Moreton Bay Marine Park User Guide

[BaitThrower]

Whether you agree or disagree with the zones, it is not hard to avoid them, GPS or no GPS... If you don't have a GPS, just look at the map with the green zones, and stay well away from them. It is not hard to build yourself a buffer of distance by eye and looking at landmarks.

[Bowser]

Whether you agree or disagree with the zones, it is not hard to avoid them, GPS or no GPS... If you don't have a GPS, just look at the map with the green zones, and stay well away from them. It is not hard to build yourself a buffer of distance by eye and looking at landmarks.

So we take this attitude and the "real" green zones extend to what, 20% of the bay? We know that most of the bay is desert as far as reliable fishing is concerned and always has been. This has nothing to do with overfishing but structure and we get left with how much actual fish catching water, 10, 15 30% of the bay? Watch the EPA people rub their hands in glee when the sting some poor beggar trying to catch a couple of fish who has accidently strayed into a zone with dubious boundaries! Don't forget that these are not fines that fall within the normal understanding of the law, innocent until proven guilty, these are guilty until you can prove yourself innocent laws and being able to prove that will be bloody hard. We have gobledy gook legislation, no accurate charts supplied by the governing authority, various datums that the normal bloke has no idea off working out and a zealous department whose aim is to wipe out any access to a magnificent bay for anyone they deem unworthy.

If this Government of morally bankrupt and inept managers, chooses to intruduce the zones they also have a responsability to mark them so that people know where they are. Most are in relatively shallow water and placement of marker poles on the banks or bouys in the open water would not be difficult, only time and money consuming, money they could easily draw from the supposed non political advertising that blares in our faces from the TV and clutters our letterboxes. You would scream blue murder if a copper jumped out from behind a tree and stuck you with a $400 ticket for doing 100kms on an open road in an unmarked 60k zone that you knew was somewhere around but didn't have any accurate indications of being there! There is a resposability on th eGovernment and the EPA to both educate and provide clear and distinct zoning limits. National parks on land are bordered by fences, a few beacons can't be impossible on the water, can they?

[harry_h01]

Additionally, there are no lines draw on the sea floor, nor are there lines floating on the water. Mr and Mrs Joe Average, without a GPS, will have no real idea where these boundries are.

Also, if you look at the maps now with the green and yellow zones, imagine when the next review comes through. All those yellow zones will become Green Zones and then there will be another band of yellow zones created. After two or three reviews, Moreton Bay will be 100% Green.

Then the EPA can reduce costs cause they don't have to worry about patrols, or staff, cause no one will be fishing, and all the shops selling fishing gear will be out of business.

That is why we have to raise our voices and let the current Government know we are not happy, and also let others know how it will affect them.

Harry