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NEWSFLASH
23-10-2001, 01:20 PM
JOINT STATEMENT - Baffle Creek Fish Habitat Area declared

About 2000 hectares of the Bundaberg region's Baffle Creek, recently identified in a review of Australian estuaries as having one of the most pristine estuaries in southern Queensland, has been declared a Fish Habitat Area by the State Government.

Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said the area boasts high quality fish habitats within the tidal reaches of the Baffle Creek system, 58 km north of Bundaberg.

Mr Palaszczuk said the declaration of a Fish Habitat Area involved considerable negotiations with stakeholders to determine suitable boundary locations and awareness of future management arrangements.

Queensland now has 74 declared Fish Habitat Areas covering over 700 000 hectares.

The declaration was welcomed by Member for Burnett Trevor Strong.

"The declaration of the Baffle Creek FHA will ensure the high quality fish habitats are maintained and protected from future degradation," Mr Strong said.

"The boundaries of the Baffle Creek Fish Habitat Area Plan are acceptable to all state and local authorities, as well as industry and local interest groups," Mr Palaszczuk said.

"The declaration of a Fish Habitat Area does not impose constraints on legal fishing activities or day-to-day community use of the area."

"However, there are constraints for development activities and a management focus on retaining these fish habitats as a public resource, accessible for public use.

"In general, the only new development allowed in the Fish Habitat Area would be public infrastructure that was directly related to fisheries-based activities such as public jetties and boat ramps."

The extensive marine plant, sand bar, narrow creek and rocky outcrop habitats within the Baffle Creek Fish Habitat Area function as a nursery, feeding and spawning grounds for a variety of species of importance to the recreational, commercial and traditional fishing sectors.

Barramundi, mangrove jack, flathead, whiting, bream, prawns and mud crabs all habituate the declared area.

Media contact: Kirby Anderson (Minister Palaszczuk's office) 0418 197 350

Brett_Finger
23-10-2001, 04:57 PM
well, well, well.
supprise, supprise... >:(
it never stops amazing me the timeing of these govening boddies,only after a milti million dollar prawn farm has been approved and nearly compleated (no more than 10km from the mouth) as well as multi million dollar development. that the place recives the title of "Habitat" this, "pristine" system.

good timeing, i think not. as usual Minister a case of "To Little To Late".....
the locals have for years been trying to get the destructive beam trawlers out the system with no luck.
if you want brownie points work towards to getting the nets out(pro and rec)
so just add the mixture of industry and see how long it takes to destroy this system as well, my monnies on a weir as the next step to the destruction of this once great system,one of the few left on the east coast without any weirs on it.
not supprising i have whitnessed pro's and rec fisho's netting the guts out the place up to 60km into the system...
it makes me absoulty voiitle to see this happing.
my thoughts anyway, would welcome anyones elses for or against either.
Hookin, Brett Finger

Brian
24-10-2001, 04:42 AM
In what section are they looking at development big fella, don't say a waterfront one ....... and of course an impact study has been done on the effect this so called development would have on the area.

It of course makes one wonder who owns the prawn farm and the development site. Or is that who DID own.

Don't panic big fella like Donnybrook they just declared a NO FISHING area some time back .................. were we suprised damn straight we were. It took a lot of head banging to reduce the area which i guess they now have the area they wanted in the first place but just tried to take a much bigger slice of the pie and see what would happened. Not that i disagree with the area that is closed just the method used.

Ahhhh the powers to be what would we do if they were not running the place lol.

Brett_Finger
24-10-2001, 04:04 PM
Brian,
mate of corse it's water frount,from the north side up stream from you mud bar ;D
just pisses me to tears to see a butifull system going under >:( >:(
Hookin, Brett

Katrina
24-10-2001, 05:47 PM
??? Would like to know some more about this. My oldies plan to move onto their block at Baffle Creek when they retire next year. It's a place that needs to be looked after, but you may be right about it being to late. I hope things can be sorted to create a sustainable recreational fishery in the area. Keep posting on the board, so I know what's happening. Thanks. ;)