We have asked Rob Morecroft to contribute to this website. Rob is not an Islander but fishes in the waters around here. He has a great story to tell :
( below is an article from the Paynesville Post )
November 2007
( below is an article from the Paynesville Post )
November 2007
Last fisherman hopes for idyllic future
In 1910 there wee 200 fishermen working out of Paynesville, bringing fresh fish from the Gippsland Lakes to the local People.
Today there is just one.
In 1910 there wee 200 fishermen working out of Paynesville, bringing fresh fish from the Gippsland Lakes to the local People.
Today there is just one.
There were 36 fishing licences remaining in the 1989, and in 2007 there are just 10 fishers
plying their trade on the lakes. Paynesville’s last fisherman, Robert Morecroft, has seen some dramatic changes to the town during his time on the lakes.“The Reason there are only ten commercial fishermen left is because the recreational fishing sector has been lobbying the State Government for a number of years in order to buy out the commercial sector” Robert said.
Robert said there is always a need for fresh fish and there is no reason to remove commercial fishing of the type suited to the lakes.“It’s environmentally more suitable than angling. ‘ he said.“The truth is, 10 per cent of anglers catch 90 per cent of the fish and if all fishermen disappear from the lake, tourists wouldn’t be able to catch any more fish."" I spend a lot time showing tourists how to catch fish in Paynesville. “
Rob started looking at fishing as a business in the mid-90s. At the time he was doing survey work for VicRoads, working in the eastern part of the state. He gained a likingfor working outdoors; realising he had a genuine interest in the natural environment, particularly bird life.In the 90’s there was a downsizing of the survey team and Rob said he finished up spending most of his time on a
computer in the office; he was not happy.
Rod has lived in Eagle Point all his life; his brother is the fishmonger in Paynesville. He played football as a kid with sons of the fishers and his father was a bait collector. It was not going to be an easy lifestyle change,but he started looking around to see what fishing licences were available. He found there were reasons why fishers who wanted to get out couldn’t get rid of licences - there was
substantial criteria to get into the fishing industry.“Newcomers had to buy two licences and consolide them into one. and the applicant was required to have
two years' experience in the industry“ Rob said. “To get two years' experience, I continued to work for VicRoads while taking advantage of flexitime hours at work” He went out with fisher, Ray Medling, on his boat three mornings a week for two years working without pay. The fisher added Rob’s name to the returns
for that work for 24 months.
By June 1989 there were six to eight licences that people couldn’t get rid of, and Rob negotiated to buy two local licences.He now goes out five nights a week to cast his net and hauls the net in the morning. Robert’s catch is divided between his brother ,Jeff Morecroft,a Paynesville fishmonger, and the remainder of the fresh catch is taken to the Lakes Entrance Fishermen’s Cooperative, to be sold at auction at the Footscray Fishmarket to the city fishmongers and restaurants.
In losing the fishing industry, the town may have lost a quaintness and a service, but Rob says has been reinvented as an idyllic retirement village.” All the skill of older fishermen had enabled them to make a living from a vibrant boat building industry” he said. “Many of the beautiful old fishing boats are now refurbished so the fishing heritage lives on that way. The boat building industry definitely needs the support of the East Gippsland Shire and planners should retain Slip Road as a boating precinct and not succumb to developers"
plying their trade on the lakes. Paynesville’s last fisherman, Robert Morecroft, has seen some dramatic changes to the town during his time on the lakes.“The Reason there are only ten commercial fishermen left is because the recreational fishing sector has been lobbying the State Government for a number of years in order to buy out the commercial sector” Robert said.
Robert said there is always a need for fresh fish and there is no reason to remove commercial fishing of the type suited to the lakes.“It’s environmentally more suitable than angling. ‘ he said.“The truth is, 10 per cent of anglers catch 90 per cent of the fish and if all fishermen disappear from the lake, tourists wouldn’t be able to catch any more fish."" I spend a lot time showing tourists how to catch fish in Paynesville. “
Rob started looking at fishing as a business in the mid-90s. At the time he was doing survey work for VicRoads, working in the eastern part of the state. He gained a likingfor working outdoors; realising he had a genuine interest in the natural environment, particularly bird life.In the 90’s there was a downsizing of the survey team and Rob said he finished up spending most of his time on a
computer in the office; he was not happy.
Rod has lived in Eagle Point all his life; his brother is the fishmonger in Paynesville. He played football as a kid with sons of the fishers and his father was a bait collector. It was not going to be an easy lifestyle change,but he started looking around to see what fishing licences were available. He found there were reasons why fishers who wanted to get out couldn’t get rid of licences - there was
substantial criteria to get into the fishing industry.“Newcomers had to buy two licences and consolide them into one. and the applicant was required to have
two years' experience in the industry“ Rob said. “To get two years' experience, I continued to work for VicRoads while taking advantage of flexitime hours at work” He went out with fisher, Ray Medling, on his boat three mornings a week for two years working without pay. The fisher added Rob’s name to the returns
for that work for 24 months.
By June 1989 there were six to eight licences that people couldn’t get rid of, and Rob negotiated to buy two local licences.He now goes out five nights a week to cast his net and hauls the net in the morning. Robert’s catch is divided between his brother ,Jeff Morecroft,a Paynesville fishmonger, and the remainder of the fresh catch is taken to the Lakes Entrance Fishermen’s Cooperative, to be sold at auction at the Footscray Fishmarket to the city fishmongers and restaurants.
In losing the fishing industry, the town may have lost a quaintness and a service, but Rob says has been reinvented as an idyllic retirement village.” All the skill of older fishermen had enabled them to make a living from a vibrant boat building industry” he said. “Many of the beautiful old fishing boats are now refurbished so the fishing heritage lives on that way. The boat building industry definitely needs the support of the East Gippsland Shire and planners should retain Slip Road as a boating precinct and not succumb to developers"
Rob Morecroft
