Kaye Bennett with a Darwin Harbour jewfish, caught with King Kontis Fishing Charters Matt Flynn's
Northern Territory Territory fishermen rejoiced to hear Chief Minister Clare Martin say cotton farming would not go ahead on the Daly River. She also said a special community group will in future decide what development is appropriate for the river. This is fantastic news for the Territory as damage to the Daly - which is the Territory's barramundi icon - would have irreversibly damaged the NT's image of a place with productive, pristine fishing hotspots. The Territory's fishing image is already suffering from man-made habitat change on the Mary River, where barrages have altered water flow and lowered the value of the area for the recreational fishing industry. None are happier about the Daly River news than AFANT executive officer John Harrison. "At last we are going to get a community driven and owned solution to the long term future of one of Australia’s iconic rivers - the Daly. After more than 30 months of waiting for ‘the plan’ to be released we now have the opportunity to shape the future of the development of this area rather than have it forced upon us" Mr Harrison said. "It was very pleasing to see the announcement by the Chief Minister of the formation of the Daly Region Community Reference Group (CRG) and to see that its role and terms of reference will deliver a smart plan for this magnificent river and its catchment. "The CRG by its very nature has to be large and broad but all the people who have an interest in securing a future for the river can now be involved. Ownership of the plan will hopefully mean no division or mistrust in the long term. "Development has to be precautionary and rather than make the same mistakes as other parts of Australia have we are uniquely placed to get it right the first time. Something that I am sure will be in the hearts and minds of all people on the CRG. "We look forward to contributing to the process and to provide a plan whereby everyone can move forward whilst ensuring that tomorrow’s generation enjoy at least what we do today."
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