In recently published submissions to a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry, Indigenous fishers have described being exposed to aggressive treatment and targeting by fisheries NSW officers working on the state’s south coast.
Section 21AA of the NSW Fisheries Management Amendment Act makes special provision for an Aboriginal person to take or possess fish for cultural fishing purposes, despite other limits.
A parliamentary inquiry was launched late last year into why the legislation, passed in 2009, has sat on the shelf for over a decade, and the impact the stalled process has had on Aboriginal fishers and their families.
Personal accounts have detailed instances of Indigenous fishers being approached at their home, chased while fishing, and having their catch and diving gear confiscated, with legal proceedings repeatedly delayed and in many cases eventually dismissed.