From: Fishing World (Australia)
By Scott Coghlan
THE Federal Government’s release of the draft South-West Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network on Thursday offered renewed hope to those of us who believe recreational fishing and marine conservation principles can successfully co-exist.
Environment Minister Tony Burke announced the Gillard Government’s plans for a system of marine parks (MPAs) in the south-west on Thursday, which included one of the the biggest MPAs in the world, running from west of Augusta to near Esperance and covering a staggering 322,380 square kilometres of ocean. Overall, the five new MPAs in Western Australia, which are broken up into three categories, cover 538,000 square kilometres of Commonwealth waters, which start 5km from the shore.
It further entrenches Australia’s position as comfortably the most proactive country in the world when it comes to marine parks, with 11 per cent of our waters already in MPAs even before this announcement was made (the global target is 10 per cent by 2020) and 38 per cent of the world’s existing marine parks already in our waters.
The new marine parks will be broken into three zones – Multiple Use, Special Purpose and Marine National Park Zone – the latter effectively a sanctuary zone where no resource extraction (including fishing or mining) is allowed, even though some recreational activities such as diving will be permitted.
Just under 250,000 square kilometres of the huge South West Corner MPA falls into the latter category, while there are also sanctuary zones in the Abrolhos and Eastern Recherche marine parks.
It was encouraging to see recreational fishing, with its undoubted huge social and economic value, would be allowed in all other areas within the new MPAs under the draft plan.
Readers of this column will be only too aware of the ongoing marine park debate, and one of the most frustrating aspects has been green groups unwilling to concede that recreational fishing was compatible with conservation objectives.
Acting Recfishwest chairman Kane Moyle said he believed the Federal Government has seen through the anti-fishing agendas of some green extremists and recognised that recreational fishing and conservation could coexist.
He hoped that local politicians were paying attention, with further announcements looming at a local level in both the South-West and North-West.
“The ‘Multiple Use’ zoning approach around iconic recreational fishing locations such as the Rottnest Trench, Abrolhos Islands, Jurien Bay and Geographe Bay indicates that the Federal Government has recognised the high social and economic value of recreational fishing in Western Australia,” he said.
“I hope this release sends a message to the state government that recreational fishing values can be accommodated with future marine park planning.”
In the wake of the announcement, respected marine biologist Dr Ben Diggles again questioned the need for such large-scale total fishing closures (sanctuary zones) inside marine parks, as he believes considers they are costly and actually do little in practical terms to protect marine biodiversity.
“Though it is far offshore, that really big green sanctuary zone is a 249,180 square kilometre total lockout, for no scientifically justifiable reason I can fathom,” he said with reference to the Marine National Park Zone of the South West Corner MPA.
“This is not a good precedent.”
One does have to wonder why some restricted recreational fishing, such as would occur in the Wilderness Conservation Areas proposed by Recfishwest, could not be allowed in large sanctuary zones.
Non-extractive fishing, such as catch and release trolling for transient pelagic species, would pose no threat to the marine environment in offshore sanctuary zones and “no take away” fishing would not harm local fish stocks in any way, but would generate significant socio-economic activity.
With the draft plan now released, there is an extended 90-day consultation period, ending on August 8, offering all members of the community the chance to offer their feedback.
Green groups were quick to claim the MPAs were insufficient and have actively encouraged their supporters to make submissions on the paper in a bid to sway the Gillard Government.
Having seemingly finally been heard by those in power, the onus is now on recreational anglers to do the same.
It is crucial that all concerned recreational fishers take the time to make a submission, to help ensure we don’t find ourselves faced with a much less palatable scenario when the final plan is announced, or even when future marine park announcements are made in this state, lest this prove to be little more than a sweetener for some further unwarranted restrictions on the pastime we love in years to come.
Scott Coghlan’s opinion piece appeared in WA’s Sunday Times.