Inquiry blames years of mismanagement for Tasmania's sand flathead ban

A lower-house committee investigating the closure of the sand flathead fishery in Tasmania's south-east determined that the state had not acted on scientific warnings for years, allowing the stock to become critically depleted. The ban, imposed in March between Whale Head and Cape Pillar, was implemented with only a two-week consultation period that many anglers say came after the decision was already made. The inquiry also noted that the government never modelled the economic consequences of the closure.

Among twenty recommendations, it urges the government to publish specific reopening criteria, act promptly on expert advice, fund comprehensive stock assessments, and ensure genuine stakeholder consultation. Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce defended the ban as necessary for recovery, while opposition figures and fishing groups argued it eroded trust. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment plans to release a stock rebuilding plan later this year.