News Release - GNS fishing closures in force

[QLD_Fisheries]

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/news/NewsReleases/14303.html


The information contained in this document is distributed by the Queensland Government for information purposes only. All reasonable steps have been made to ensure the information is accurate at the time of publication. For more information visit the DPI Fishweb site at http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb

[bugman]

15 January, 2004

Grey nurse shark fishing closures in force
The Department of Primary Industries is reminding the State’s fishing sectors that closures at four key grey nurse shark aggregation sites in south-east Queensland are now in force.

Fishing and diving regulations came into effect on 19 December 2003 in a move to protect one of Australia’s most critically endangered marine species.

Only 300 to 500 grey nurse sharks are estimated to be left on Australia’s east coast.

Despite not being a threat to people, the grey nurse shark was hunted almost to extinction in the 1960s due to its fierce appearance.

A ban is already in place on taking grey nurse sharks in Queensland, New South Wales and Commonwealth waters and they are also listed as critically endangered under Commonwealth legislation.

However, Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS) fisheries resource manager Mark Doohan said more action was needed to ensure their survival.

Mr Doohan said new fishing restrictions had been introduced at four grey nurse aggregation sites including Wolf Rock off Double Island Point, and Flat Rock, Henderson Rock and Cherub’s Cave in the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

There are also diving restrictions within the Moreton Bay Marine Park sites.

The new regulations were introduced after extensive consultation with industry groups and the public.

“The fishing restrictions are aimed at protecting the sharks from fishing hooks and other fishing activities that can harm them,” he said.

“Hooks are a serious problem and can become embedded in the shark and cause serious infection as well as disrupt their feeding and digestion, causing them to starve.”

Mr Doohan said it was also believed that diving too close to the sharks or in large groups could affect their feeding and breeding behaviour.

He encouraged the fishing community and divers to become familiar with the new regulations to help protect the remaining population.

The new regulations include all forms of fishing banned at Wolf Rock and nearly all forms of fishing banned with limited exemptions at Flat Rock, Henderson Rock and Cherub’s Cave.

There are new diving regulations at Cherub’s Cave, Henderson Rock and Flat Rock.

For full details about the fishing restrictions call the DPI Call Centre on 13 25 23 or visit Fishweb at www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb. For more information about the diving restrictions visit www.epa.qld.gov.au or call (07) 3821 9000.


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Further information: Mark Doohan (07) 3225 1888
Media Officer: Liz Smith Ph: +61 7 3224 7757
Department of Primary Industries Media Unit
GPO Box 46 Brisbane Qld 4001. Fax +61 7 3239 0860
DPI Call Centre 8am-6pm weekdays on local call 13 25 23

[Big_Kev]

Great to see they are on the ball.

[DaneCross]

"...nearly all forms of fishing banned with limited exemptions at Flat Rock, Henderson Rock and Cherub’s Cave."
Whats the 'nearly' part?? What are the exemptions??
DC

[mackmauler]

some pros got special treatment :o

[adamleah]

The question is....

How can we tell how far away 1.2km is?
Especially if you haven't a GPS

Is there any proposals for bouys to be be put in place..

[Gazza]

The question is....

How can we tell how far away 1.2km is?
Especially if you haven't a GPS

Is there any proposals for bouys to be be put in place..


Adam/DC , this 'distance thing' does have too be answered NOW, regards your ability to determine a 1200 metre r-a-d-i-u-s ,how the buckleys ? chance do you do that , too achieve that ? requirement?.....legally ,with a compass and day-vision , for starters.... >:(

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"The new regulations include all forms of fishing banned at Wolf Rock and nearly all forms of fishing banned with limited exemptions at Flat Rock, Henderson Rock and Cherub’s Cave."
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C'mon you QFS guys/gals , what and why exceptions >:( or 'exemptions' ??? ,to be legit legal.

GF can you fill in the blanks? (mate , it could be "good news" ??? )
Regards
Gazza

[jeffo]

and there goes a couple of the best fishing spots in QLD!!!! is it true what rob says about the pros getting special treatment? sounds fair right?! >:( ???

[Sportfish_5]

I think the only exemptions were for a few commercial licences allowing trolling on a certain side of Flat Rock. (But I maybe wrong on that).
As far as getting markers to set out the exclusion zones I think that there will be zero chance of that. From what I read it is up to you to ensure you are not in the zones and if you get caught then you will cop a big fine !!

Did anyone catch the brief shark attack story in the Courier Mail last week. Seems some divers got chased by a Grey Nurse at a Nth NSW Zone. How unfortunate !!!!!

[GES]

I phoned in to QFS and they sent me an information sheet on the GNS closures.
The information sheet is about as useful as a hip pocket in your singlet !
It gives a latitude and longitude for the centre of the area/s and the 1.2 km closure is a circle scribed around that point. Well, that looks Ok ... on a map ... but how the hell do you work out where the closure boundary is on the water ?
I then wrote a letter to QFS about 3 weeks ago asking for an explanation of how to do that or some lat. long. co-ordinates to use so I can ensure I'm not inside the line.
Haven't heard back yet. Maybe they aren't able to describe HOW one stays outside the boundary.
I'd like to see them try and enforce it if it's not reasonable for everyone to know where the boundary is. At least the dugong/turtle "go slow" areas etc. in Moreton Bay are marked with signs and they have set the 2 metre low water mark on the banks as the determining boundary.
Just putting the onus onto the fisho to keep out of the GNS areas without reasonable boundary markers is not fair at all.
They need to put buoys out there but I think the current will beat them there. Maybe some land based transit bearings would give Nth,Sth,East and West extremities but not the rest of the circle.
I think that the "expert" who designed the closures just drew a circle around the places on a map without any thought for the practical application of the thing.
I'll let you know what the QFS answer is to my letter when (and if) it arrives.

GES

[Lucky_Phill]

I've been fishing that area for 1,762 years and have not caught / hooked a Grey Nurse yet.

More so, the trolling fraternity are up in arms, as they've been trolling those areas for longer than I have been fishing them, and to date, no-one has ever trolled up a GN.

I think it's time for a " Pauline Hanson " from the fisheries !

( Please explain ! )

Phill

[jeffo]

i have heard many reports of GN sharks rising to a hex head being trolled at 12 knots!!!!!! ::) ;D
1,762 years ay phil.. that makes you older than rob!!!!! ;D

[imported_admin]

Phill

I think you will find that the only reason it was put into fisheries hands is that if the GNS was classified as endangered it would be an EPA problem nt a fishieries problem.

With an election looming it looks like they decided to classify it as potentially endangered and give it to fisheries to police. This way it got them some votes from the Greens and Divers and saved them millions of dollars by not having to give the EPA the money and resources needed to enforce the law.

[jockey]

It should be easy to calculate the E/W and N/S extemities (lat/long lines) for those with a GPS. How about someone who knows how post it here?

[Gazza]

Ahhhhh ,i feel BETTER now........... ;) :D :D :D
:-X
(with sound ;) )
>:(

http://www.shockwave.com/sw/content/madshark

[bobp]

get hold of the bush"n beach in Feb for some more info on this topic.