Rabid Greens Plan for more massive ‘no-fishing’ LOCK-OUTS

[Gad]

Taken from todays Fishing World email newsletter

12 Aug 2013

By Fisho staff writers

GREEN activists have signalled that they will push for a massive increase in no-fishing zones after the September 7 election, national angling groups reveal.

Link to map: http://www.fishingworld.com.au/files/dmfile/KAFMAP1.pdf

The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF), the peak body representing Australia's five million anglers, has released a map showing areas green lobby groups want closed to fishing.

The map, which details massive areas in south-west WA, key game fisheries off the NSW south and north coasts, large areas off the Kimberley and NT, as yet unspecified areas off Victoria and Tasmania, the Coral Sea and Fraser Island off the North Queensland and expansive closures off SA, was compiled using data sourced from green groups' websites and marine park submissions.

"The big fear we have is that the anti-fishing groups will be pushing hard to have these new areas locked up as soon as possible after the upcoming election," ARFF spokesman Allan Hansard said.

"We are concerned that if the ALP again has to rely on the Greens to hold power in parliament we will see pressure brought to bear on the Labor Party to lock anglers out of yet more areas.

"We are urgently calling on both the ALP and the Coalition to reject extremist anti-fishing agendas and to instead work with anglers to create sensible and scientifically valid marine protection policies."

The new areas highlighted by green groups as needing "total protection" are additional to the 1.3 million square kilometres of ocean the Rudd Government has already closed to recreational fishing under its marine reserve network. The proposed no-fishing zones do not include state-based marine parks. In many cases, the new areas highlighted for closure abut existing state marine parks, meaning no fishing zones could extend from the shore right out to the 200 mile limit.

"The recent decision by the Government to close places like the Perth Trench, Geographe Bay and the Coral Sea reefs shows that there is little doubt that the anti-fishing lobby has the resources, money and political backing to achieve pretty much whatever they want," ARFF's Allan Hansard told Fisho today.

"The map we've released shows a very sobering and confronting future for Australian anglers. The anti-fishing organisations want at least 30 per cent of our commonwealth waters closed, as well as increased marine parks in state and territory waters.

"We thought the 1.3 million square kilometres the Government has already kicked us out of was bad. This new info reveals catastrophic lock-outs are being planned and lobbied for," Hansard said.

The Australian newspaper today published a page 2 report on the ARFF map. See the report: http://www.fishingworld.com.au/files/dmfile/SMHmap2.pdf

National rec-fishing advocacy group Keep Australia Fishing, a member of ARFF, is conducting a campaign to lobby Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to stop the lock-outs.

See www.keepaustraliafishing.com.au for details.

Fisho understands the federal Coalition is aware of the ARFF map and has expressed grave concerns about the potential impacts on the economy due to further fishing restrictions.

See a press release from National Senator Ron Boswell: http://www.fishingworld.com.au/files/dmfile/27-GreedygreenENGOsseekmoreclosures2.pdf

Fisho also understands that ARFF contacted federal Environment Minister Mark Butler, who is responsible for marine parks policy, to discuss concerns about the proposed expansion of no fishing zones.

According to ARFF, Minister Butler refused to meet with rec fishing representatives.

[Gad]

Comment: Green dreams in a sea of red

12 Aug 2013

By Jim Harnwell

I WAS gob smacked a couple of days ago when I first saw the map showing just how much water the anti-fishing groups want to lock away.

Having reported on marine park issues for several years I was well aware of the push for 30 per cent of our territorial waters to be closed to all fishing. But nothing prepares you for just how much water this actually involves.

It's scary stuff.

The map released by the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation will doubtless be derided as "alarmist" and "inaccurate" by green groups and probably the Rudd Government. The Coalition, on the other hand, is already using it as part of their election campaign.

Link to map: http://www.fishingworld.com.au/files/dmfile/KAFMAP1.pdf

Ron Boswell, the veteran Queensland Nationals senator, today released a press statement warning that "greedy" green groups want to ban fishing.

"Environmental non-government organisations (ENGOs) are continuing their campaign for more fishing bans, including all of the Coral Sea plus an area off Fraser Island. They are also demanding big fishing bans in the Gulf of Carpentaria including down Cape York and areas around Weipa and Kurumba."

The senator, long a friend of the rec-fishing sector, said the Coalition would back recreational anglers "all the way".

I was involved, in a peripheral way, with checking some of the data used to create the map released yesterday by ARFF. This involved assessing websites and submissions made by green groups during the commonwealth marine reserves process.

Once you spend time looking at this material, you can quite easily build a picture of where closures are proposed. I'm personally confident this map presents a detailed, albeit indicative, overview of areas that will potentially be closed to all fishing.

The take-home message is that the environmental movement is currently focused on stopping you and I from going fishing. Thanks to Tony Burke, they've got the biggest marine reserves in the world. But that's not enough – they want more. Lots more.

Again, that's scary stuff.

The only way these potential closures will become reality is if the anti-fishing groups can access political leverage. The current marine park plans, which will lock us out of 1.3 million square kilometres of our own ocean, really only came about because the Greens put pressure on Julia Gillard after the last election.

I seriously doubt that the ALP would have locked us out had they enjoyed a majority government. Ditto the Coalition. Let's all hope the election on September 7 results in a clear mandate for one or other of the major parties. We can't endure another parliament with those damned Greens calling the shots!

Jim Harnwell is the editor and publisher of Fishing World and is also a director of Keep Australia Fishing, a national advocacy group representing the recreational fishing sector.

[benno573]

:evil:

Part of the greens party agenda is to ban all forms of fishing in australian waters. They probably just see this as the next step in the process... Sadly, there is enough people out there with a bit of coin who are happy to support them and their agenda.

bunch of tree hugging hippies if you ask me! Who wants to only eat imported seafood or worse still, no seafood at all??? :ohmy:

[Gad]

Green groups angry about lock-out map

23 Aug 2013

By Fisho staff writers

ANTI-ANGLING activists are claiming a map that reveals the potential for a massive increase in no fishing zones is “bogus†and “propagandaâ€.

National advocacy group Keep Australia Fishing (KAF) recently compiled a map showing areas around the nation that environment groups have highlighted as needing “further protectionâ€.

Link: http://www.fishingworld.com.au/files/dmfile/KAFMAP1.pdf

According to KAF, the map was compiled by collating information from environment group websites and marine park submissions.

However, it is understood green groups are labelling the map as “bogusâ€. A small group of pro-lockout activists have made comments on the KAF Facebook page claiming the map is “propaganda†and “scare mongeringâ€.

A spokesman for KAF today told Fisho that all members of the public are welcome to have their say about marine protection issues but strongly denied claims the map was inaccurate.

“A lot of time was spent researching relevant data and assessing the areas the various environment groups have earmarked for future closures and/or lock-ups,†the KAF spokesman said.

“Then we simply transposed all that data on a map and made the result available to the general public. We used information provided by the environment groups – it’s all their info, not ours.

“If there are areas we have highlighted that the environment groups are unhappy about, then we welcome input from them so the record can be set straight.

“We are happy for Pew, the AMCS, the ACF, the Save Our Coral Sea people and so on to look at our map and tell us exactly what they want to see locked up.

“The fact is we just used their collected info – all of which is publicly available. Thus it is hard to see how the map can be considered ‘bogus’ or inaccurate.â€

The KAF spokesman highlighted an AMCS submission for expanded marine protection in WA’s North West and the Top End as an example of how the map was created.

“The AMCS provided detailed maps in their submission to the federal Government showing areas in the north of the country. On the maps the AMCS listed 43 areas they nominate as being ‘critical gaps in the marine sanctuary network proposed by the Australian Government for the (North and North-West) planning region)’.

“We put that info, along with the same sort of info from various other groups in different parts of the country, on our map to create a national perspective on what the environment lobby is wanting regarding fishing bans.â€

The KAF spokesman also provided details on an ACF submission calling for a 700 per cent increase – from 4 per cent to at least 30 per cent - in marine protection off the NSW and southern Queensland coast.

“Again, this info is publicly available. The ACF submission was lodged in February 2012 and is freely available on the Environment Department website. We simply transposed what the ACF said it wanted onto our map.

“If the green groups have changed their minds about the areas we have collated, then we would ask that they advise us and we’ll amend the map.â€

Allan Hansard, the MD of the Australian Recreational Fishing Federation (ARFF), which worked with KAF on assessing and studying the map, said it was understandable that green groups were annoyed about the scale of the lock-up plans being released.

“Put together on a map, the size of the areas the environment groups want closed is pretty mind-blowing. My guess is that they didn’t realise the magnitude of what they are collectively proposing. It really does look very scary and extremist.

“Having this map released is probably something of a PR disaster for the green groups, considering how close the election is. But that’s not KAF or ARFF’s problem. If the people from Pew, the AMCS and so on want to sit down with us and go through in detail the areas they want earmarked for lock outs, then we are more than willing to oblige. Till then, however, we can only go on what they have already publicly released.â€

Fisho will provide updates if and when the environment groups contact ARFF and KAF for meetings on the proposed lock-out extensions.