Moreton Isl rec-fishing only zone. E Petition to Qld State Parliament

[Mike Delisser]

There's an E petition just been started to try to stop/reduce the beach netting on Moreton and possibly make many of Moreton's beaches a "recreational fishing only area". If you believe this is a good thing for Qld anglers and good for fishing tourism, you can find the petition on this link. It only takes a few seconds to fill out.

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/wor...ns/e-petitions

Cheers

[Still_Dreamin]

Signed. Thanks

[Bonus]

I was just talking to the secretary of Sunfish and said I would make sure the E-petition was on Ausfish and it is already on here. This makes it easier for people to sign. I have already signed the paper petition. cheers

[Mike Delisser]

Below is the email I received today. If you think making the beaches of Moreton Island a "rec-fishing only zone" would be good for Qld anglers, and a positive step towards building up fishing related tourism, could you forward it to as many people as possible please.
Maybe you could email it to fishing friends or put it on Facebook. Thanks.



Hi everyone

My apologies if you receive this more than once.

I am asking for your assistance please. I would like you to sign this e-petition and circulate the link through your networks and ask them to do the same, whether you live adjacent to Moreton Bay or not. Fishing Moreton Island is a recreational fishing tourist destination that many have traveled to over the years and many will continue to do so in the years to come we hope.

REASON

A group of commercial netters have been actively working the beaches of Moreton Island for several years. This effort over the last year has increased and been the worst. They have been reported to be using illegal nets in yellow zones and netting within the green zone at the southern end of the island in the middle of the night on high tides when the National Park rangers are unable to access them. The Courier Mail reported large amounts of fish that had been dumped over an extended period of time behind the beach at the northern end of the Island and this dumping has been confirmed by Government Officials.

Residents living on the Island and regular visitors are not willing to report incidences or supply information due to threats of physical violence to property and family.

RATIONALE

Marketers have advised that the fish is not all being sold through local markets, with much of it going interstate.

Businesses on the island and those that service the island are suffering from a severe downturn in business as a result of recreational fishing tourists that are choosing either to not come or to not return as local stocks are being depleted.

Government Agencies do not have the resources to effectively patrol Moreton Island and do not have the legislation to deal with localized stock depletions.

So please support this petition instigated by Redcliffe City Amateur Anglers to restore the status of Moreton Island to a recreational fishing tourist destination.

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/wor...ns/e-petitions

Kind Regards

Judy Lynne

Executive Officer

Sunfish Queensland Inc

[littlemac]

all signed

cheers

brett

[malby]

Good on you Mike. Now we need another one for the Cooloola Coast region to be done as the Teewah beach area is being hammered and things up there are just as shocking. Hopefully Lindsay Dines see's this and follows suit.

[liltuffy]

Been going there since 1985, love the place and have had many special memories about experiences there.

This is not about pro bashing but they've ruined a lot of fun for a lot of people - fishos and island businesses and I for one would like a rec fishing have introduced there.

Petition filled in

[lbger]

Signed, hopefully it gets some more momentum.

[Redspeckle]

Sign it & Mike thought would have put up on Facebook as well

Mitch

[Gazza]

no "likes this post" tick/click from Mark-MP as yet Bonus/mike .... apparently

spose it's , what's NEW ,no guts ,no glory.....no support offerred, no history probably recorded
....BUGGA!!

[Gon Fishun]

Signed. Keep fingers crossed.

[Gazza]

Mike , do you know of any "marine Biologists" inside Guv't that could support this....??
...."attack on Commercial Fishing"....??

[patrol50]

SIGNED and here's hoping its done at last - about 20 years late but better late than never !!!!

[Avier11]

Signed, thanks!

[bg1000]

Can someone please explain where all the extra fishing tourism money/revenue will come from if morton island is closed to net fishing.

Given that this money/revenue will need to come from ones disposable income, i wonder just how many people really have disposable income that they are not already spending somewhere into the states economy. If the closure simply tranfers ones disposable income from one recreational activity (for example Cricket) to going fishing at Morton Is, where is the economic gain. At the end of the day people only have so much to spend.

I mean how many people here on ausfish have extra money besides what they already spending on fishing that they will put into going to morton to go fishing.

I really wonder whether the people who push these kinds of closures really care about the value of tourism or whether its simply just a good case to push to the decision makers because they do not like commercial fishing.

I for one enjoy fresh local fish, But its seems like there are some recreational fishers who believe that the resource should not be shared with the entire community, including those who don't go fishing.