Flawed Science and Unfair Quotas: NSW Mulloway Strategy Under Fire

The recent release of the NSW Mulloway Harvest Strategy has raised significant concerns among the commercial fishing community, with underlying flaws in its foundation becoming increasingly apparent. The original 2005 study by Silberschneider and Gray, upon which this Harvest Strategy is heavily based, has been criticised for being designed to produce a predetermined outcome—declaring Mulloway stocks as critically overfished.

A Predetermined Outcome?

The 2005 report asserts that Mulloway stocks are "growth overfished," recommending drastic management interventions such as significantly raising the minimum legal length to 70 cm. However, this conclusion conveniently ignores critical socio-economic realities and practical fishing evidence. Notably, the report itself acknowledges declining commercial fishing effort, a likely cause for reduced total catches, rather than a collapse in the Mulloway population itself. Stable catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) numbers actually suggest Mulloway stocks are resilient, contradicting the report’s alarmist narrative.

Moreover, the report highlights juvenile discarding in prawn trawls as a significant issue, but it neglects to emphasise the substantial advancements made by commercial fishers. Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs), pioneered and continuously refined by commercial operators, have dramatically reduced juvenile Mulloway mortality. Yet, commercial fishers continue to be penalised despite proactive and industry-driven sustainability efforts.

Unjust Allocation of Quotas

The most glaring issue within the new Harvest Strategy is its allocation approach. Commercial fishers are now expected to share their quota with recreational anglers—individuals fishing solely for personal leisure and consumption. This decision effectively reallocates resources vital for public seafood markets to recreational anglers, who do not contribute to broader community access. It undermines commercial fishers’ livelihoods, ultimately harming the wider seafood-consuming public who rely on a consistent supply of local produce.

Lack of Robust and Unbiased Research

Without unbiased, rigorous scientific research—free from predetermined conclusions—it remains impossible to accurately assess Mulloway stock health. The current Harvest Strategy relies on questionable science and assumptions about recreational fishing impacts, unfairly disadvantaging commercial operators who have demonstrably improved fishing practices.

Commercial fishers aren't merely concerned about their own livelihoods. They understand their critical role in supplying affordable, sustainable, locally caught seafood to the public. By penalising them with quotas shared by recreational fishers, NSW Fisheries not only threaten the sustainability of commercial operations but also the broader public interest.

A Call for Genuine, Evidence-Based Management

It is imperative that future management strategies are built on transparent, comprehensive, and unbiased research. Decisions impacting commercial fisheries and the public seafood supply should never rest on manipulated or incomplete data. Commercial fishers deserve recognition for their sustainable practices, and the public deserves reliable access to local seafood.

Let’s advocate for fair and transparent fisheries management that prioritises accurate science and protects the community's interests. It’s time for NSW Fisheries to rethink this flawed strategy.

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