A fishing tradition dating back to Indigenous times has once again endured in Ballina, despite fears that murky river conditions following Cyclone Alfred would jeopardise this year’s catch.
To the surprise and relief of local fishermen, the mullet have arrived, with two solid hauls landed by midweek.
Ballina News Daily caught up with veteran fishers Tony Bobeldyke and Brian Newlands, along with their crews as they waited patiently for the next catch.
With one eye on the water and the other on their nets as they made minor repairs, they chatted with long-time locals stopping by for updates on Ballina’s famous mullet run – swapping tips and stories handed down through generations.
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“There’s a big school just up North Creek,” one old-timer reported, pointing beyond the familiar stretch of sand now known as Gawandi Beach.
Bobeldyke and Newlands have spent decades fishing these shores, watching for the elusive silver streaks of mullet.
“I’ve been working here since 2002,” said Bobeldyke. “Before that, I was in Byron Bay, but we got moved on when the Marine Park went in around 2000. Brian said, ‘Come work with us,’ and I’ve been here ever since.”
While Bobeldyke has been involved since 1991, Newlands has spent 45 years fishing this beach. “It’s something that goes back hundreds of years,” he said. “It’s part of the culture here.”
The mullet run is a seasonal event, and the size of the catch can vary dramatically. This year, weeks of black and muddy water had the crews fearing the worst.
“We were very worried,” Bobeldyke admitted. “The water didn’t look good. We were ready to pack up for a few days until things cleared.”
Then the fish arrived -24 tonnes on May 8, followed by another 26 or 27 tonnes on the 18th.
“That’s a good season for us,” he said. “We always set a target at the start of May, and we’re right on track.”
Locals say mullet often enter rivers to rest after travelling down the coast -sometimes from as far as the Clarence River.
“It can take them three days to get here,” Bobeldyke said. “They just pull into the river for a break, same as anyone would.”
Despite the common belief, they don’t spawn upstream. “That’s a myth,” he added. “They rest here, then head back out to sea.”
The fishing itself is all about patience. “You look for the signs – ripples, changes in the water.
You learn what to watch for,” he said. “When they come, it can be any time of day or night.”
Once caught, the mullet are quickly iced and taken to the local co-op. Some are sold fresh, but most are processed for export.
“They go to Chinderah, where the roe is extracted. That’s what goes to Japan, China, Dubai,” Bobeldyke explained. “It’s a delicacy over there.”
Nothing is wasted. “The backbones and heads go for bait or fertiliser.”
Despite the rocky start to the season, spirits on the riverbank are high. Between the two crews, which include many family members, around 60 to 70 people today make a living from the mullet season.
“You don’t get rich,” said Newlands. “But you make wages. You keep going. It’s what we do.”
And so, in Ballina, the tradition lives on. Resilient, enduring, and still feeding families after all these years.
Photo credit, main and centre photos by Deborah White, DeborahWhite-Art.com
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