Good Friday in Geraldton causes stress to the seafood industry with demersal fishing ban hiking up prices

One of the biggest days of the fishing year, Good Friday, is almost here — the first since the controversial demersal fishing bans came into force. The bans are expected to have a big impact on the sales of fish over the busy Easter period, with prices already rising and supply in question amid the fallout from cyclone Narelle further north. The forced changes have left the industry reeling, and as the first Good Friday since the bans came into effect on January 1 local seafood lovers face limited options of fish they can buy. Luke Emery from Brolos Fresh said: “You can’t give everyone what they normally want. So we’re trying to share the load of what we’ve got, just to keep people going.” Not only will Geraldton residents be receiving a different type of fish menu this year, but prices are also set to increase. “Pretty much across the board, everything’s gone up in between that 20 to probably 30 per cent mark,” Mr Emery said. Explaining that around 75 per cent of the fish used to come out of this region, he said: “Now it’s all going to come from out further abroad.” “It’s more of a supply and demand. There’s only so much fish out there, and the demand’s still there for it.” Mr Emery said. “It’s probably the biggest day in the seafood industry of actual fish sales. So normally, we’d probably put an order through something like two tons of actual fish during these four days.” Unfortunately, this year, Mr Emery believes: “It’s probably going to be at least half, or, if not down to a third, of what (he’d) normally put through because of availability. “ Since January 1, commercial fishers have been permanently banned from fishing for demersal species, like pink snapper and dhufish. While for recreational fishers, their ban extends until spring next year. Thanks to ex-tropical cyclone Narelle, which hit fishing communities in the Gascoyne hard, Mr Emery is unsure whether he will have much fish to sell. Earlier this week, Mr Emery said he was making a last-ditch effort by sending people from Carnarvon to fish, but unfortunately, the road was still closed due to the cyclone. A couple of days later, the roads to Carnarvon had reopened, meaning the fish caught could be transported back to Geraldton. “It’s hard to judge when and where your next load of fish is really coming from. To be honest, there’s no continuity. It’s pretty much you got to take what you can get, and, you know, hope it works.” Mr Emery said. Mr Emery has since confirmed that he has fresh and frozen pink snapper as well as other fillets of locally caught fish available this Easter. His message to consumers this Easter was “ people just might have to diversify a bit more this year”. Julie Boschetti from Latitude Direct told the Geraldton Guardian this week that “there is a big problem and we don’t know if we’re going to get fish”. She confirmed she only has frozen fish and no fresh fish this Easter with pink snapper available as well as some red throat emperor.