Burke's “Breaking News�Plan For Huge Marine Parks

[Gad]

Taken from todays “Breaking News†Fishing Worlds Email Newsletter

Burke's Plan For Huge Marine Parks

11 Nov 2011

Here is the unedited press release from federal Environment Minister Tony Burke relating to his plans for massive marine parks off the temperate east coast, including new parks off Port Stephens, Jervis Bay, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. The area concerned covers overs 1.47 million square kilometres of ocean from the southern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to Bermagui in southern NSW.

Minister Burke's press release below

The Gillard Government today released the draft marine bioregional plan and proposed marine reserves network for Australia's Temperate East Marine Region.

Environment Minister Tony Burke outlined details of the draft bioregional plan and proposed marine reserves network for the Temperate East region that will be open for a three-month community consultation period.

The Temperate East Marine Region covers approximately 1.47 million square kilometres of temperate and subtropical ocean.

It is made up of Commonwealth marine waters starting from the southern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to Bermagui in southern New South Wales, and also includes the waters surrounding Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands.

Mr Burke said there was a unique opportunity for the government and community to work together to take steps now to protect the region’s marine environment for future generations.

"For generations Australians have understood the need to preserve precious areas on land as national parks. Our oceans contain fragile marine life which deserve protection too," Mr Burke said.

“The Temperate East Marine Region has many unique features and is home to a large number of protected species and species that occur nowhere else in the world.

“It is home to the east coast population of the critically-endangered grey nurse shark and includes the southernmost extent of many reef building coral species.

“Several significant seamount ridges run parallel to the coast in this region, including the extensive Tasmantid Seamount Chain. The Taupo Seamount rises roughly 4700 metres from the ocean floor—twice as tall as Mount Kosciuszko.

“Scientists have recently discovered that these features support hundreds of species, including some previously unknown to science.

"We know that Australians need our oceans to be healthy if they are going to keep providing us with fish to eat, a place to fish, sustainable tourism opportunities and a place for families to enjoy.

"The Gillard Government is working with communities to establish a marine reserves network to support a sustainable future for our marine environment and ensure our oceans stay healthy and productive.

"Through our initial consultation in the development of these draft plans, where possible, we have avoided having an impact on local jobs or people who love to fish."

The marine reserves network being developed will have no impact in state waters. The proposed networks of marine reserves are in Commonwealth waters which start 5.5 kilometres off the coast.

Mr Burke said the Government had worked with environment groups, the fishing industry, recreational fishing groups and other marine users in the development of a draft bioregional plan and proposed marine reserves network for the temperate east.

"Now there will be a further opportunity for communities to have their say in this important process and I encourage people to get involved," Mr Burke said.

"We extended the 60-day consultation period to 90 days to ensure people have every opportunity to provide feedback. The feedback and input the Government receives will assist in finalising the proposal for a new marine reserve network and bioregional plan for the Temperate East Marine Region."

There are nine proposed marine reserves in the Temperate East Marine Region and these are broken down into six types of zones to secure conservation benefits and where possible minimise impact on industries and people who like to fish.

The marine reserves network also incorporates the existing Commonwealth marine reserves in the region.

During the three-month public consultation period, officers from the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities will be visiting coastal centres in the Temperate East Marine Region. They will hold information sessions and meet with representatives of various industries and stakeholder groups.

Public information sessions will be held in Bermagui, Ulladulla, Jervis Bay, Port Stephens, Forster, Coffs Harbour, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. The consultation period will close on 21 February 2012.

The Government’s proposals for the Coral Sea will be released soon.

For more information on the draft marine bioregional plans and the proposed Commonwealth marine reserves in the Temperate East Marine Region, including details of public information sessions scheduled across the region, go to http://www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/temperate-east/index.html

[Gad]

The below is a post that is on Fishing Worlds website in regards to the Marine Park proposal.

Don't bother with what Burke or SEWPAC are saying - log onto the Pew website to find out what the real plan looks like.

Does anyone have Pews` website address. Cheers

[ellicat]

Bugger off, Gad.

You've just spoilt my weekend !

[Cheyne_jones]

Looks like Bob Brown is hard at work calling in his favors for getting this useless party over the line last election. I expect this crap to come hard and fast over the next 18 months as they begin to realize they will not have a chance to influence policy for another decade following this debarcle.

How can we be locking up water to fishing but they refuse to stop whaling in out waters? Makes me sick!

Well I for one will be making a submission as a recreational fisher person, if they get this one they will be coming to a river near you soon, I have no doubt

[Gad]

Bugger off, Gad.

You've just spoilt my weekend !

peed me off too.. :S when I saw that I had an Email from Fishing World on a Friday, I thought ..U beauty I`ve won the competition

[Gad]

Two follow up comments from Fishing Worlds Editor

Jim Harnwell on 11-Nov-11 08:16 PM

It's important to note here that Mr Burke's office claims that he "worked" with recreational anglers on the development of these plans for the East Coast marine park.

Fishing World, along with various other groups and individual associated with rec fishing organisations, met with Mr Burke and his key marine park adviser only a few weeks ago. No mention of the detail of this planned mega marine parks was made during that meeting.

To Fisho's knowledge, no recreational fishing organisations were consulted before this announcement was made today. How then can Mr Burke claim that he "worked" with rec fishing groups if no-one knew his plans for this area?

Jim Harnwell Editor Fishing World

Jim Harnwell on 11-Nov-11 08:35 PM

It's interesting to note that Mr Burke has only listed commercial fishing activities as taking place off Jervis Bay. It may have escaped his notice that game fishing for marlin and tuna is extremely popular in this area.

The shelf region off JB is only 8-10 miles offshore - the closest in of any area in NSW - making it a hugely popular area for trailerboat anglers, especially in key holiday periods.

It's also interesting to note that Mr Burke has commissioned a socio-economic study of commercial fishing fishing - but has not bothered to assess the economic worth of recreational fishing to regional NSW.

Maybe he doesn't care about rec anglers and all the dollars they contribute to coastal communities?

It's extremely disappointing to note that Mr Burke only lists commercial fishing activities as taking place off Jervis Bay - he doesn't seem to even realise that this area is one of the most important game fishing locations on the entire East Coast ...

What hope have we anglers got if the federal Environment Minister doesn't even know what we do?

Jim Harnwell Fishing World

[Gad]

Taken from todays Fishing World Email Newsletter

Who did Burke "consult" with on mega park?

14 Nov 2011

AS Fisho reported late last week, federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has revealed plans for the introduction of a massive marine park off Australia's east coast. The affected area, known as the Temperate East Marine Region, extends from the edge of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to Bermagui on the NSW South Coast.

The press release states that "Mr Burke said the Government had worked with environment groups, the fishing industry, recreational fishing groups and other marine users in the development of a draft bioregional plan and proposed marine reserves network for the temperate east".

The announcement of the Government's plans for the Temperate East Marine Region come largely as a surprise to many in the rec fishing sector. Rec fishing leaders contacted by Fisho today had no idea the Government’s plans were so far advanced.

Fisho today contacted the Minister's office for clarification of the recreational fishing groups consulted during the process. We received the following response from Mr Burke:

"Throughout the whole marine bioregional planning process I have been speaking with interested groups including recreational and commercial fisher organisations.

"The Department of Sustainability also consulted with a number of stakeholder groups in the development of the draft maps that are now open for public comment.â€

Following this statement, Fisho again contacted Mr Burke’s office to clarify if rec fishing groups were among these “stakeholder†groups.

If so, we also asked to be informed of exactly which group or groups were consulted and what their level of input to the draft maps was. We’ll let you know the Minister’s response when we get it.

Below is a list of recreational fishing industry groups/related bodies - provided by Minister Burke's office – which the Minister’s spokeswoman said have been "part of the consultation on the Temperate East Marine Region over a long period, beginning with the release of the Areas for Further Assessment in March 2010".

Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) NSW; Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing (ACoRF) NSW; Sunfish Queensland; Marine Queensland; Game Fishing Association of Australia (GFAA); Lord Howe Island recreational fishers; Norfolk Island Fishing Association; Recfish Australia; NSW Game Fishing Association (NSW GFA); Ecofishers NSW; Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA); Australian National Sportsfishing Association (ANSA); Queensland Charter Vessels Association (QCVA); Queensland and NSW recreational fishing and game fishing clubs (numerous clubs); Underwater Skindivers and Fishermen's Association (USFA); Boating Industries Alliance Australia (BIAA); Australian Underwater Federation.

If any individuals or spokesmen associated with these groups would like to detail the level of “consultation†the Government has had with them, especially in regard to the detail and development of the planned park, including the formation of maps, then please feel free to outline your comments and statements about that consultation process below.

Update on the above

Jim Harnwell on 14-Nov-11 05:14 PM

Further to the main article above, Minister Burke's office has just advised that it met with the following four rec fishing representatives during the confidential consultation process for this new east coast mega park. The representatives were: Grahame Williams from Game Fishing Association of Australia (GFAA) Malcolm Poole from Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) NSW Ann Gerard and Bruce Schumacher from Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing (ACoRF) NSW All the above are welcome to make comments here on the Fisho site relating to this consultation process, how it progressed and their role in it, if they so desire. Regardless of what input the above representatives had, now is the time for YOU to have YOUR say on this huge marine park so make sure you have it! No one to blame but yourself if you don't ... cheers JIM

[Cheyne_jones]

Mmmm interesting, I don't see how any representative body would be backing this plan in full, if at all!

I also can't believe for such an important topic there is this little discussion on here, surely others have opinions/insight into this?

I am heading to a workshop for the future leaders of rec fishing on Wednesday, hopefully I can find out some more info from other stake holders. I'm sure it will be an emotive topic.