Protect Top End Coasts from Gillnets

Send a message to the CLP to protect our coastal backyard

Send me text messages

I acknowledge and thank you for your 2024 election commitment to phase out commercial barramundi gillnets by August 2028. 
Every day that destructive commercial gillnets are in NT waters, they pose a risk to marine wildlife, including threatened species such as dugongs, turtles, dolphins, river sharks, and endangered sawfish.
Three gillnet fishing areas have been closed by concerned Traditional Owners and the government capped effort, at decade-high levels, in three more areas. This means the destructive gillnets can be concentrated in two areas identified as critical habitat for threatened species - Van Diemen Gulf and the South-western Gulf of Carpentaria (which includes the mouth of the Roper River and Limmen Bight Marine Park). Both of these areas also contain globally recognised Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMA) and Important Shark and Ray Areas. This greater concentration of fishing effort in fewer areas, significantly heightens the danger to threatened, endangered and protected species (TEPS).
In 2025, the environmental stakes have risen with the snubfin and humpback dolphins added to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), followed by the uplisting of the freshwater sawfish to Endangered.
Furthermore, the economic stakes also continue to rise for Territorians. High-value tourism is being drawn to Queensland, where established net-free areas have set a new global standard for barramundi fishing and wildlife encounters. Rockhampton is already claiming itself as the ‘Barra Capital of Australia’ because of the success of the Fitzroy River (Tunuba) Net Free Zone. The CLP Government is effectively gifting our tourism dollars to our neighbours by failing to act on its commitments.
I urge the CLP government to take the first step in the phase-out by establishing priority gillnet-free areas, including the buyback and permanent retirement of gillnet licenses to address displaced fishing effort. The priority gillnet-free areas are Van Diemen Gulf and the South-western Gulf of Carpentaria (Roper River mouth/coastal region and Limmen Bight Marine Park).
Territorians deserve healthy rivers and coasts that support local jobs and local economies.  Together, we can create a future where our coastal and marine environments remain vibrant and resilient for generations to come, supporting our outdoor lifestyle, local tourism industry, and unique marine life.

Urge the CLP Government to allocate money in the 2026 budget, to safeguard our Top End lifestyle, maintain a sustainable tourism industry and protect our threatened species. Sign today!

Every day that destructive commercial barramundi gillnets are in our Territory waters, they pose a serious risk to threatened, endangered and protected species including dugongs, turtles, dolphins, and endangered sawfish, increasing the risk of local extinction for some species.

In June 2024 the CLP committed to phase out the barra gillnets. Nearly two years on and there has been no tangible action to meaningfully progress the phase out.

The environmental stakes have risen with snubfin and humpback dolphins now listed as threatened under Australian laws, and the freshwater sawfish has been uplisted to Endangered.

The economic stakes have risen too, with Queensland challenging the Top End as the “Barra Capital of Australia”.

We must ensure the CLP Government buys out commercial barramundi gillnet licenses, to safeguard our Top End lifestyle, maintain a sustainable tourism industry and protect our threatened species.

Read the email that we'll send

I acknowledge and thank you for your 2024 election commitment to phase out commercial barramundi gillnets by August 2028.

Every day that destructive commercial gillnets are in NT waters, they pose a risk to marine wildlife, including threatened species such as dugongs, turtles, dolphins, river sharks, and endangered sawfish.

Three gillnet fishing areas have been closed by concerned Traditional Owners and the government capped effort, at decade-high levels, in three more areas. This means the destructive gillnets can be concentrated in two areas identified as critical habitat for threatened species - Van Diemen Gulf and the South-western Gulf of Carpentaria (which includes the mouth of the Roper River and Limmen Bight Marine Park). Both of these areas also contain globally recognised Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMA) and Important Shark and Ray Areas. This greater concentration of fishing effort in fewer areas, significantly heightens the danger to threatened, endangered and protected species (TEPS).

In 2025, the environmental stakes have risen with the snubfin and humpback dolphins added to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), followed by the uplisting of the freshwater sawfish to Endangered.

Furthermore, the economic stakes also continue to rise for Territorians. High-value tourism is being drawn to Queensland, where established net-free areas have set a new global standard for barramundi fishing and wildlife encounters. Rockhampton is already claiming itself as the ‘Barra Capital of Australia’ because of the success of the Fitzroy River (Tunuba) Net Free Zone. The CLP Government is effectively gifting our tourism dollars to our neighbours by failing to act on its commitments.

I urge the CLP government to take the first step in the phase-out by establishing priority gillnet-free areas, including the buyback and permanent retirement of gillnet licenses to address displaced fishing effort. The priority gillnet-free areas are Van Diemen Gulf and the South-western Gulf of Carpentaria (Roper River mouth/coastal region and Limmen Bight Marine Park).

Territorians deserve healthy rivers and coasts that support local jobs and local economies.

Together, we can create a future where our coastal and marine environments remain vibrant and resilient for generations to come, supporting our outdoor lifestyle, local tourism industry, and unique marine life.

Yours sincerely,
(Your name and suburb will be added here)