Fishers assured there will be no fishing ban under marine park plans
THE NSW Government has today committed that there will be no loss of fishing rights or access under the proposed marine park sites put forward by the NSW Marine Estate Management Authority (MEMA).
Manly
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CONTROVERSIAL plans to lock fishers out of extra parts of the NSW coastline have been scrapped by the State Government following heavy public backlash.
While the State Government is progressing with its marine park expansion plans, Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair moved to rule out any fishing ban in those areas.
On Monday he committed that there will be no loss of fishing rights or access under the proposed marine park sites put forward by the NSW Marine Estate Management Authority (MEMA).
But conservation groups have condemned the decision as one whihc would strip environmental protections from its proposed Sydney Marine Park before the public consultation period has closed.
“This decision undermines public confidence in the government’s consultation process, which still has 10 days to run,” Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said.
“By caving into a noisy minority of voices and pre-empting the results of the public consultation, the government has denied thousands of people a say in the protection of our precious marine life.
“It is a slap in the face for the vast majority of people who say they want increased protections for our ocean waters and marine life.
“This is a betrayal of public trust that may cost the Berejiklian government dearly at the next election as people on the coast oppose scrapping the sanctuary areas.
“Polling last month showed that if the government backflipped on Sydney Marine Park many people in key coastal electorates would vote against the Coalition.”
Australian Marine Conservation Society spokesperson Adele Pedder said: “It’s great that the importance of marine parks has been recognised, but the science shows stripping sanctuary protections may render the park potentially ineffective.
“The people of Sydney will continue to stand up for their blue backyard until we have sanctuaries for our marine life.”
The poll found public support for a marine park was very high in key coastal electorates: 83 per cent in Manly, 76 per cent in Coogee, and about 75 per cent in the Central Coast seats of Gosford and Terrigal.
The poll also found people in those electorates would be more likely to vote for candidates and parties who supported increasing marine protections and punish the government if it backflipped on its marine park proposal.
However, recreational anglers, boating enthusiasts and people who make a living out of the fishing industry met earlier this month to protests against moves to create a marine park.
They feared they would 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.
If the plan was fully implemented, it would increase protected areas on the northern beaches fivefold, up from 18ha to 103ha.
More than 32,000 people tuned in to watch a live video feed of a meeting at Mona Vale opposed to a proposed marine park on the northern beaches.
On Monday, Mr Blair said he has received extensive feedback from both local communities and anglers and is confident that fishing is not the key threat to the sustainability of our marine environment.
“The feedback we have received has been robust but vital to being able to make this decision today. While consultation will continue, I felt it was paramount to allay the uncertainty and fear the fishing industry is currently experiencing,” Mr Blair said.
“I am a keen fisherman myself and understand both the economic and social values the industry brings to our State.
“MEMA put forward this proposal because they had identified 25 areas that require better management to ensure their sustainability.
“What is now clear is that their proposed management methods and in some cases the sizes of the sites, offered up a narrow option that unfairly impacted on low risk activities, such as fishing and spearfishing.
“As a result the NSW Government has taken lockouts off the table. We are confident there are many other ways to manage these sensitive areas, that have fishers as part of the solution and we will continue to explore these options for the rest of the consultation period.
“Today’s decision does not change the fact we are still working towards a marine park that protects key marine habitats, species and the environment we all know and love.
“In order to manage them and protect them for future generations we need an approach that is accepted and sustainable for the people of NSW. I encourage everyone to continue to have their say as we work to deliver a final marine park solution in the coming weeks.
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“In 2011, we made an election commitment to deliver a marine park strategy that was based on risk assessments and consultation rather than empty ideology and slogans that we saw under Labor.
“We remain committed to that promise and will continue to do the hard work to make sure we get an outcome that is sustainable now and well into the future.”
Consultation on the proposal closes on the September 27.