Flathead's still on the menu: when a ban is not a ban

THE Tasmanian tradition of catching a flathead for dinner is still alive and well, but you wouldn’t know it from authorities.

Many fishers were left scratching their heads this week wondering if fishing for flatty’s by recreational fishers was banned or not.

It was a simple question you would think.

According to a public notice posted earlier this week on the Tasmanian Government website, as of November 1, fishing for sand flatheads will be off limits for recreational fishers.

Dr David Midson, general manager Marine Resources in the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said the ban would cover the length of the east coast, D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Derwent River, Frederick Henry and Norfolk Bay.

“A person must not take or be in possession of sand flathead from the Eastern Zone,’’ he wrote.

“This notice has the effect of closing the non-commercial sand flathead fishery in the Eastern Zone, which includes the Southern Sand Flathead, Region from 1 November 2024 until the expiry of the scalefish management plan on 31 October 2026 when new management arrangements are put in place. 

“This closure is part of arrangements to reduce non-commercial fishing pressure on the sand flathead fishery in the interest of resource sustainability.’’

But apparently this ban is not a ban. In fact fishing will still be allowed….who would  have thought?

In what appears to be a classic episode of popular TV show Yes Minister, the public notice has left authorities red faced and trying to explain why a ban is not a ban.

A spokesperson for the relevant Minister Eric Abetz said the fishery was not being closed to recreational fishers.

And said “I would point you to the latest Recreational Fishing Guide, TARFish and Fisheries Tasmania’s Facebook posts. 

They are all clear that the sand flathead fishery is NOT being closed.’’

When asked if Mr Abetz would personally assure fishers, they could still cast a line for a flathead for dinner, we were told "You’ll need to have a discussion with NRE about the mechanics of the process."

It is estimated more than 130,000 Tasmanians go fishing regularly, or one in four. 

A recent IMAS survey showed that 50% of all fish caught and kept were sand flathead and almost 60% of those come from the south-east.