The End of an Era: Generational Fishing Families Exterminated Under Qld ALP

The Last Supper

I write this with a heavy heart, as a depressed, disillusioned Barramundi fisherman of some 40 years. I also write on behalf of fishers who are too mentally traumatised to put into words the devastation inflicted on our industry. My heart goes out to you all.

I don’t even know where to begin.

How did we go from a strong, proud industry when I was a kid starting out, to a sector being dismantled by toxic political agendas? Decisions that profoundly impact our lives are being made with little to no input from those directly affected.

People in positions of power, entrusted with managing our fisheries, seem ideologically opposed to our very existence. How did it all go so horribly wrong?

The Extinction of the East Coast Barramundi Fishery

On November 1, 2023, we witnessed the effective extinction of the East Coast Barramundi fishery as we know it.

I haven’t always been a Gulf Barra fisherman. I started my journey on the East Coast, in the Mary River and Hervey Bay area, where commercial fishers pioneered a Barra stocking programme in the early 1990s. This was a proactive effort to enhance sustainability, similar to other areas where fishers have funded and aided stocking initiatives. And now, despite these contributions, we are being forcibly removed from the waters.

What have we done wrong?

We have worked tirelessly, decade after decade, with Fisheries Queensland (FQ):

• Developing Environment Management Systems (EMS)

• Completing endangered species awareness courses

• Establishing Best Management Practices

• Implementing three-month spawning closures for Barramundi

• Sacrificing massive fishing areas to Net Free Zones

• Adapting to zoning and quota systems

• Maintaining stocks accredited as sustainable by FQ

Yet, despite meeting every regulatory demand, we are still being pushed out. Why?

A Government Captured by Radical Conservationists

The reality is stark: we are not being consulted, but rather insulted every time we engage with Fisheries Management. A senior Fisheries manager once admitted to me that “this is out of our control due to outside influences.” If the very people in charge of our industry are powerless, what hope do we have?

Younger fishers, the next generation, are being exterminated with the forced resumption of the N2 Barramundi licence on the East Coast. I know where their headspace is at, because we, the older fishers, are feeling it too.

Grown men and women, proud and tough people, are breaking down in tears. Recent suicide attempts are a tragic consequence of this government’s callous policies.

All of this – for votes. For political gain.

Meanwhile, the seafood consumer has been ignored. The price of fresh fish has skyrocketed, and it will only get worse in the coming days.

Legacy fishing families that have provided fresh seafood for generations – exterminated for political advantage.

The NX Licences: A Hollow Concession

Before the Barramundi season opened on February 1, 2024, FQ issued 27 “NX” licences with severe restrictions, allowing a small fraction of fishers to continue operating.

These licences are:

• Non-transferable

• Non-saleable

• Only valid for three years (set to expire November 1, 2026)

This wasn’t a victory secured by self-proclaimed fishing representative groups. It was only achieved through the relentless lobbying and public awareness campaigns by a handful of dedicated, multi-generational fishers and their families.

Yet, the NX licences are merely a temporary delay of the inevitable—the complete eradication of the wild-caught East Coast Barramundi fishery.

The Propaganda of Radical Conservationists

A major justification for the forced resumption of the N2 Barramundi licences was the claim that commercial fishers were harming protected species—turtles, dugongs, and others.

To support this claim, NX licence holders were forced to install video cameras recording every second of their operations.

After an entire 9-month fishing season, guess how many protected species were killed? Zero.

Not one mortality recorded.

If the government’s justification for banning the fishery has been proven false, why are NX licences still set to expire in 2026?

No Compensation, No Support

There is zero compensation for:

• Loss of income

• Loss of licences

• Stranded assets

• Mental anguish

This is not just an attack on the fishing industry—it’s an attack on Australia’s food security.

Seafood Consumers: The Forgotten Victims

The everyday seafood consumer—the Mums, Dads, elderly, and disadvantaged Australians who rely on wild-caught fish—have been completely disregarded.

Already, 65% of the seafood Queenslanders consume is imported. FQ claims they want consumers to “eat more local fish.” How is that possible when they are actively destroying the industry?

The public demand for wild-caught fish is stronger than ever, yet supply has been strangled. The consequences?

• Barramundi that once cost $25 per kg now sells for $40 to $90 per kg

• The average Australian can no longer afford fresh, wild-caught fish

• Governments continue pandering to overseas influence to secure green/teal votes

Fisheries Management Must Change

Fisheries Queensland needs to manage the fishery, not the people.

World-class fisheries management? A joke.

Maximum economic yield for the industry? Non-existent.

What we are witnessing is nothing short of a politically-driven attack on a sustainable, hardworking industry.

Shane Snow

Commercial Barramundi Net Fisher

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