Fishing groups outraged at new marine parks
Rhianna King
June 14, 2012; www.watoday.com.au
One third of Australian waters will be under protection by marine parks.
One third of Australian waters will be under protection by marine parks.
The fishing industry has warned a new world-first network of marine reserves
will increase Australia's reliance on seafood imports by restricting large
areas of the WA coastline from commercial fishers.
The new reserves, which will cover 3.1 million square kilometres, will limit
fishing and some oil and gas exploration in 60 areas across the country.
The changes will limit fishing in than 20 areas in WA stretching from the
Kimberley to the south coast, including the Margaret River coastline.
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42054382> View the map of the marine park here.
The new parks include the south west marine region - extending from the east
of Kangaroo Island in South Australia to WA's Shark Bay - and the north west
marine region stretching from Kalbarri to the Northern Territory border.
State Fisheries Minister Norman Moore described the plan as a "dog's
breakfast" that would hurt the WA economy.
He said it would push the state's demand for fresh fish to imports from
questionably managed overseas fisheries.
He also said it failed to recognise the arrangements already in place to
manage WA's fishing, petroleum and marine resources.
Environment Minister Tony Burke said the plan would take the success of
Australia's national parks on land and apply them to the sea.
''Our oceans have been such a missing piece of that jigsaw and this now
allows us to fill that in,'' he said.
''For generations, Australians have understood the need to preserve precious
areas on land as national parks. Our oceans contain unique marine life which
needs protection too.''
Conservation Council of WA marine coordinator Tim Nicol said the decision
recognised that WA's marine life was under "unprecedented threat."
"The tide has turned, the debate is over, and marine protection is now a
mainstream issue like National Parks on land," he said.
The reserves will cover 40 per cent of Australia's waters, which are home to
45 of the world's 78 whale and dolphin species, six of the seven known
species of marine turtle, and 4,000 fish species.
'We will have to import pour seafood'
WA Fishing Industry Council chairman Brad Adams said it was a black day for
the fishing industry.
"We're talking about an area the size of Queensland, NSW and Victoria being
locked away from our fisherman. What about our future food security?" he
told 6PR.
"Already we import over 70 per of our seafood requirements, to lock away our
nation's future food security in my opinion is an act of vandalism."
Plan a 'dogs breakfast'
Meanwhile WA's resources minister Norman Moore labelled the marine park
sanctuaries a "dogs breakfast".
The plan would affect WA significantly, he said, with marine parks in the
south-west coast and a 'no oil' zone off the tourist and winery hub of
Margaret River.
The proposal would severely curtail the state's oil and gas industry, and
impinge on current and future petroleum exploration and production.
It could also hamper the security of domestic energy supplies and liquefied
natural gas exports.
"In addition, it will affect the $62.8 billion iron ore export industry due
to restrictions on port and shipping access in the Kimberley and Pilbara
regions," Mr Moore said.
Mr Burke has scaled back the previous draft plan on protecting waters south
of Western Australia, though he maintains this will make little difference
in that region. Underwater canyons off Perth used by pygmy blue whales would
be fully protected, he said.
He said the Commonwealth should address compensation for commercial fishers
because its displacement package of $100 million was "woefully inadequate".
The final plan was overly complex, presenting difficulties for recreational
fishers in identifying the restricted areas, and it was unclear how the
proposal affected rights already granted for oil and gas exploration within
the new protected areas and surrounds.
There was also no provision for the cost of policing the new marine parks,
Mr Moore said.
Marine parks 'not wide enough'
Australian Greens senator Rachel Siewert said a government "cave-in to the
oil and gas industry leaves critically important areas off the Ningaloo,
Pilbara and Kimberley vulnerable".
"I am disappointed that despite the significant scientific evidence
demonstrating the conservation values of these areas, the short-term gains
of the resources boom have won out over long-term planning," Senator Siewert
said.
Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Don Henry says the plan
would make Australia a global leader in ocean protection.
But he warned the north-west region had been left vulnerable to the threats
of oil and gas exploration.
Commercial fishing businesses are set to receive millions of dollars in
compensation when the network is created.
Mr Burke said the government would work case by case with different
companies involved.
"What we have effectively done is create a national park system for the
ocean," Mr Burke told ABC Radio, adding the "jewel in the crown" was the
Coral Sea.
- with David Wroe and AAP
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Gus Rassam, PhD, Executive Director, AFS
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