New name pushing for marine sanctuaries

[Gad]

Taken from Fishing Worlds`Email Newsletter 18-10-11

Conservation group pushes for marine sanctuaries in the north

18 Oct 2011

THE Australian Marine Conservation Society is pushing for the federal government to introduce marine sanctuaries across Australia's north and north west.

In a press release issued today the conservation group cites two reports - Wild Blue Yonder and Twelve Tropical Sea Treasures - as evidence for the need for more marine sanctuaries in areas such as Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef in WA and areas off the Northern Territory and the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The reports have been produced by Save Our Tropical Sealife, an alliance of local, national and international conservation groups.

"This vast and diverse region, from Shark Bay through to the Gulf of Carpentaria, is a haven to tropical sealife, threatened with extinction in other parts of the world ", said Jess Abrahams from the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

"This report clearly shows that marine sanctuaries are critical for protecting vulnerable marine life and their underwater habitat."

The sites identified by the AMCS in the northwest include:

Shark Bay; Wallaby Saddle; Ningaloo Reef and canyons, Dampier Archipelago, Wild offshore atolls e.g. Rowley Shoals; Kimberley; Browse Islands.

In the north identified sites include:

Fog Bay; The Arafura Canyons; Coburg Pinnacles; Central Gulf/Cape York; Limmen Bight; Arnhem Shelf Islands.

In response, the Amateur Fisherman's Association of the Northern Territory (AFANT) has issued a press release today to oppose the AMCS's push for further marine parks in the north.

"In a media release today AMCS has called for no-go no-take zones to be established in some of our most significant recreational fishing areas," said AFANT President Warren de With.

"These groups are now putting pressure on Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to step away from the recently released North Bioregional Plan which identified only one area off the NT to the north of Nhulunbuy which required protection at this level."

"No doubt they will be stepping up pressure on the NT Government as well to try and push their anti-fishing agenda into coastal, estuary and river areas under its jurisdiction."

"These groups have only one agenda and that's no-go no-take zones covering as much water as possible and they refuse to consider the social and economic benefits of recreational fishing or the fact that recreational fishing in the NT is well managed, sustainable and does not pose a threat to the sea life they say needs protection."

"If you want our great recreational fishing to continue you need to stand with AFANT and help us let politicians and other decision makers know that AMCS's no-go no-take zones aren't needed here."

AFANT urges those opposed to further sanctuary zones in the north to email research@afant.com.au with their views and they will be passed on to government.

What is Save Our Tropical Sealife and their spin…

www.SaveOurTropicalSealife.org.au.

Save Our Tropical Sealife is an alliance of conservation groups working to ensure the tropical sea life of Australia’s north and north west is fully protected in a world-class network of large marine sanctuaries from Kalbarri (WA) to the tip of Cape York (Qld).

The Commonwealth waters that lie offshore in the Ningaloo-Pilbara, Kimberley, Top End, and Gulf regions harbour iconic underwater treasures of global significance and provide a home to much-loved species including snubfin dolphins, dugong, whales and sea turtles. Yet less than 1% of these tropical seas are fully protected.

These regions support one of the last intact, large tropical marine ecosystems on the planet. A global analysis of human impacts on the marine environment rated Northern Australia as one of the only relatively pristine coastal areas left on Earth.

While Traditional Owners of this coast have an intimate knowledge of their sea country developed over countless generations, scientists are only now beginning to understand the staggering breadth of wildlife that lives here.

Until recently, the remoteness of these waters protected tropical sealife from threats felt elsewhere, but increasing pressure from fishing, and the massive expansion of the oil and gas industry are threatening the long-term future of these underwater icons.

Large marine sanctuaries

With increasing human pressure on the world’s tropical marine environments, Australia has a global responsibility to protect these tropical sea treasures.

Effectively protected, our Ningaloo-Pilbara, Kimberley, Top End and Gulf waters will be a global haven that helps safeguard the world’s endangered sea turtles, vulnerable dugong, rare dolphins, migratory whales, and fragile coral reefs.

Right now, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to safeguard our tropical sealife in an extensive network of large marine sanctuaries across Australia’s tropical north and north west.

[ellicat]

In significant terms the population of northern Australia has not altered in over 60,000 years.

The same goes for traffic on the water.

Read my sig line.

Don't bother reading or giving an iota of credence to reports prepared by someone with a neatly trimmed prison pussy, on their iPad at a coffee shop in St Kilda, who has probably never seen a wild native animal.

[crazywalrus]

Don't bother reading or giving an iota of credence to reports prepared by someone with a neatly trimmed prison pussy, on their iPad at a coffee shop in St Kilda, who has probably never seen a wild native animal.

haha where the hell did that statement come from Brian :woohoo: :evil: :whistle: "neatly trimmed prison pussy" LMAO

[ellicat]

Glad you like it, Ted. I had a chuckle when it popped into the brain too

The "report" referred to is not a report at all; it is the AMCS submission requesting (without scientific basis) the government to strangle joy from the majority again.

/>http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-19/20111019-marine-parks-wrangle/3579674

Top End marine parks proposal whips up storm

Rick Hind and Kristy O'Brien

Posted October 19, 2011 16:32:30

PhotoDugong swims in Moreton Bay Photo: There has been an angry reaction to a conservation group's call for more marine parks off the Territory coast. (stringer, file photo: Reuters)

Map: Darwin 0800 What the hell has a Moreton Bay dugong got to do with NT fishing ? :S :evil:

The Northern Territory Government says it will oppose a report calling for the establishment of nine marine sanctuaries in Commonwealth waters off the Top End.

Fisheries Minister Kon Vatskalis says the Australian Marine Conservation Society has misrepresented a wish-list on no-go areas as a scientific report.

The society has called for the no-go, no-take areas around the Territory coastline as part of a submission to the Federal Government on marine conservation zones.

Mr Vatskalis says the Territory has the most sustainable fishery in the nation and the society should have done more research before it called for fishing bans.

"I am very angry when they come out and portray as a report their submission to the minister," he said.

"(There is) no scientific basis behind it, nothing at all, it's a wish-list.

"Might as well, all of us, get out of the Territory and the last one turn out the light.

"That is not the idea.

"The idea is, yes we go fishing but we do manage our fishing sustainably."

Mr Vatskalis says he will only accept Canberra's proposed single conservation zone.

Australian Marine Conservation Society spokesman Jess Abraham says the extra sites the group wants made marine parks include Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, Fog Bay, Van Diemen Rise, the Pinnacles of Cobourg Peninsula, Limmen Bight and Groote Eylandt.

"I am not putting sizes or numbers or lines on maps," he said.

"What I wanted to do was identify some iconic areas that Tony Burke, the Environment Minister, has missed.

"He has got a submission process underway at the moment and he wants the public to give him feedback.

"Right now, his proposal is totally inadequate for protecting our marine environment."

[Gad]

Thanks for the update ellicat,I was slow getting back to the post

[Do$tylz]

far out... what a load of BS that these conservation groups put out.

What amazes me more is this sort of stuff doesn't get enough airplay to discredit these groups. People they target and win over want to just hug a dugong and save it from evil fisherman.

[ellicat]

Spot on Henry. Very frustrating.

[Gad]

Update

Taken from Fishing Worlds Email Newsletter 25-10-11

Recfishwest slams conservation group's marine parks push

21 Oct 2011

RECFISHWEST, the peak recreational fishing body in WA, has slammed a report the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is using to push for further fishing no-go zones.

"A common trick of these groups is to use emotive images of species under no threat to base sensational claims that the marine environment is in imminent danger if they are not heeded," said Recfishwest Executive Director, Frank Prokop.

"The public have been force fed rubbish masquerading as science by self-interested groups at every opportunity."

"Rather than bemoaning the state of our marine environment, we should be celebrating our many achievements. It is actually on the land, where green activists have been rampant for decades, that Australia's true shame lies." Prokop said.

"We are calling for a candle of truth to be lit to allow the community to see who the real supporters of responsible marine management are – and recreational fishers are the real unsung heroes."

Prokop cited a number of uncomfortable truths which the green radicals don't want the

public to know:

• There has not been a SINGLE extinction of a marine fish or invertebrate in Australia.

• Australia has more marine areas in sanctuary zones than ANYWHERE else in the

world.

• When the current marine planning process is finished, Australia will have more

sanctuaries than the rest of the world combined.

• Almost all of Australia's waters will have some form of additional management, much

of it ensuring sustainable fisheries through the appropriate management agencies.

• The auditor in Victoria determined that each sanctuary zone cost approximately $1

million to implement and had uncertain benefits. He questioned their use.

• The WA Department of Conservation's own audit on Jurien Bay Marine Park has

shown that despite 24 per cent being closed to line fishing there are no clear benefits after 10 years of lock-up.

• Most of the claims to lock up the ocean derive from a single paper by Boris Wurm

who has since retracted his postulations stating that his assumptions did not measure

up.

• Claims that the South-West bioregion has up to 80 per cent unique species are wrong and unable to be substantiated. The only written reports, included species such as Port

Jackson sharks which have a wide range in Australia and are found in New Zealand.

• Seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales and turtle numbers are increasing and already

protected species.

In places like the Swan River, dolphin numbers are impacted by

activities which are clearly outside the marine planning process.

• Whales are definitely not under threat in Australia as ALL Australian waters are

already the biggest whale sanctuary possible.

[Do$tylz]

This article should be on the front page of AFO... I know we don't like getting too serious with politcal BS but every voice counts to ensure that we can actually continue to contribute to this forum about actually fishing, rather than eventually reminiscing of this past time called "fishing".

[Gad]

Update

Taken from Fishing Worlds` Email Newsletter 31-10-11

NT fishos rally against lockouts

31 Oct 2011

FOLLOWING on from last week's release of a report by the Australian Marine Conservation Society calling for more marine sanctuaries in northern Australia resulted in a huge backlash in the Northern Territory.

Chris Makepeace, from the Amateur Fisherman's Association of the NT (AFANT), told the NT News that the green group's call for nine more no-go no-take zones off the Territory coast has resulted in more than 30 pages of comments from individual fishers and members of the community that will form part of an AFANT submission to Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke.

"It adds significant strength to our submission there should be no further areas closed to recreational fishing because these are real Territorians speaking from the heart and not some southern do-gooders pushing computer buttons to send form letters pre-written by extreme conservation groups," Makepeace said.

Territorians were angered at calls to close Fog Bay, an area on the other side of the Bathurst Trench, areas around the Wessel Islands and Gove Peninsula, waters around Groote Eylandt, the Limmen Bight and a number of other areas off the Territory coast.

Territory politicians from both sides of the fence joined together to reject the proposal and the media coverage has been considerable.

NT Fisheries Minister Kon Vatskalis has also said he was stunned at the Australian Marine Conservation Society's call to establish "no-go no-take" areas right around the NT coast.

"I will support our fishermen and categorically state the NT Government will never support these wide-scale proposed fishing bans in the Territory," he said.

NT opposition fisheries spokesperson, Kezia Purick has also publicly opposed the proposal.

To further push for support against the proposal the NT News and a local radio station have organised a protest. The orgnaisers are calling for concerned locals to show their support by launching their boats on the morning of this Saturday, November 5 and assembling around the Stokes Hill Wharf at 11am.

[Gad]

Update

Taken from todays Fishing Worlds Email Newsletter

Fishing and politics are – for better or for worse – inextricably linked these days and today we bring you news on a rally held in Darwin on the weekend.

Territorians rally against no go, no take zones

07 Nov 2011

By Fisho staff writers

NT anglers have signalled in no uncertain terms that they will not tolerate the imposition of no go, no take zones by extremist anti-fishing groups during an “I Float and I Vote†rally staged in Darwin on the weekend.

Chris Makepeace, the executive officer of Amateur Fishermen's Association NT told Fisho today that there was a “terrific turnout for the I FLOAT and I VOTE rally organised by local radio station Mix 104.9 and the NT News on Saturdayâ€.

According to NT media reports, more than 200 boats and about 1500 protesters attended the rally denouncing calls by the Australian Marine Conservation Society for vast areas of the Top End to be closed to fishing.

In what pundits consider a body blow to the push by anti-fishing groups for massive no-take zones, NT politicians from all sides united to oppose the proposed closures. NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson told the crowd that his Government would reject any moves to limit Territorians’ right to fish and said that the NT recreational fisheries were healthier now than 20 years ago.

Chief Minister Henderson’s statements were echoed by NT Opposition Leader Terry Mills, NT CLP Senator Nigel Scullion and NT MHR Natasha Griggs. The Chief Minister said he had spoken with federal Environment Minister Tony Burke and was certain of a positive outcome.

“I think we might just have managed to turn the tide on this issue both here and nationally. NT — the mouse that roared,†AFANT’s Chris Makepeace told Fisho.

Senior rec fishing players say that the AMCS’s ambit claim to close large areas of the Top End to fishing was a tactical blunder. “By signalling their plans, these guys have shown themselves to be pushing an extremist barrow.

This recent move just shows that these sort of groups are out to close fishing down, they are making wild and irrational claims which just don’t cut it with the public or with the politicians. It’s pretty clear that this latest claim has blown up in their faces,†one source told Fisho.

The NT rally follows reports on fishingworld.com.au indicating that the federal Government is keen to work with anglers to minimise the impact of its marine parks plans.

[ellicat]

Paul Henderson. Sounds better than Campbell Newman. Perhaps we should recruit him to Qld to fix up the Bligh/Greens mess. Also seems like Burke is doing the right thing too despite his feminine voice. Much better than the big bald fella.

This is good news. The lies and deception have gone on long enough.

[elops]

AMCS Brisbane phone number 33935811 :evil:

A fun bunch of guys and gals, always entertaining to come across them in the bay.