James Sherwood, Conservation Campaigner NPA NSW
The recent listing of the Eastern Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) as a protected species in NSW has been met with jubilation from the conservation community and disbelief from the recreational fishing lobby.
The Eastern Blue Groper is not immediately under threat from extinction but has come close in the past. Between 1952-1967, the species declined by 90% and so spearfishers campaigned for the protection of the species, which led to full protection in 1969.
Unfortunately, this protection didn’t last long with commercial fishing and line fishing reinstated just after five years, while spearfishing remaining banned. But, by 1980, it was evident that excessive commercial catch was having a significant impact on the species and the decision to ban the sale of Eastern Blue Groper brought an end to commercial fishing. Since then, Groper stocks have recovered considerably, and the species is now listed as near threatened on the IUCN Redlist. This event shows protecting a species from fishing can have a positive impact on species recovery.
More recently, the killing of Gus the Groper by a spearfisher at Oak Park in Cronulla, in December 2023, reignited the debate around the efficiency of protections for the Groper with huge community uproar resulting in the NSW Labor government imposing a full ban on ‘all’ types of fishing for the species (pending a 12-month trial). This has left some recreational fishing groups furious, demanding the decision be reversed.
However, in recent years, with recreational fishing numbers falling, and a dramatic increase in the number of people utilising the NSW coast for ocean related activities other than fishing, there are new stakeholders that need to be considered. These stakeholders interact with the marine realm in a truly sustainable way and pose no extractive threat to our marine system. Ocean swimmers, snorkelers, freedivers and photographers are joining the scuba diving community in appreciating nature for the beauty and wonder that it provides. Getting out into the water has mental health benefits with the additional benefit of keeping people fit and these activities generate economic revenue for our coastal communities. However, more often governments take into greater consideration the fishing lobby’s interests over the rest of the community.
So, is protecting a species of fish that makes the larger community happy the right thing to do?
Of course, it is, but it’s only part of the solution.
If the government is serious about protecting the Groper, it also needs to protect more habitat. In the past decade, marine sanctuary protection on the NSW coast has been going backwards. Marine sanctuaries are like our national parks for the ocean: they allow species to build up in numbers, grow large and reproduce without the fear of being hooked. This benefits the adjacent, lesser protected, areas through the dispersal of eggs and larvae, with the goal of enhancing biodiversity and fish populations across the entire NSW coast.
Following the killing of Gus the Groper, a local swimming group proposed that a no-take aquatic reserve or marine sanctuary be established to prevent future incidents from happening. The idea was initially supported by the local mayor but was soon overturned by recreational fishing lobbyists — showing just how powerful this minority interest group is.
The good news is NPA has played a key role in growing a united stakeholder group, demanding better protection for the NSW coast. It is known as the NSW Marine Sanctuary Alliance, which unites marine sanctuary advocates, community groups, scientists, and tourism operators. This group includes swimmers, surfers, snorkellers, divers and even pro- marine sanctuary fishers.
Many advocates are inspired to get involved through the success of the twenty plus years of protection at Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, which has seen dramatic growth in the biomass within the 20-hectare reserve. As a result, ocean swimmers across the state are now demanding better protection in their backyards. Many of these swimmers began their journey at Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve for the sole purpose of keeping fit, but have since been amazed by the Bay’s extraordinary marine life and now question the lack of protection in their own backyards.
Better protection for the Groper and expanding marine sanctuary protection will work hand-in-hand. Socially, many people love and care about the species and want to see the marine environment better protected. Economically, it’s also beneficial, with the ocean swimming community, and the scuba diving and snorkelling community all spending money at coastal towns hoping to spend time with one of these big blue fish. Ecologically, the Groper is a keystone species that controls population abundance of lower trophic levels, including the sea urchin. Communities on the south coast of NSW have seen a dramatic expansion in urchin barrens caused by overpopulation of sea urchins decimating their kelp forests. Protecting the Groper and expanding marine sanctuary protection would be good news for these communities as these steps would help to restore and maintain natural predator abundance. Unfortunately, the size of the sea urchins now means that only the largest Gropers can reduce these populations and in the absence of other urchin predators, like the Eastern Rock Lobster and Snapper, the Groper will be left to do the heavy lifting.
Protecting the Eastern Blue Groper is a great first step, but more needs to be done to create a robust network of marine sanctuaries that span the entire NSW coast.