Fishing groups circle grey nurse court case

TWO prominent Kiama figures have declared their intention to join a joint-action to fight an Administrative Appeals Tribunal case that could ban fishing near areas deemed grey nurse shark habitats.

NSW Charter Boat Operator's Association president Anne Garard and Rod Burston, of the NSW Fishing Clubs Association, have confirmed their groups will join the nation's peak fishing bodies in opposing a lawsuit by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.

The suit aims to ban ocean trap and line fishing within 1.5km of locations deemed grey nurse shark habitats.

Such aggregation sites include Bass Point, rated as one of the best fishing spots in the Illawarra.

The grey nurse shark was declared an endangered species in 2003 after population studies by the Department of Fisheries.

Mrs Garard and Mr Burston's groups are among seven, including the Fishing Party, EcoFishers NSW and RecFish Australia " the peak fishing group in Australia " have applied to join the case before it resumes on Monday.

Although the Fishing Party plans to present its own evidence, the fishing interest groups " including ports committees, divers' groups, fishing clubs and commercial operators " plan to band together to present evidence.

"We are concerned about the lack of representation of our interests," Mr Burston said.

"Our organisation wants to be involved in the case to represent and defend those interests."

Mr Burston repeated his claim that the scientific evidence that led to the grey nurse shark being declared endangered was based on "rubbery science".

Meanwhile, Mrs Garard expressed her concern that extensions to restricted areas around grey nurse aggregation sites would affect her group.

"Further restrictions to areas around grey nurse shark habitats could be detrimental to our operators," Mrs Garard said.

The case will resume on Monday.