Big kingfish run off Narooma softens tourist slump
WHILE tourism operators to the north are complaining about low visitor numbers, Narooma’s excellent fishing may have softened the blow.
General talk and observations around Narooma is that the town and its campgrounds are busy but perhaps a bit down on previous years.
Montague Island has seen between 50 and 70 boats on good weather days chasing the run of kingfish.
Visiting angler David Kramer has been coming to Narooma for 20 years and said numbers did appear a bit down, perhaps due to the wet weather and the general state of the economy.
Mr Kramer, who hosts a radio show on Melbourne’s 3AW radio and who is writing a fishing column for the Narooma News, as always is staying at the Easts Holiday Park on the Narooma Flat.
“I am hearing people say the camping spots that normally were filled straight after someone left were empty for a couple of days,” Mr Kramer said.
The run of good weather after New Year’s Day however came to end on Sunday with a steady downpour.
The wet weather could however translate into good numbers for local eateries with campers less likely to cook their own meals.
Narooma was very busy for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day with the unusual fact that the holidays started late and fell on the weekend also perhaps having an impact on visitor numbers.
While some hotels, including O’Brien’s Hotel and its bistro, had a great year other retailers were reporting that people were spending less on big ticket items and only had enough for their accommodation and meals.
Fisheries officer happy with compliance
The influx of visiting fisher people and locals appear to be doing the right thing when it comes to kingfish.
There have been regular inspections of vessels at Montague Island by both Fisheries officers and Batemans Marine Park rangers.
A Fisheries department spokesperson said Fisheries officers were reporting that compliance has been excellent at the island.
Only four people have been fined for having undersized kingfish.Read More ...
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