Petitions- Trinity Bay and Halifax Bay

[Bad_Bubby]

Hey Guys,

I have spent a fair amount of time fishing in the Cairns area and have seen the kind of unsustainable fishing practises that still occur in its inshore waters. A petition has been started to help abolish professional commerical netting in Trinity Bay which loosely covers almost the whole inshore area within 5km from Cairns. Successfully banning commercial netting (in addition to the already in place ban on barra netting in Trinity Inlet) will likely have huge long term positive flow-on effects to the environment and local people/business. Some of the netting figures are astounding, around 11 tonne of queenfish and 17 tonne of Grey Mackerel taken annually on average from Trinity Bay. The total weight of netted fish over the last ten years from this area alone is estimated to be literally over one million kilos (data from Fisheries Qld).

Some of you guys are aware of the Department of Environment and Resource Management's plan of Halifax Bay wetlands (congrats to those who attented the Ingham protest rally). A seperate petition on restricting recreational use of Halifax Bay Wetlands (Hinchinbrook area and just south) is also active. There has been little public consultation on these new retrictions. Part of this restriction is banning fishing in the legendary Missionary Bay area which has long been a getaway spot for Townsville barra anglers.

Here is the link to the DERM draft management plan for Halifax Bay Wetlands:
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/managing_parks_and_forests/management_plans_and_strategies/draft-hinchinbrook-plan-2011.html

Here is the link to the e-petitions page inlcuding both the Trinity Bay netting and Halifax Bay recreational use petitions:
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/en/work-of-assembly/petitions/e-petitions

Deadline for Trinity Bay netting petition: 30th November 2011
Deadline for Halifax Bay Wetlands petition: 21st November 2011

Get your fishing freinds to sign these petitions before its too late!

-Dan

[Scott Mitchell]

CAREFISH

22.11.2011

PETITION PROGRESS
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The mouth of the Barron River is currently being netted by someone claiming to be a permit holder. Maybe, maybe not but see attachment anyhow. There has also been a net in the Saltwater Creek, it has floats painted black, likely illegal. If you see these, ring FISHWATCH. The hospital flats are being netted solidly north of the 200 mtr exclusion area of the Marlin Marina (which will be legally challenged if this petition falls over). This is a 4 inch net and it has no respect for juvenile barramundi, or any other barramundi for that matter. Holloways Beach is netted most Mondays and or Tuesday nights. So does the mouth of the Thomatis. And there’s more further north. These ones are likely legal.
What you read above is happening now in the barra closed season. If you want to see more nets, wait until the season opens on the first of Feb.

This is on your doorstep. We have a once in a generation opportunity to remedy this. The petition has one week left to run. It all depends on how many signatures are counted NEXT TUESDAY. There are not nearly enough signatures on it yet, to have much impact on parliament.

Something is wrong with this picture. Two CAREFISH members have gotten around a thousand signatures between them. How many have you got? I hear “I haven’t got time” or “I can’t force people to sign it”. Neither do I, and neither have I! But I’ve still picked up around 500 signatures without much trouble!

So, does Cairns deserve a net free area around it? Do we really want it? It doesn’t look like it from where I’m sitting. We may scrounge together 3000 signatures by the look of it. Maybe less. If I was Steve Wettenhall, I would have trouble fronting up to parliament and suggesting that the people of Cairns ‘demand this net closure’.

HE NEEDS SIGNATURES AND WE ARE NOT GIVING THEM TO HIM.

I asked for some hands to help canvass the pubs and clubs. No-one offered. No-one. I haven’t heard boo from any fishing club. How weird is that? I dropped around large green “Sign Fishing Petition Here” posters to prominent recreational fishing businesses at the beginning of this. Half of them are rolled up in storerooms!

If you want the nets gone, every one of us has to put this petition under the noses of every one that wants the nets gone. That’s an easy sell. Almost everyone wants them gone that I’ve talked to! But if you leave this for others do, IT WILL NOT GET DONE!

This needs a big push, starting right now. Time is running out. Once again, I’m calling for help to canvass the local hot spots. Pubs and clubs on Friday and Saturday. Boat ramps. Tackle shops. You think up some places, this is to your benefit! We can do this, it’s not that hard. Time to buckle up and knuckle down.

Call me if you can help out on the number below, or Bruce Sharples on 0438 668 721. An hour or so is all that’s needed.

Something else you might like to consider. The East Bioregion Marine Park plan draft is about to be released. This is the Coral Sea issue and it’s now on our doorstep as well. State gov is talking about installing reciprocal green zones in the gulf. They may try that here as well. CAREFISH will be involved in the negotiations and the more horsepower CAREFISH can muster, the better our negotiating position will be on this and many other issues..

Get the signatures! I’ll be around next Tuesday to pick them up. Or if you’re dropping them off yourselves they have to be at Steve Wettenhall’s office Unit 7 Stanton Place, Smithfield by 3pm Tuesday 29 th Nov to be airbagged to Brisbane and into Parliament.

Paul Aubin
CAREFISH