Fishermen to hold a meeting on the northern beaches protest marine park plans

FISHERMEN are set to hold a meeting on the northern beaches in protest over NSW Government plans to create a super-sized marine park. It comes as a new poll suggested an overwhelming amount of people support the park plans.

Cabbage Tree Bay is an existing marine park. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

• Plans to expand protected Sydney marine parks
• 24-hour bus lane to launch on the beaches

RECREATIONAL anglers, boating enthusiasts and people who make a living out of the fishing industry are meeting n Thursday to plan protests against NSW Government moves to create a marine park.

Anglers are meeting to protest a super-sized marine park. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

They fear they will be “locked out” of some of their favourite fishing spots on the northern beaches if plans to restrict angling at a number of sites goes ahead.

As part of the proposed Hawkesbury Shelf Marine Bioregion, covering 25 sites between Newcastle and Wollongong, existing sanctuary and conservation zones such as Cabbage Tree Bay at Manly could be extended to preserve aquatic species and fisheries.

The aquatic reserve at Long Reef would be expanded to include nearby reefs and the reserve at Barrenjoey Head could get bigger.

One of the creatures that lives in Cabbage Tree Bay. Picture: Ian Donato

If the plan was fully implemented, it would increase protected areas on the northern beaches fivefold, up from 18ha to 103ha.

But a community meeting organised by a popular fishing tackle business at Mona Vale, Fishing Station, will be told that closing off some sections of the northern beaches to fishing could have a significant social and economic affect on the area.

Fishing Station owner Alex Qasabian said the bottom lines of businesses that supported recreational fishing could be hit hard.

A Port Jackson shark back in Cabbage Tree Bay. Picture: Ian Donato

“This marine park plan will impact on a lot of people in a lot of ways,” he said.

“There are already other management measures in place to protect fisheries like bag and size limits.”

The meeting comes as a new poll, conducted for the NSW Nature Conservation Council, suggested that 89 per cent of voters in the Manly electorate supported the marine park.

“Contrary to the claims of some lobbyists, the vast majority of people support the government’s proposed marine park for the Sydney region,” spokeswoman Sharnie Connell said.

The meeting is on Thursday, from 6.30pm, at Fishing Station, 50 Darley St, Mona Vale. Email [e-mail] to book.