Fox, Taylor join criticism of SA plan to relax marine sanctuary fishing laws
Two highly respected seafarers have joined a growing outcry against a state government plan to allow amateur and professional anglers to take more fish from SA’s marine sanctuaries.
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Ocean legends Rodney Fox and Valerie Taylor have joined the chorus of voices protesting the State Government’s plans to allow fishing within some marine sanctuaries.
Last week, Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Tim Whetstone announced a raft of proposed changes to professional and recreational fishing in SA, with the relaxing of fishing bans for both professional and recreational fishers within five marine sanctuary zones being mooted as part of the package.
However Fox and Taylor, both of whom have spent decades diving and filming in South Australian waters, said any watering down of marine park fishing rules in the state sent the wrong message.
Fox, 79, said he was particularly concerned with the decision to allow the return of fishing at the North Neptune Islands, south of Port Lincoln. Fox, and son Andrew, run Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions in the region, taking tourists, filmmakers and scientists to dive with great white sharks.
“If lobster fishing is allowed back at the North Neptunes, for example, there will be pots with bait in them spread around the area, and sharks could be caught in the lines,” he said.
“If they do change anything then they need to reciprocate with equal areas elsewhere, or even larger ones. It’s not just lobsters and abalone and prawns – all the fish in our ocean needs to be looked after.
“In my lifetime – which in the lifetime of the earth is not very long – but in the 60 years or so that I’ve been looking under the sea I’ve noticed a huge difference in the numbers of fishes and also the amount of plastic and rubbish that’s in there.”
Taylor, 85, has made dozens of underwater films around the globe, and says South Australia is uniquely placed in the world when it came to untouched ocean environments.
The conservationist, who staged a lone protest on the steps of Parliament House in Adelaide the last time there was a proposed change to marine sanctuary laws, said strong marine sanctuary laws were “vital”.
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“The marine environment in South Australia is one of the most important in the world,” Taylor said.
“About 83 per cent of your marine animals are endemic, they’re only found there. And some of them are very much more beautiful and interesting than anything found on the Great Barrier Reef.”
Wilderness Society of South Australia director Peter Owen said proposals to “remove some of the state’s most important marine sanctuaries” were “extremely concerning”.
“The proposal is at odds with expert scientific advice, the interests and expectations of the South Australian community and the Government’s own independent review,” Mr Owen said.
“The health of our marine environment is declining rapidly. If the Government is determined to remove some sanctuaries it must provide equivalent areas for sanctuary protection, otherwise we will have little chance of healthy coasts and marine life into the future”.
Labor’s environment spokesman Susan Close said her party would oppose any changes to the current marine sanctuary regulations.
“The result would be that the environment will be compromised.” Ms Close said.
“We know that, and that’s why every advanced nation puts marine parks in its waters.”
The five sanctuary zones where fishing rules will be removed or relaxed are at St Francis Island on the far west coast of the state, North Neptune Island, off Cape du Couedic on Kangaroo Island’s southwest tip, at Salt Creek on the Coorong Beach and off Port Clinton in upper Gulf St Vincent.