Author: Charl De Villiers

Today was an important day for our community. On behalf of the USFA and every spearo we represent, I had the honour of appearing before the Legislative Council’s Select Committee on Access Restrictions to Public Lands and Waterways to give evidence for recreational spearfishing in New South Wales. I attended as the sole representative for the USFA, and I carried our members’ views into that room with pride.

I want to sincerely thank the Committee Chair, the Honourable Mark Banasiak MLC, for the invitation to take part. It is a genuine privilege to be asked to put our members’ views directly to Parliament, and it is not an opportunity we take lightly. I also want to thank the rest of the committee for their open dialogue and their genuine interest in our discussions. The questions were thoughtful, the engagement was real, and that gives me confidence that our concerns were truly heard.

We spoke plainly about what our members face every time they enter the water. Access and diver safety are inseparable. Spearfishers are limited by physiology to what we can reach on a single breath, which is typically around ten metres. When the shallow, accessible reef is closed to us, our access is not simply moved, it is removed, because we cannot safely go deeper to make up for it. Diving deeper on a single breath is significantly more dangerous, and any rule that reduces access and pushes divers in that direction puts lives at risk.

We also raised the rule that permits spearfishing on an ocean beach only within twenty metres of either headland. The rule is ambiguous in practice, and that ambiguity makes general access and egress more dangerous than it needs to be, leaving divers unsure of where they may safely enter and leave the water. We asked that it be clarified and public education be provided so that spearos can access / egress from popular beaches without scrutiny from public or officials (the detail of this rule can be found in the NSW Fisheries rules).

We were also honest about the constant battle against lockouts. Each closure is presented as small, but together they are steadily removing the best of the shallow, accessible reef that spearfishing depends on. We proposed that a controlled point of action be put in place such that when these splinter groups arise, the default response is to refer to robust local science closing out the conversation before it begins.

We were candid about the lack of genuine consultation, where decisions that affect our members most are too often made with little meaningful engagement with the very people they affect. We noted that there was a significant loss in confidence in the current government following recent knee jerk reactions, and that it would take work to rectify. We highlighted that many DPI decisions are made and raised to public input prior to engagement with peak bodies such as the Recreational Fishing Alliance or the USFA.

It was not all about resisting closures. We also put forward a positive proposal, that Long Reef be established as a dedicated spearfishing reserve, to demonstrate that spearfishing is the most selective and sustainable form of fishing there is, and a legitimate, valued use of our marine estate. We noted that listing Long Reef, our spiritual home as a Spearfishing Reserve, was in title only ensuring we protect access. We would encourage fair and equal access to all, and take on a higher level of stewardship to protect our home.

Above all, we set out what fair process should look like from here. We asked for fair and transparent consultation, with peak bodies engaged before decisions are taken to the public for comment, not after. We asked that every management decision affecting access rest on sound, transparent science. And we asked that the RFA and USFA be engaged to peer review study and survey proposals before they are acted on, so that avoidable mistakes are caught early. We pointed directly to the blue groper experience, where flawed methodology including the use of inappropriate baits, undermined confidence in the outcome. With the right people at the table beforehand, that kind of problem is entirely preventable.

I am proud of the case we put today, and prouder still of the community we represent. As my predecessors Simon Trippe and Bob McComb have noted to me, when we wear a wetsuit, we don a uniform that represents the entire community. Wear it with respect and pride. We are divers who know these waters better than anyone, who have a deeper stake in healthy fish stocks than anyone, and who are conservationists in the truest sense of the word.

We will keep you updated as the inquiry progresses. Thank you to every member for your continued support. It is what gives our voice its weight.

Charl de Villiers
President,
Underwater Skindivers and Fishermen’s Association