Weekend ban on fishing from New Brighton Pier
20 September 2007
The Burwood Pegasus Community Board has voted to ban fishing from the pier on weekends and statutory holidays between 6am and 6pm during the period of daylight saving. They are also asking the Council to ban crab pot use on the pier.
Since it opened nine years ago, the Council has received numerous complaints about inconsiderate behaviour of some fishers. Unsafe fishing practices, such as overhead casting, the use of multiple rods limiting the space available for other fishers and damage to the handrail and other structures have caused problems. Many fishers do not clean up making it unpleasant for other visitors.
Extensive consultation with the community found most people favoured some control over the fishing on the pier. Many also wanted more enforcement of the rules and education on what is acceptable.
Regional Parks Manager Kay Holder says the decision is a compromise which will mean fishing is still able to be done from the pier, but not at the busy weekends
“Some people wanted a complete ban on fishing from the pier and others wanted no change in the current situation, so restricting fishing in summer weekends and statutory holidays means we can accommodate visitors and those who want to fish,’’ Ms Holder says.
People have been flouting the current rules which include no overhead casting, using bait cutting boards and fish cleaning tables provided and no fishing in no-fishing zone,’’ she says. “We needed to make the pier safe for everyone.’’
Fishers still have the opportunity to fish from the pier during the week year-round, says Ms Holder. They can also fish before 6am and after 6pm on weekends and statutory holidays during daylight saving. There is no ban on fishing when daylight saving ends.
The ban will be enforced by a mixture of security guards and park rangers who will have the ability to trespass people who flout the rules, she says. Extra enforcement officers are planned and more signage will spell out hours and rules around fishing.
To find out how well the new ban is working, it will be reviewed at the end of the summer.
“Most people who fish off the pier are considerate and comply with the rules,’’ says Ms Holder. “ It attracts a wide range of people including children, family groups and adults who come from the city as well as New Brighton and there are of lots of different ethnicities who enjoy fishing.
“We certainly don’t want to fully ban fishing at this stage, rather to make sure
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