Fishing ban from Balmoral to Chinamans Beach could deliver “living museum” for snorkellers

Recreational fishing would be banned on a stretch of coastline near Balmoral under a proposal from a local community group.

Looking out for the reef: Duncan Adams, founder of Wyargine Aquatic Friends, said if we want a vibrant marine ecosystem on the North Shore, kelp forests and seagrass meadows need to be protected.

 Each summer, thousands upon thousands of locals and visitors flock to Balmoral — the closest thing the North Shore has to a real ocean beach — but beneath the surface, marine life in the area has thinned out.

As with much of Sydney Harbour, a significant decline has been observed over the last 50 years due to habitat loss, pollution and overfishing.

Wyargine Aquatic Friends is calling on the NSW government to establish an aquatic reserve running from Chinamans Beach to Balmoral.

What does this mean? An aquatic reserve would make much of the shoreline a “no-take area”, preventing commercial and recreational fishing. 

While snorkellers and fish stand to benefit, the main losers in this scheme would be fisherfolk. 

There’s a catch: Billy Loxsom is a local fisherman who works at a tackle shop. He told the Lorikeet those who fish that stretch would not be happy with a ban.

“The amount of fishermen at Chinamans Beach … at night, you’ll find there’s at least three  groups,” Loxsom told the Lorikeet. “It's a really good squid fishing spot.”

The reserve would cover approximately 2.5km of coast line, stretching out about 100 metres from headlands and 250 metres from the beach. Balmoral Wharf, one of the most frequented fishing spots, wouldn’t be affected.

Adams told the Lorikeet that a successful example could be seen at Shelly Beach in Manly, declared a no-take aquatic reserve in 2002. 

• The reserve there — Cabbage Tree Bay — is a popular spot for snorkelling and home to diverse native sealife, such as Port Jackson sharks, the common Sydney octopus and Eastern blue gropers.

Adams said that while recreational fishers may see short term losses, the reserve would ultimately lead to larger fish populations. 

“The creation of a reserve is a benefit to everyone who is a stakeholder in the health of the harbour,” Brett Fenton, COO of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science in Chowder Bay, told the Lorikeet.

What now: Adams told the Lorikeet the group had made contact with local state MP Felicity Wilson and federal MP Zali Steggall. He conceded that convincing the state government would likely be a slow process.