WCFC Members Action Leads to Relief from Garfish Weekend Closure

Following a request from an affected member, WCFC began pursuing the removal of the weekend fishing closure applying to Eastern Sea Garfish fishers.

WCFC met with DPIRD Executive Director David McPherson on 14 January 2026 to discuss the restriction and recommended that a section 37 order be used as a temporary measure while permanent regulatory reform was considered. At that meeting, WCFC was advised that section 37 could not be used for this purpose.

WCFC later raised the matter with the Hon. Mark Banasiak MLC, who questioned the Department during parliamentary estimates. DPIRD explained that permanent change would involve consultation with multiple fishing sectors and that there was no estimated timeframe for completing the process.

With no timely administrative solution available, the affected WCFC member commenced proceedings in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Following that process, DPIRD ultimately acted to mitigate the issue. On 15 May 2026, a section 37 order was issued allowing Eastern Sea Garfish fishers to operate on certain weekends while broader regulatory reform remained outstanding. This confirmed that the temporary mechanism originally proposed by WCFC was available and could provide practical relief.

This outcome demonstrates the importance of sustained member representation. WCFC raised the issue directly with the Department, proposed a workable interim solution, sought parliamentary scrutiny and supported the affected member as the matter progressed.

The full NSW Government Gazette notice can be viewed here.