Add Category
Tye and his Mum treasure days spent fishing together in Darwin.
Key points:
- Research commissioned by the federal government shows proportionally more NT residents fish than in any other state or territory
- The sector contributed an estimated $270 million to the NT in 2018-2019
- The NT government wants feedback on a draft plan to develop the sector
It's not often the pair gets a chance to cast a line, but it's special when they do.
At the Buffalo Creek boat ramp on Sunday morning, Tye had big ambitions.
"I haven't caught a barra before, so I want to catch a barra," he said.
"It's just relaxing, just away from the busy world I guess, and just time to talk stories and have a relax on the weekend before the work week starts again," his mum Siri said.
Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) research, commissioned by the federal government, has confirmed what Tye and Siri already know: Territorians love to fish.
Researchers found about one in three people aged over 18 go fishing in the Northern Territory — more than any other state or territory in Australia.
The findings came from a widespread survey in 2018, which asked recreational fishers about their fishing habits and spending.
The final report, released last month, also found recreational fishing contributed $11.5 billion to the national economy in 2018-19, including $270 million to the Northern Territory economy.
Chief executive of the Amateur Fishing Association of the Northern Territory (AFANT), David Ciaravolo, said that was likely a conservative estimate of the sector's value.
"It was actually a pretty bad wet season, tourist numbers were down in that year," he said.
"The Territory is the only place in Australia where the effort of visiting fishers is the same as the effort of local fishers."
"They're spending a lot of their money in hospitality and accommodation services, and that money is spread right across the economy," Mr Ciaravolo said.
Government working to grow industry
With climate change, population change and international and domestic political pressures creating uncertainty for the industry, AFANT has been helping the NT government to develop a new recreational fishing development plan.
It aims to capitalise on the existing love of fishing, and make fishing more accessible to more people over the next decade.
The plan also aims to develop the capabilities of fishers, businesses, organisations and government agencies involved in the sector.
Minister for Agribusiness and Fisheries, Paul Kirby, said the NT government would look outside Darwin for fishing opportunities.
"We'll continue to concentrate on growing those opportunities — particularly in remote locations — for better fishing environments, for better access for people, for better facilities, to make sure that we have Indigenous people involved in that," Mr Kirby said.
He said the government was also still negotiating with the Northern Land Council over access to Aboriginal waters, covered under the Blue Mud Bay decision, more than a decade ago.
"It does rely on intensive one-one-one meetings and face-to-face meetings to make sure that the traditional owners actually do understand the lengths that the government are prepared to go to, to secure ongoing access," Mr Kirby said.