be open to fishing or should that 60m section be open to the public but closed to fishing? It is important to remember that fishing will be allowed for the entire length of the jetty up to the Underwater Observatory - about 1.7 kilometres of fishing platform with special bays and three purpose built fish cleaning stations implemented along the structure.
Here are a few things to consider when looking at the impact of fishing access to section 10;
· By opening the end of the jetty to fishing, other user groups will be disadvantaged- divers and fishing lines and hooks don’t always mix! Approximately 5000 divers visit the jetty each year and many consider the jetty to be one of the best shore dives in Australia.
· Fishing pressure will affect the marine life which surrounds the UWO (annual visitation approx. 70,000).
· Increased rubbish around the Observatory- daily rubbish collection and surveys indicate 40% of all the rubbish collected from the jetty can be directly contributed to fishing (Tangoroa Blue reported findings in a pdf available from Anna, contact details below).
· Four consecutive years of fish species surveys conducted from the UWO would be interrupted by the introduction of fishing.
· Fishing on section 10 will bring out security concerns. A static guard stationed at the Observatory costs approximately 150k per year and damage to the Observatory due to vandalism can significantly interrupt trading.
· The already implemented section 43 no fishing zone which currently protects the observatory from fishing ( a 50m exclusion zone) will have no physical barrier preventing people from fishing. Ensuring public compliance of the Section 43 area will be very difficult, if not impossible for the local Department of Fisheries staff.
· Discarded bait increases the presence of blowies and interrupts the species diversity at the UWO.
· The Underwater Observatory is a world class attraction with strong Eco Tourism foundations
· Fishing gear tends to spread out over the end of the jetty preventing walker’s access to the end of the jetty.
· There is minimal depth difference between the fishing and non- fishing zones and all the same fish can be caught along the length of the jetty, there will be no disadvantage to fishers in terms of access to successful fishing grounds.
There is a strong voice for fishing access to section 10 but the loudest voice doesn’t always represent the majority of the population so we encourage you to consider the impacts of fishing in section 10 on ALL of the users of the jetty and take the time to write a quick paragraph outlining what action you would like the Busselton Shire to take.
The Busselton Shire is calling for submissions regarding the following proposal;
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1995 SHIRE OF BUSSELTON PROPOSED AMENDMENT LOCAL LAWS Notice is hereby given under section 3.12(3) that the Shire of Busselton a proposal to make the following Amendment to Local Law: Shire of Busselton Use of a Public Jetty Amendment Local Law 2010: Purpose: To protect the marine environment in the vicinity of the Busselton Jetty Underwater Observatory. Effect: To prohibit fishing from the section of the Busselton Jetty north of the security gate or signage approximately 50m south of the Underwater Observatory. Copies of the Amendment Local Law may be inspected and a copy obtained at the Shire Office, Southern Drive, Busselton between the hours of 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday and at any public library within the Shire of Busselton during normal opening hours. Submissions about the Amendment local law will be received by the Chief Executive Officer, Southern Drive, Busselton until no later than Wednesday, 3 November 2010. Mike Archer Chief Executive Officer
If you would like to email a comment please log on to;
http://www.busselton.wa.gov.au/node/4419
For further information please contact Anna Micha of The Busselton Jetty on 9754 0902 or email on
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A detailed plan of the restored jetty is available from Anna. It is important to remember that the area in question is the last 60metres of section 10.
tailor marc
Posts: 2979
Date Joined: 27/09/06
Allthough i love fishing
Allthough i love fishing right at the end i think its fair to section off around the observitory to fishing. Im not a diver but i would hate to be diving and having hooks etc hanging around me.
Fair enough to share.
I just wish that after seeing how popular that jetty is and how it brings in money that they should biuld one around perth somewhere
My photography pictures... http://westernhorizonsmedia.wordpress.com/
Seaquest
Posts: 1131
Date Joined: 22/10/09
I think its a good idea to
I think its a good idea to stop fishing on the last section. It is one of the best dive sites around this area and should be protected. Nothing worse than diving with old line and hooks hanging around. The other thing is in peak season you can have up to 4 dive charters a day, if people were fishing over the top of this area it could become pretty ugly and would be very dangerous. The dive shops down here rely on this site for a big part of there income. Gav from Cape Dive said the jetty closure has already hurt his business. I think there is enough room to fish without having to use this last section.
Feral
Posts: 1508
Date Joined: 01/11/06
bit late Till ... its
bit late Till ... its already been past our local council and they have banned fishing from 50m south of the UWO to the end ... the annoying part i find is that the fishermen have been the guys lobbying to get the jetty fixed and are the regular guys that pay to go on it .. now we are the ones that are getting screwed so i dive boat can take ppl out there and it doesnt pay a cent towards fixing it ..
i wouldnt mind sharing .. make the dive area 100m each side of the UWO .. but that might actually require some thinking to be done by our shire .. and god knows that aint going to happen.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
I don't mind no fishing
I don't mind no fishing around the observatory really but certainly the take was different in different sections so I found it a little hard to swallow that some nofisho saying its all the same!
I'm aware that it was banned, but this letter came up as a response from increased pressure from local and tourist fishos that wanted access restored.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
This is
yet another rediculous and short sighted decision made by a shire that has complete disregard for it's ratepayers and residents.
Yes, it would be fair to have an exclusion zone around the Observatory (say 50m either side) but not section 10. Those who have fished from the end know that it is one of the most unique and best land accessable fishing platforms in WA.
As far as i can see the only reasonable reason they have given for this decision is in regards to scuba diving and snorkelling. Sure, there may be some stray fishing equipment eg. line, hooks. I see this as pandering to the local dive operators who see big $ attracting divers to the area. More $ in rec fishing IMO.
Being a ratepayer myself i am disgusted by this and it just shows that $ will always rule over public opinion. If you feel similarly use the email link to show your concerns. Also there is a petition against this decision getting around Busselton and I encourage all who care to sign it!
7739ian
Posts: 948
Date Joined: 25/06/08
You nailed it Feral
The Shire are a bunch of Muppets - although reluctantly i actually agree with them on the exclusion zone but keep the dive boats out - or charge them to pay for any maintenance required with a charge per head.
j moule
Posts: 74
Date Joined: 06/06/10
Its not really fair
They say you can catch the same fish in closer what aload of crap that last length is the beat place to fish so why should they close it to fisherman who pay to use the whole length of the jetty and divers who just pull up and jump in and dont pay a cent dont get me wrong i think there should be a zone around the jetty .
Seaquest
Posts: 1131
Date Joined: 22/10/09
The couple of dive shops
The couple of dive shops down here rely on the jetty for a large part of there income without it they probably wouldn't survive. If you have ever dived the jetty you'll know the best coral is at the end and the rest of the jetty is pretty average. I rate the jetty as one of the best dives in the SW heaps more life than the Swan. I think you will find that there is only a few fishos that oppose this the rest of the community would be all for it. A lot of people are over people fishing on the jetty full stop. Hate to say it but fishos can be pretty messy at times. Leaving hooks, line, bait and rubbish everywhere.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Being mainly
a landbased fisho I've really missed the jetty. Perhaps you could sell your boat and then you might understand the frustrations of those who use the jetty?
Maybe if the jetty crew and the fisheries spent more time out on the jetty talking to patrons/fisho's rather than behind a desk they might help change people attitudes. Yes, rubbish can be an issue but isn't it everywhere now days?
I think the jetty could be a great resource again, it'll just take more consultation and understanding from all involved. To just ban fisho's from the most productive part of the jetty just so cashed up divers can have a look around doesn't seem fair to me. My understanding is that most of the older pylons that held the majority of old growth coral have been removed. Not sure there going to pay big $ to look at steel?
sherbert
Posts: 4717
Date Joined: 10/09/06
All that dive
Around the jetty should pay afee to do so, And it will help in some small way to the up keep of the jetty
As for fishing on the jetty, The best place is at the end
As for the rubbish put more bins and you wont get that
Cheers steve
Assassin landbase fishing club
Shorty
Posts: 1549
Date Joined: 10/05/08
The underwater
The underwater observatry,Divers and fishermen have coexisted for years with little or no problems in the past.
The Best part of the jetty is out the end being the point of structure, it will bad for fishermen to lose this to johnny come lately types, but with all the bait and burley in the water further back down the jetty hopefully the fish will be attracted down there.?
The divers will be happy and maybe fishos have to make allowances for all parts of the community , but it will be a huge sacrifice giving up the best fishing area.
danno
Posts: 1676
Date Joined: 12/07/09
have you guys seen it
have you guys seen it l8ly???
there is the white wooden rails on both sides of the jetty. im not a fan of it, stuff hanging over a rail trying to squid. if the rails do stay up i will probley only fish on it every now and again, when i used to go i fished on the non rail side because it easier to fish and land fish. is anyone thinking the same as me or didnt you guys mind fishing on the rail side???
carnarvonite
Posts: 8673
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Originals
It is the original fishermen who put up the dollars many years back to repair the jetty after it was severely damaged in cyclone Alby that also had the other leg [main and now removed] to the west of the tran leg and over recent years and now that a lot of Gov money[ Fed and state] has allowed it to be finished properly they are going to be the ones who will be shafted.
When the UFO was put in they could still fish from the end[section 10] without any interuptions but now because dive shops [who weren't interested in the jetty before] now say that will put them out of business. Crap, they haven't put a hand in their pockets before when it was desperately needed so why should they profit from it now. They have the Swan wreck off Point Piquet, plate corals off Forrest beach and Peppy grove AND the exclusion zone around the UfO, so what more do the want.
Over the years I've spent a lot of time out at the end catching yellowtail underneath to use as livebaits for sambos, salmon, mulloway and mostly bonito and the best spots were right where the UFO is situated to the end, if you fished inshore from there you would only get the odd herring, whiting or squid, so to me this is only the thin edge of the wedge, be prepared in time for a total ban on ALL of the jetty.
Seaquest
Posts: 1131
Date Joined: 22/10/09
Rec fishos haven't put
Rec fishos haven't put anything into the jetty over the years. Yes pro fisherman did help out over 20 years ago only because they needed it not so rec fishos could fish off it.
The plate corals off Peppy grove and Forrest beach are all but gone. Nothing really left but dead coral and rubble now . There are tiny pockets left but not good enough for a dive charter.
Mainey
Posts: 177
Date Joined: 17/09/10
Cafe central
As I understand it there will be an extension done to the width of the far end of the jetty.
The jetty is now also 4 meters wide all the way out there (was 2 meters) and the extension at the far end will be eight ( 8 ) meters wide.
* I was advised this extended area will have two Cafes or small restaurants right at the far end *
I believe that is why fishing is to be banned out there
Maîneÿ . . .Seaquest
Posts: 1131
Date Joined: 22/10/09
The jetty is now in the
The jetty is now in the hands of the UWO not the council. They are there to make a profit and don't give a crap about the fishos.
Divers will be charged to dive the jetty in the near future. It will be like the Swan where you will need to buy a day pass or a seasonal pass.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
sad it comes to this, as
sad it comes to this, as this was the only place south of Geraldton region that you could balloon out a nice big live bait and get a chance to hook up a tuna or big mackie.
I agree with what the others have said about fishing on the jetty, that you get mostly squid, trumpeter and some small yellowtails & herring when we been there. The big sambos stick to the end of the jetty and the weed is far less off that far end.
Where is Recfishwest on this issue and did they put up a fight for some fishing rights on the end as well, or did we roll over and just take the enema?
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Unfortunatly
Tony, it has been proven time and time again that the local council or other governing bodies in the busselton area don't give a stuff about what the local people want eg. The Hospital, Port Geographe weed issues, ford rd etc. Don't get me started on Troy Buswell.
Allowing local and travelling people to fish from section 10 would be far more positive for the local community in terms of $ spent and positive experiences for the men, women and children that use it. Sure, it'll be good for the small numbers of cashed up scuba divers but how is that going to contribute to the community? Might be good for 2 dive shops, hardly the 100's of people that will fish from it.
The jetty is right at the heart of Busselton and it's been very disappointing to have it closed for so long. I really hope that they listen to the concerns of the local community instead of those looking to line their pockets.
Indiana
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 15/12/09
tourism is the key
Matt ,as much as it may not seem like the correct decision for the locals at the moment............... I think that it is !
That whole area of the south west survives on the tourist dollar and keeps the people who are lucky enough to live in that beautiful part of the state employed but the town vibrate and alive . Without the tourist vistors who pay good money to not only go for a dive on the Jetty or the swan ,they stay for a few days at one of the many resorts or caravan parks ,buy food at the shops ,go the to one of the dozens of restuarants , visit the wineries, play a round of golf , simo's and so on and so on. Before you know it the guy who comes to town to dive the jetty has invested hundreds of $$$ into the local economy.
The busselton jetty dive is recognized as one of the best jetty dives in the world ,having dived it many times at night and day .......It definately a must do dive and it attracts oversea's divers for that reason.
Like it or not that region survives on the tourist dollar.
It its a case of banning fishing on that small section to preserve it a a dive site .......then the right decisions been made.
Not looking for a debate ......just my opinion
" IF YOUR NOT GOING TO EAT IT ......PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU CAUGHT IT"
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
fishing tourism is big
fishing tourism is big dollars to.
I for one stayed at Busselton for a week, BECAUSE I COULD FISH FROM THE JETTY!!!
We totaly forget that Dad wants to fish or even mum too, that many local WA tourists are fishing folk.
People going to southern WA / the Capes from out side the state and overseas don't go there to dive, they go there for the wine region and spa's etc and surfing. If you dive, you go north to Nigaloo etc.
I think a proper ecconomic study and impact estimate would shed awhole different light on who's dollars are coming in from the jetty and who stays there for what reasons???
The tourism dollar is most badly understood industry in Australia in my view, thye have sooooooooooo much to learn from places like Spain and the Far East the specialise in bring in big overseas dollars. JMO
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Ok, in that case
Indiana, do you think that for say 50-100 individuals that MAY come to Busselton annually to dive a newly rebuilt structure, with only a small % of the old growth coral. They should ban fishing from the most productive 90m of a 1600m structure. At the expense of the 1000's of local and travelling fishers? Personally, I don't think so.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Pretty much how I feel about
Pretty much how I feel about it, we went and fished it when we were kids for that reason, its a stop I'll never have to make with my son.
Howard George
Posts: 544
Date Joined: 10/03/11
Section 10 Busso Jetty.
The Busselton Shire have made a big mistake. Divers only dive on the jetty just the once whereby fisho's use the jetty time and time again as long as they can catch fish. People travel all over the world to target Southern Blue Fin Tuna that are only caught off the very end. Fishermen should be able to fish the end and get rid of this Greenie Council.