Overfishing Location In Victoria
Much barrier reef destruction due to fishing
Corner Inlet
Introduction
The Corner Inlet is a 600-square-kilometre (230 sq mi) bay located 200 kilometres (120 mi) south-east of Melbourne in the South Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Of Victoria’s large bays it is both the easternmost and the warmest. It contains intertidal mudflats, mangroves, salt marsh and seagrass meadows, sheltered from the surf of Bass Strait by a complex of 40 sandy barrier islands, the largest of which are Snake, Sunday and Saint Margaret Islands.
Impact
The Corner Inlet fishery where the majority of whiting are caught in Victoria, has been operating with a code of practice since 2020 to limit effort to assist with the sustainability of stocks, and minimise bycatch (the accidental catch of non target species) and habitat damage.
Port Phillip
Introduction
Port Phillip Bay, is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. Before European settlement, the area around Port Phillip was divided between the territories of the Wathaurong (to the west), Wurundjeri (north) and Boonwurrung (south and east) Nations. Its waters and coast are home to seals, whales, dolphins, corals and many kinds of seabirds and migratory waders.
Impact
A love of oysters and overfishing by early colonial settlers has seen the natural shellfish reefs disappear over time and fish stocks dramatically decline. After 1 April 2022, 35 of the original 43 net fishers will have exited the bay, leaving 8 commercial operators supplying fresh snapper to consumers. These fishers will no longer use nets. The gear will be limited and catch will be carefully managed.