WCFC Seeks Fair Trial of Commercial Prawn Hauling in the Hastings River
On 30 July 2026, the Wild Caught Fishers Coalition submitted a briefing report to DPIRD Fisheries seeking a fair pathway to design and independently assess a limited commercial prawn-hauling trial in the Hastings River. The Minister for Agriculture and CommFish NSW were also copied into the submission.
WCFC is not seeking an unrestricted or permanent reopening of the river. The proposal is for a small, time-limited and monitored trial under section 37 of the Fisheries Management Act 1994, with the final areas, participants and operating conditions to be developed through consultation and independent assessment.
The submission was prepared in support of WCFC member,
who previously advanced a local proposal in 2019. WCFC argues that the earlier process imposed significant private costs and allowed recreational opposition to become a practical barrier before the concept could be independently tested.
WCFC has asked DPIRD to retrieve and review the 2019 proposal, nominate a senior officer to lead the process, meet with endorsed regional fishers and establish a government-funded assessment and consultation pathway.
The central position is simple: consultation should give every affected sector a voice, but it should not give any one sector control over whether limited access to a public resource can be properly assessed.
The full WCFC submission is attached below.
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