Good work. Read the letter, but I dont hold out much hope for change.
I am not sure who else has received a copy of this attachment which has been doing the rounds on email but it is the best example of what is and has been wrong with fisheries mis-management in Qld for the past 3 decades.
Everybody must read it. And copy it into emails and send it on to everyone in you email address book. Expose things for what they really are.
The case in question is the grey mackerel fishery but it applies to so many other fisheries further in the past eg the spotty mackerel, barra, tailor etc, in fact just about every netted fishery.
It is written by a highly regarded coastal fisheries specialist who has worked around the world and who is not beholden to, or paid by, Fisheries Qld. And there is the problem for Fisheries Qld.
Fisheries Qld continues to tell the successive ministers (who really don't give a stuff about rec fishing but pay lip service) that all is grand in fishing in Qld and everything is sustainable. This shows just how sucked in the politicians are by Fisheries Qld.
Their definitions of sustainability have no place in the real world.
Good work. Read the letter, but I dont hold out much hope for change.
Note to self: Don't argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience....
thats a great letter.
A very damning report . Wonder if the minister will give a proper answer or just palm off with bull.
Cheers
Ray
As the writer of the letter to the minister for fisheries and the accompanying working paper on the alleged sustainability of grey mackerel, please note that I refer to myself as a Coastal Fisheries Specialist. It is not correct to call me a fisheries scientist. My relevant qualifications are a First Class Honours B. Sc. in Zoology (study of animals) and a post graduate Dp in Fisheries management with over 25 years experience in fisheries work in the tropical Indo-pacific. I am keen to receive any information regarding local depletions of fish stocks in QLD. Email: davecook@bigpond.com.
Dave, why did you have to go and ruin it with correcting others and precociously posting your 'FIRST CLASS" qualifications?
My apologies to David Cook. I have corrected/edited in the above post.
In reply to Seatime I don't believe it is precocious. Just being factually correct and I am happy to correct my post accordingly as it was clearly written in the correspondence and I was simply using a little ad lib licence.
I can just imagine the Qld Fisheries using a technicality of naming as an excuse/defense of their ms-management.
Why did you need to open your mouth?
First Class honors is a level of Education which is relevant to the bloke's experience- not a boast. If you read the letter you would note that he criticises FQ for referring to someone employed by FQ as a Fisheries Scientist which is a misnomer. HE is clarifying his possition so as not to be seen as hypocritical.
Excellent letter Dave.
It's great to see that you have taken the time to express your concerns, and the concerns of many local QLD communities about the sustainability of regional finfish stocks.
Hopefully more letters of this ilk can be written about other iconic species that have experienced regional stock level decline..........at least in QLD of course (unlike the NT) such as threadfin salmon and barramundi.
Thanks guys, but someone had to say it first, I mean question the qualifications of those who decide on the future of our fish stocks. Muggins here chose to do it and in so doing so am very much aware I have set my self up for others in authority to attempt to discredit. We just need to stick to the facts, keep compiling and circulating the evidence and we should get there! if we don't well at least we can't be blamed for not trying.
This is an excellent article, being away for a bit over a month I am not sure if another article penned by Dave has been mentioned here i.e "Misinformed, misguided, and downright unsustainable!" in the June 2013 issue of FISH & BOAT. As this is predominantly a Nth Qld fishing/boating magazine a lot of southerners may not have seen it but it does go into some detail about "fisheries management jargon" such as "Dodgy Data", "Effort Creep", "Catch per Unit Effort and hyperstability", "serial Stock depletion" and "use of previously discarded species". (it may have been reproduced in other magazines but at this stage I am unaware of such circumstances.
This is one article that anyone interested in general fisheries management I recommended to be read in conjunction with the above letter as it explains much, if this has already been discussed please forgive my jet lagged brain.
Macks forever, I still have the article as I kept it for reference and to jog my memory but I didn't scan it due to copyright issues as you mentioned. It is possible that it may have been printed in other mags but this is the one I chose to read while on the those long hauls to Europe as I like to keep up with what is happening outside my own general area and often utilize some techniques that are different to what is generally used down south qld. Maybe Dave would like to summarise the salient points here or if he has copyright and agrees I would be more than happy to post only the points I mentioned.
Just for you dignity. Look what just fell into my lap. ;-)
But everyone should read this excellent article as Dignity stated.
It really shows the farce that is fisheries MISmanagement in Qld.
This should be printed out and pinned on every notice board in every tackle shop and every politicians office until they do something.
NQ Fish and Boat p32 Misinformed, misguided and downright unsustainable David Cook June 2013.pdf
Thanks Macks, my copy is a bit more raggedy so it has now been preserved very neatly for me. I have certainly passed on the details to my other friends to ensure they are kept up to date and aware of "statistics". I used to work with a bloke who could take any data you provided to him and turn it into statistical data that could either bevery favourable or unfavourable.