Letter to the Courier mail today

[Sandman]

FYI read a response to amatuer fishers protesting to Green Zone by a Mr Doug Stepley from Maroochydore, his entitled to his opinion but so am i . You have it so wrong and i hope the CM put my response to you in the paper.

[Chris Ryan]

Hi Sandman,

Any chance you can put it up here for us to see?

Chris

[Sandman]

No probs Chris ,
I just noticed my email to the CM was returned server probs .....

I am writing in response to Doug Steley’s letter of support for closures in the bay in the courier mail on the 12th Feb, Firstly I would like to point out that Doug lives in Maroochydore and is not effected by these closures nor does he have a clear understanding of what the closure entail.
We as a amateur fisherman & Woman love the Bay and equally wish for future generations to use the bay in a sustainable way. If Doug was a enthusiast he would note there are bag limits applied to what can be caught and what can not be caught this includes per person per boat and so on, there is currently a review in circulation which Doug will find the majority will agree with and may also suggest some species should have further limits placed on the proposed limits.

We protested about the Green Zones on the 15th of Dec and again on the 10th of February and will continue not just because we are passionate about our recreational activities but we to also want to see a well thought out accessible Bay that not only Locals can enjoy but visitors including you Doug as well other interest groups such as people with disabilities.
As well as the direct impact these current proposals will have on amateur fisher people it will have a huge effect on business in which we already see closing down, it was noted the courier mail discussed tourism in the Bay and is quoted as saying its brings in $500 million, I believe if the figures for amateur fisherman were published the general public will be shocked at how much is injected into local economy by local amateur, I must note there has been no direct relation or clash against local tourism after all people come from all over Australia to fish our bay.
So Doug when the EPA decides to close the Maroochydore river and other favored fishing zones in your area will you simply stand back and make uniformed comments and say she will be right, don’t forget 1 in 4 Australians own a boat, most enjoy a day out fishing, Diving etc lets keep it that way SUSTAINABLY if you have objections I encourage everyone to get in before the 7th of March and have your say before it does get taken away.

Michael Howcroft , Fairfield Brisbane

[Chris Ryan]

Thanks Michael. Great letter mate - well put and I hope they print it.

Chris

[Dug]

I have just found this post so should reply.

I have fished the bay since 1969 I have worked with marine scientists and while I am no expert I do know that if you catch less fish and allow more fish to bred up and replace diminished stocks then slowly fish stocks improve.

I am just basing my opinions of science not emotion so we will obviously have differences of opinions.

cheers doug

[PinHead]

I have just found this post so should reply.

I have fished the bay since 1969 I have worked with marine scientists and while I am no expert I do know that if you catch less fish and allow more fish to bred up and replace diminished stocks then slowly fish stocks improve.

I am just basing my opinions of science not emotion so we will obviously have differences of opinions.

cheers doug

that may be correct Doug, but there is also a very valid counter argument to your claim.

BUT...that aside..before any fish will breed the water quality has to be correct so how about the EPA uses it resources to clean up the ribers etc which flow into the Bay and also attack the industries that put pollutants into the waterways..and that includes farming.

[CreelReaper]

Hey guys,
Great letter mate and I hope you get the server problem sorted out.

I'm with you on this one Pinhead. For all the restrictions, bag limits, sizes and off limit places to fish, the outcome will not improve the fish stocks as hoped or planned. The decimation of breeding grounds especially around Moreton Bay and subsequent landfill and reclamation of large mangrove swamps WILL drastically effect a fishery more so than bag limits etc.
Doug, in all your years on the water can you honestly say that only fishing pressure has caused the down sizing of fish stocks??? We now have snapper being caught more than regularly in the Brisbane River. Something that was only a by catch 10 or 15 years ago. I would say that this is more about the increase in water quality of the river itself since dredging was stopped a few years ago. Sure there is more fishing pressure than ever before but I do not believe that restricting fishing activities through bag limits etc is the single answer to the problem. We as fisherfolk can LOVE our fishing and our environment as much as we like but in the end if the relevant government organisations can't get the balance between development/land-water use, water quality and sustainable practices then we will only be going round in circles and arguing about the same things in 20 years time.

Shane

[Jeremy87]

Your letter communicates how we're all feeling. Well put.


I have just found this post so should reply.

I have fished the bay since 1969 I have worked with marine scientists and while I am no expert I do know that if you catch less fish and allow more fish to bred up and replace diminished stocks then slowly fish stocks improve.

I am just basing my opinions of science not emotion so we will obviously have differences of opinions.

cheers doug

Yes it is common sense that if you remove all fishing pressure from a specific area stocks will increase. However, and its a big however, there little evidence to suggest that it will improve the fishery in surrounding areas. Most of the evidence suggests the opposite, that you have a highly abundant green zone and the rest will become heavily overfished. Seagrass beds norht of the brisbane river have a serious eutrophication problem. Wacking a bandaid on will not prevent the bay from bleeding, causes of habitat degredation need to be addressed aswell as inforcing fishery limitations. A proper solution rather than closing most of the fishable bay off would be to firstly reduce run off pollutants, protect seagrass and mangroves and then look at impacts from commercial fishing and adjust practices accordingly. I believe that some closures are important to the overall health of the bay but on what level and what relevance they have needs to be precisely calculated before shutting the whole show down.

[Dug]

If you look at the New Zealand experience they closed large areas to all fishing. Locals were horrified and objected strongly but after 10 years when fish stocks had increased both pro and amateur fishers were reporting increased catches.

Water quality is of vital importance, Habitat protection is vital, but protection of stocks is also vital if the fishery is to survive.

The greatest danger for fishery stocks world wide is over fishing.

We need more and larger green reserves not smaller and less.

[Stuie]

I doubt too many would disagree that all those elements are vital to maintaining a sustainable fishery. It is just a shame that the government departments continually attack the recreational fishing sector in the form habitat protection plans (green zones etc) and fish management plans (bag and size limits) without taking on the other element as well. I guess looking at water quality would cost a lot of money and would also require a department with some guts to take on the larger industries that pollute the river and bay every day of the year. Seems the fishing sector are an easier target.

[billfisher]

Now Dug I think you are just making things up. The NZ experience shows no such thing. And I would also point out that NZ has twice the fishery than Australia, with a much smaller EEZ. As to world wide overfishing I would also point out that Australia has 1/30th of the world average fishing pressure.

[frogfuzz]

Good letter Sandman, but I will be amazed if the Red Mail, er Courier Mail will print it.
Brisbane really needs an alternative paper (other than one on the internet)

[Sandman]

What an old post but still valid and my comments stay the same. And yes it was not printed and i did not expect it to be printed but lived in hope that a response with opposition to Dougs comments may havegone his way.
Thanks guys i havent been involved much anymore as it was starting to look pretty ugly in the discussions when we first got all of this discussion going, at the moment i am just trying to get out and have a fish and use my boat which is hard enough without the added green zones.
Hope your all fishin well cheers Mick.

[Sandman]

Dug,
I should also respond since its possible the letter was written by you? Mate if anyone has grown up in a green life it was myself, perhaps not here in Aus but certainly in the same waters with a whole range of scientists including my own father.
Green zones dont allways build stock up, reducing your catch may as well reducing commercial fishing in areas.
The authorities need to look at industry and all the pollutants running into the bay not the little fisherman catching a feed.
Mick

[Chris Ryan]

Thanks Mick, I for one appreciate the support and the effort that goes into writing letters and getting off the backend to do something.
Chris