New Barrier Reef Closures.

[kc]

Hi Lordy,

Your dead right about ducking for cover if the feds make 30% of all waters in all states "green zones" but just you watch over the next few years after the shitfight dies down up here.

The problem is 100% of all waters below low water mark from Bundaberg north are federally controlled by GBRMPA with the state having no say. We were told at a meeting with GBRMPA last week that this was a "fisheries management" issue and usurping the role of the state government (by the head of the RAP team).

I don,t know if you have been keeping up to speed with the latest sceintific development but a well credentialed biologist is debunking the entire RAP reasoning. This is a political stunt and now the WWF is advertising on TV calling for 50% closures....all in the name of "protecting the reef"

Regards

KC

[Barrymundi]

The WWF are well prepared with Websites full of all the good info. You can even download a standard form with all the answers filled in and they give you the fax number for GBRMPA.

It would be nice to have those resources working for Recreational Anglers.

Maybe Arthur could set something up on his site and all the Ausfish members could download and fax in from work. one a day every day, maybe GBRPMA could give us 1800 number ?

Have a look at the Hinchinbrook changes they want. If you have not fished there you better get up quick, soon fishing at Hinchinbrook will only be a memory.

http://www.gbr.wwf.org.au/guidelines.pdf

Submission guidelines
Question 1:
This question asks what changes you would like to see to the zoning of specific sites in the Marine
Park.
Suggested response:
1) The whole of Princess Charlotte Bay off Cape York Peninsula should be zoned ‘green’, that
is, should be protected from commercial and recreational fishing. This is vital to protect the
Bay’s dugongs, turtles and inshore dolphins. (Map identifier MNP-14-43)
2) The Hinchinbrook Island region needs increased protection, to preserve its wilderness values.
It also has one of the two most important dugong habitats in the southern Great Barrier Reef.
The following areas should all be zoned ‘green’:
a) the entire eastern side of the Island (Map identifier MNP 18-74, 18-75, 18-76)
b) Missionary Bay (Map identifier CP 18-195)
c) Rockingham Bay
3) All Dugong Protection Areas should be zoned either ‘green’ or ‘yellow’, depending on their
proximity to towns and cities. (A ‘yellow’ zone allows fishing with one line and one hook).
Question 2:
This question asks what areas in the draft zoning plan do you specifically support.
Suggested response:
1) The creation of all the new ‘green’ zones should be supported. However, the percentage of
green zones should be increased to around 50% of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, to
conserve the Park’s wildlife, protect a priceless tourism asset and maximise fisheries benefits.
Question 3:
This last question is very important. GBRMPA seeks comments regarding uses and activities
allowed in different zones in the Marine Park.
Suggested response:
• A core ‘pink’ zone, i.e. a preservation or ‘no go’ area, should be established in every one of
the 70 bioregions in the Park.
• ‘Light blue zoning’ allows seafloor trawling. Trawling is not an appropriate use in a World
Heritage Area. GBRMPA should set a phase out date for trawling in the Marine Park, with an
appropriate social-economic package. Research into alternative prawn capture methods should
be a priority.
• Current spearfishing rules should not be relaxed.
• Intensive aquaculture (addition of feed) should not be permitted in any zones of the Marine
Park.

[NQ_Fisher]

Good Idea re fax Allan, I Have just received this from the good Doctor.

Arthur,

Some thoughts on GBRMPA’s statement that the purpose of expanded green zones is not fishery management but protection of biodiversity. This is pseudo-scientific nonsense. Throughout history over the entire planet there is no know instance of any marine fish or invertebrate becoming extinct through human induced causes. In fact there are only two possible extinctions from any cause of which I am aware. Neither was a commercial species subject to harvesting or habitat destruction and we don’t know if they are really extinct. What we do know is that they were once common and rather suddenly they disappeared. Whether we had anything to do with it is unknown.

As far as biodiversity goes even the most heavily fished reefs seem to maintain their biodiversity albeit in much diminished numbers of some species. In fact the highest reef biodiversity in the world is found in Indonesia and the southern Philippines. The reefs there are also some of the most heavily and destructively fished in the world and yet they still maintain a greater biodiversity than the Great Barrier Reef. The idea that reef biodiversity here is under threat in some manner that will be prevented by declaring green zones and prohibiting fishing is even more baseless and contrary to evidence than the claim of overfishing. If such was the case the already existing green zone reefs would show greater biodiversity than nearby open reefs. I say GBRMPA has no such evidence and in fact has clear evidence from surveys that such is not the case. If they wish to dispute this they should produce their evidence.

Best,

Dr Walter Starck

[lordy]

KC I'm with you. This entire thing is a snow job. The whole reef will probably be dead in 100 years from global warming anyway. Don't see them doing anything about that, we didn't even sign up to Kyoto when it came out. So much for considering the future of the reef....

[whiteman]

The Balgal Beach boys and girls will be replying along the lines of this article on our web site: http://www.bbbalc.com/index.cfm?Menu...ter&PageID=141.

Essentially, the damage to the reef and fish stocks from our region comes from the "west", not the "east". Number 1 on our list is suspended sediment caused by dredging Townsville Harbour which has effectively wiped out the beachfront coral in Cleveland Bay. The silt and mud used to be deposited on land until environmentalists fought to have it left in the sea. There are a number of papers written on this and other relevent subjects and a good source for these can be found at this site: http://www.clevelandbayconsortium.com/

[NQ_Fisher]

G'day Whiteman,
great article but perhaps one correction needed it is less than 17 fish should be 17kg.

'Extractive rates of 17 fish per square kilometer of Marine Park per year are hardly unsustainable.'

should read "total commercial and recreational catch only comes to some 6000 tonns/ year or an average of about 17 Kg/Km²."

Regards,
Arthur

[NQCairns]

Help! North Aussi Anglers need your Help, Australia and World wide!

Fight GBRMPA,

If you just want to help and have yet to do so or was not sure of which stand you should take if any, have a read I hope you will join the fight or forget the read and go straight to the near bottom of the post to find out an easy way how to help.
There are many more people with a far greater understanding than me about how we are being done over, this is just my family’s small contribution to help in the fight.

Most would have heard about the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) plan to exclude Australian and all other anglers from simply participating in their chosen pastime upon a huge swath of the Great Barrier Reef. It is commonly understood that this is one of the first stages of a complete banning of Anglers Australia wide by legislation, the trickle down effect will halt you in your lifetime, your children’s lifetime, or their children’s lifetime the simple act of fishing a Reef, Bay, Beach, Rock wall, River etc sustainably , not to mention the social consequences of the Federal Government taking away a basic social option/expression. Personally I am convinced that if I did not have the free choice of fishing to fill the thousands of hours of my youth I would have found some less socially acceptable activities to curtail my boredom.

I am just a little person who is trying to stop this injustice and has caught in his lifetime less than 5 fish within the waters that GBRMPA controls, I am also an Australian who is horrified by the ease that this unfair legislation can be forced upon the few with out ANY historical or scientific basis except for that they can and will do it, this has been admitted by GBRMPA themselves with the statement “precautionary principle” as the only basis for their Representative Areas Program which is entirely directed against the pastime of fishing in general.

GBRMPA have the figures to prove that Anglers have no impact upon the sustainability of the reef but refuse and neglect to publish or promote these studies to the wider public because it does not suit their political agenda. This federal department is pushing for more power and control without ANY corresponding benefit to Australians or Australian native reef ecology.

A few facts as I understand them:

Scientific experiments in areas of The Great Barrier Reef designed to exclude Anglers i.e. no take zones, have shown no corresponding increase in fish numbers or biodiversity compared to nearby free and open reefs. The existence and outcomes of these trials have been common knowledge within the wider angling community along the QLD coastline for many years.

Without some form of destruction/upheaval reef biodiversity actually drops due to the dominant forms of coral life out competing lesser forms (succession) but just as important forms of reef life.
In effect the old worn-out complaint about dropping anchors or any other disturbance is actually a biodiversity aid although less appealing to the uninformed human eye. I know that GBRMPA already know this.
GBRMPA have existing legislation aimed ensuring that the major percentage of reef tourists do not have to see broken pieces of coral from any reef user on their holiday and this is not in dispute.

The Coral Quay Marine reef region within the United States which holds an area of around 1% that of the Great Barrier Reef has an annual total sustainable catch equivalent to the current total catch from the Great Barrier Reef!!

A single Cyclone can cause such great natural short term devastation (not a bad thing) to the reef it impacts, so much destruction that any involvement by GBRMPA at any time is rendered as useless - period.
This is also holds true for the common localised storm events although the damage is lessened the frequency upon any proposed fishing lockout zone is greatly increased once again rendering any effort from GBRMPA of no sustainable ecological value.

The reef has a continual and effective protection from line fisherman in effect already because averaged within any year there may be only 1 in 5 days when small boats under 25 foot may reach the reef due to adverse weather (wind) and these days have to also align with a weekend typically for the majority of Anglers. Finances, work, family, community responsibilities and any other of the multitude of free choice reasons not to go fishing on any particular day are always constant.
In effect free access to the reef in my particular circumstances would approximate 15 days in any year as an angler and even then I would be restricted (happily) in my catch by the stringent bag limits and size limits already in force, I am very very far from alone in my lack of reef access. The new zones are only a further impost upon regular Australians by GBRMPA for no known or logical ecological advantage.

cont next post

[NQCairns]

Selected portions below from: Dr Walter Starcks Web published articles

Throughout history over the entire planet there is no know instance of any marine fish or invertebrate becoming extinct through human induced causes. In fact there are only two possible extinctions from any cause of which I am aware. Neither was a commercial species subject to harvesting or habitat destruction and we don’t know if they are really extinct. What we do know is that they were once common and rather suddenly they disappeared. Whether we had anything to do with it is unknown.

The current annual commercial catch of reef fishes from the GBR is about 4000 tons and the recreational catch is estimated to be about 2000 tons.

With some 346,000 Km² of reef and lagoon area on the GBR the total annual catch comes to about 58 Kg per Km². Elsewhere, over a wide range of Pacific reefs, the average annual catch averages some 7700 Kg per Km² .

Of the 2900 reefs in the GBR complex only a few dozen are regularly visited and even those have but a few boats on good days and one or two or none most of the time.

For two decades GBRMPA has funded extensive underwater surveys of coral trout and other commercial reef fishes. These reports show no significant statistical difference in fish populations between the supposedly heavily fished reefs and remote and rarely visited reefs or on protected reefs where fishing is prohibited.


The reality is, fishing pressure on the GBR is extremely low. So low in fact that there is no effective difference between protected areas and those open to fishing

Why has GBRMPA not published the well conduced, extensive and expensively acquired results of their coral trout surveys? Their nutrient studies at One Tree Island also did not show the expected detrimental results of nitrates and phosphates and this too has not been published.

Reef users, be they commercial or recreational fishermen, divers or tour operators, all have a vested interest in a healthy reef and most would be willing to accept restrictions if they are seen to be needed.


IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP –

I have a copy of the CONCERNED FISHING AND BOATING ACTION GROUP’s submission. This group is concerned with the local communities of Cairns, Innisfail, Mossman, Mareeba, Atherton and Port Douglas and has had great support from the general public, recreational and charter boat fisherman and businesses associated with these marine park users and also yourself as well hopefully regardless of where you live. The group is asking for as many people to adopt and submit this proposal in the hope that it will force GBRMPA and other bearcats to take anglers, fisherman and all other groups outlined above as serious stakeholders, that need a fair and equitable outcome when the new legislation is passed.


Any adult can forward a submission worldwide. Already submissions from Russia and Florida have been put to GBRMPA before this group had the opportunity.

I am offering my secretarial skills to anyone who would like to help, I will submit via email the CONCERNED FISHING AND BOATING ACTION GROUPs draft plan map by attachment and the already written Group submission on your behalf to GBRMPA via email. This will be the virtually same submission proposal that I will make personally.

Plan 1
If you email me at nqcairns@hotkey.net.au I will email you the completed map and the written Groups submission word for word for the area above and ask for your written permission also a few included personal particulars that GBRMPA needs to satisfy itself that you are an individual with a personal individual submission. With this I will email the same submission I sent to you to GBRMPA or feel free to change any of the wording to suit yourself or just leave as is (but a small change is better) and I will amend at my end before submitting.
Once GBRMPA have received your submission that has been emailed by me your busy little worker, you should receive a receipt number as confirmation to your Email address from GBRMPA direct. I will also CC the submission to you.
Sorry I don’t have any information on the fight against this department in all the other Communities along the QLD coast who are being treated just as poorly.
Concerned people only have until the 4 August to make a submission.

Plan 2
If you email me at nqcairns@hotkey.net.au I will email you the completed map and the written submission for the area above. With this you can email your submission. Feel free to change any of the wording to suit yourself or just leave as is (but a small change is better). Don’t forget to include your particulars including your email address so that it is accepted.
Once GBRMPA have received your submission, you should receive a receipt number as confirmation to your Email address.
Sorry I don’t have any information on the fight against this department in all the other Communities along the QLD coast who are being treated just as poorly.
Concerned people only have until the 4 August to make submission.

Plan3
The CONCERNED FISHING AND BOATING ACTION GROUPs plan is the proffered option for our region if you would like to submit your own directly with GBRMPA you can do so on their electronic form at http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/k...rep_areas/cp2/

No attachments can be included with this form

Plan 4
Email your own drafted submission without attachments to

rapsubmissions@gbrmpa.gov.au

Plan 5
Download the form and print, then fill it out and send to GBRMPA

Any questions that I may be able to help with just email or phone
Look forward to your Email

Yours Sincerely,

Scott Norris,

Cairns, QLD, Australia.
Mobile 0421938033, I will endeavour to answer as many calls as I can.

Email nqcairns@hotkey.net.au

[NQ_Fisher]

A must listen Event in realplayer format up on the net listen now at http://www.sunfishqueensland.org/fishing_show.htm
Part Three of The Fishing Show we have four Scientists from the CRC Reef Research Center and JCU led by Dr Bruce Mapstone, Associate Professor Dr Gary Russ, Dr David Williams, Professor Dr Terry Hughes, and Dr Walter Stark discuss with our callers the effects of line fishing on the GBR.

[NQCairns]

Hi again, I am listening as I write to the fishing show on the net and in the first hour, a contributer rang up and said that Bowen (township) has totally dismissed the RAP proposal and that no green zones will be allowed in their region, with the threat of personal suits against those in GBRMPA to follow if any are legislated. They used loss of recreation as a justification (amongst other things). Guess what it looks like no zones are to be included in that area, anyway it will be an interesting study to see how many inches of shaft they get compared to the other regions. Anyway I am going to change my submission to 100% release of all areas from any increase in green/yellow or any zone along the original line of thought I wrote about on page 4 of this discussion. I will keep emailing and submitting for those that ask as before - no problem.
I again feel sure that any compromise will be seen as justification for this move and shift their line further toward bright green than they would have dared if everyone said NO!!!. Anyone else feel the same?. What is the legislation regarding retracting a submission? and then re-submitting? Nq

[NQ_Fisher]

Scott, I have been concerned with GBRMPA that in their media statements they espouse they already have x number of submissions and infer that they are of support for the draft plan. At the end of the day it is their suggestion we give them maps as to where we want restrictions and by doing this you are playing their game and agreeing with the process. This is one reason I insisted with our group that we place a disclaimer on our submission and Maps as follows
....This submission complies with GPRMPA'S necessity to have 20% green zone in each bioregion. It in no way implies that I agree with the Representative Areas Program. I totally reject GBRMPA'S inference that Recreational Fishing is not sustainable and GBRMPA'S intention to shut Recreational Fishers out of 40% of the Marine Park. ...as for retracting a submission I would just send another.

I heard a wisper a protest convoy might happen next Saturday, I hope your not travelling north or south next weekend ... I will confirm where and when more info availiable.
Arthur

[Analfin]

Hello All , I know that it is 3 am , but in my part of the world {Texas} it is noon.
Read the closures on some areas of the GBR and thought ,,, You fella's get the same kinda blame that us saltwater fisherman get here in Texas !!
Guess it doesnt matter what part of the world you live in and fish in,cuz we still get slammed by the granola cruncher hippies as the ones who pilage and plunder the oceans !!
Over here in Texas they are trying to close some beaches to fishing {surf} becuase of nesting sea turtles ,,, for some reason they think it is the fault of the fisherman that turtle pops. have shrunk !!

[BurdekinBob]

Arthur,
There is to be a boat rally here in the Burdekin on Saturday.
Assemble at the Home Hill showgrounds at 9 am.
Depart for the Ayr Showgrounds at 10 am.
Disperse from the Ayr showgrounds at the end of it, probably after a couple of interviews with win tv.
Anyone wishing to join us are quite welcome.

Bob

[kc]

Hi Bob,

Good luck with the rally. We had one down here (Airlie Beach) during the first round of RAP and got about 130 boats/cars in all. We travelled from just outside Airlie down to Shute harbour and as well as attracting some venom from the tourist boat operators we got a lot of media coverage. It would be great if your efforts could be co-ordinated so that all areas went on the same day. maybe just before August 4th and shut down here, Cairns and Townsville ports for a few hours. Pick a date and lets see what can be arranged.

Regards

KC
Airlie Beach

[BurdekinBob]

G'day KC,
I think we will get a good response, the early indications are all good.
Listen to the fishing show on 4k1g tomorrow morning, there will be something on that.
Bob