CHRIS_aka_GWH
16-11-2003, 03:12 PM
if you didn't read the article its about see page 31 Sat nov 15 couriermail.
15/11/03
Surely recreational Fisherman have just cause to be concerned about restricted fishing zones (C-M Nov 15) around the coffee rock reefs outside Moreton Bay when the wealth of “scientific” advice being given to government & the media comes from professionals whose own obsession with scuba diving seems to make them blind to the destructive influence of their own activities.
By her own admission, & not withstanding all her good work, Carley Bansemer has swam with the sharks 200 times in 3 years (that’s a lot), & spends all her time & money attempting to do so. Several scuba dive schools in Brisbane & on Stradbroke Island conduct anywhere up to 3 trips per day with a dozen divers on board to these shark hotspots. Ben Cropp & a film crew went out on one from Stradbroke only a month or so back & were impressed with the skippers ability to put them “on the sharks”. That translates into having put the anchor of the dive boat in amongst the sharks, giving extra “down time” to a diver.
With this many large & strange shapes frequenting their lair, it is little wonder Grey Nurse Sharks are either distracted from their breeding or as a non aggressive species have chosen to abandon their favoured territory & move elsewhere.
I was there when Carley Bansemer addressed the competing fisherman at the opening of the 2003 Straddie Classic with the concerns about the shark. The vast majority of fisherman gave her a good reception then avoided bottom fishing the areas of proposed exclusion & encouraged those not present to do so even though there was no legislation in place to compel them to do so. To the best of my knowledge, the two sharks captured & released were wide of the exclusion zone.
The physical damage bottom fishing does to the Grey Nurse Shark is obvious & recreational fisherman have already shown they are willing to curtail those activities in areas important to the shark. Its time the scuba industry followed suit including those scientists & media personalities who may be loving the shark away.
Chris McAlpine
as letters are restricted to 300 words I excluded rubbishing her scientific opinion that the Grey Nurse don't travel a bit - I've encountered them in the Rainbow channel when I've been freediving & had several swim under me surfing at Main & cylinder beaches (and yes Carley I really do know the difference between grey nurse, whalers, black & white tips, tigers etc having seen them all in their backyard.
Although the article gave rec fishing a chance to respond I felt it lay to much of the burden of guilt at our feet & couldn't resist.
Send your own thoughts to the editor cmletters@qnp.newsltd.com.au
chris
15/11/03
Surely recreational Fisherman have just cause to be concerned about restricted fishing zones (C-M Nov 15) around the coffee rock reefs outside Moreton Bay when the wealth of “scientific” advice being given to government & the media comes from professionals whose own obsession with scuba diving seems to make them blind to the destructive influence of their own activities.
By her own admission, & not withstanding all her good work, Carley Bansemer has swam with the sharks 200 times in 3 years (that’s a lot), & spends all her time & money attempting to do so. Several scuba dive schools in Brisbane & on Stradbroke Island conduct anywhere up to 3 trips per day with a dozen divers on board to these shark hotspots. Ben Cropp & a film crew went out on one from Stradbroke only a month or so back & were impressed with the skippers ability to put them “on the sharks”. That translates into having put the anchor of the dive boat in amongst the sharks, giving extra “down time” to a diver.
With this many large & strange shapes frequenting their lair, it is little wonder Grey Nurse Sharks are either distracted from their breeding or as a non aggressive species have chosen to abandon their favoured territory & move elsewhere.
I was there when Carley Bansemer addressed the competing fisherman at the opening of the 2003 Straddie Classic with the concerns about the shark. The vast majority of fisherman gave her a good reception then avoided bottom fishing the areas of proposed exclusion & encouraged those not present to do so even though there was no legislation in place to compel them to do so. To the best of my knowledge, the two sharks captured & released were wide of the exclusion zone.
The physical damage bottom fishing does to the Grey Nurse Shark is obvious & recreational fisherman have already shown they are willing to curtail those activities in areas important to the shark. Its time the scuba industry followed suit including those scientists & media personalities who may be loving the shark away.
Chris McAlpine
as letters are restricted to 300 words I excluded rubbishing her scientific opinion that the Grey Nurse don't travel a bit - I've encountered them in the Rainbow channel when I've been freediving & had several swim under me surfing at Main & cylinder beaches (and yes Carley I really do know the difference between grey nurse, whalers, black & white tips, tigers etc having seen them all in their backyard.
Although the article gave rec fishing a chance to respond I felt it lay to much of the burden of guilt at our feet & couldn't resist.
Send your own thoughts to the editor cmletters@qnp.newsltd.com.au
chris