IF you are buying fresh fish in the Redlands, there is a good chance it was caught in Moreton Bay by commercial fisherman Marley Perry.
The 37-year-old Dunwich fisherman heads out four or five times a week – and whenever the weather allows – casting his nets from a 4.8m fibreglass Divinycell foam dinghy.
Mr Perry primarily catches whiting and mullet, hauling in anywhere from half a tonne to one tonne of fish on a successful expedition.
His first port of call is Fishlass and Perry’s Seafood at Dunwich, where the “ocean to plate” motto reflects a proud family fishing tradition.
“I fillet what I need for the shop, sell whole fish to the locals and the rest all go to the market,” he said.
“The fish are caught and sold fresh, not frozen.”
Mr Perry said he pioneered fishing from the small runabout, something he remained “pretty proud of”.
The boat was built by fellow North Stradbroke Island resident John Stone, a man Mr Perry described as part of the island’s “fishing folklore”.
Fishing has been part of Mr Perry’s life for as long as he can remember.
“I was brought up into fishing. My first memory was going out with Dad on his big boat at the age of three,” he said.
Those trips gave father and son valuable time together and Mr Perry is now passing the tradition to another generation.
His brother Dylan is a regular fishing companion while all four of his children – aged nine, seven, four and one – have joined him on the water.
“Cohan, 7, is the way I was as a kid,” he said.
“I think he might take after me a bit.”
For Mr Perry, commercial fishing is far more than a way to earn a living.
“Some people wake up and look for something to do. They might go for a run or go to the gym. Me, I go fishing,” he said. “Some people work every day. I do that too, but going fishing isn’t just work, it’s a lifestyle.”
Years spent on the Bay have provided plenty of memorable encounters, but Mr Perry said his best stories involved Mother Nature.
On one occasion, a baby dolphin became caught in his net, prompting a dramatic reaction from its mother.
“A baby dolphin was caught in the net and mother dolphin must have jumped 16 feet in the air and landed hard beside us to let us know,” he said.
“We released the baby and watched them swim off together. That was special.”
Another remarkable encounter unfolded off Main Beach when two whales suddenly appeared in the middle of a school of sea mullet.
“They jumped into the middle of a patch of sea mullet, one went one way and one the other with their mouths open,” Mr Perry said.
“There were fish everywhere. It was really something to see.”
While whiting remains a popular catch, Mr Perry has no doubt which fish deserves pride of place on the dinner table.
“Ocean mullet are my favourite fish,” he said.
“The flavour from the ocean is just great and they are good for you too — brain food.”
