Fishing Closures

[Dec]

What do you guys think http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=139973 or if link doesnt work

Rob Messenger MP

Tourism and small business from the Gold Coast to Mackay stands to lose millions of dollars and shed thousands of jobs if the Beattie-Bligh government pushes ahead with seasonal fishing closures, the State Opposition warned today.

LNP tourism and small business spokesman and Member for Burnett Rob Messenger said tourism and small businesses right up the coast would be hit hard by closures proposed under Labor’s ‘Rocky Reef Fin Fish Review’.

Last night Mr Messenger attended a public meeting in Bundaberg of representatives from the recreational, commercial and charter boat industry to hear the DPI&F’s plans to close fishing which the department says is needed to redress declining numbers of Rocky Reef Fin Fish including iconic species such as snapper.

But Mr Messenger said DPI& F staff admitted they hadn’t consulted with tourism operators or small business and had no idea what the closures would cost them.

"I’m very concerned of the impact of the closures that could run for up to four months each year between May and September," Mr Messenger said.

"I’m also concerned there are no plans to release economic data on the likely impact of the seasonal fishing closures and the possible bans on bottom fishing.

"If the government was fair dinkum about this, proper socio-economic studies would be carried out on the impact of the proposed closures on local communities."

Mr Messenger said DPI&F staff also admitted data used to claim snapper stocks were under pressure was partly gathered using phone surveys and took no account of marine life in the newly established No Fishing or Green Zones.

"The questionable survey method and dodgy data the government is using to brief communities is fundamentally flawed and I’m concerned the recommendations will be bad for the fishing industry as well as tourism, accommodation and retailing."

At least 50 Bundaberg fishers expressed no confidence or trust in the government’s review process with all saying that based on past government behaviour, they felt the information gathered would be used against them and the fishing industry.

Mr Messenger said the limited consultation period and October 20 deadline for public response was further evidence the process was a sham and the government was only interested in shoring-up green preference deals in the cities.

[noname]

i'm not 100 percent sure about this, charter boats will be able to continue fishing during these so called closed periods, well thats what i heard 14/10 by someone on some sort of commitee, and boy did it get heated, hahahaha, but i think still to far off to call, either way, not much we can do about it, for a start they should buy back licences from people who don't make a living from it, as for a lot of charter boat opperators, it's a great money earner, 2nd,sometimes 3rd business for some of these operators

[ellicat]

It's outrageous as usual. Knew things were bad when they banned outsider cameras from parliament. It's just over 20 years since Sir Joh....history repeats itself repeats itself