Marine Park update - 5 year moratorium bill becomes law in NSW

by Media Services on 9 Sep 2011 Shooters and Fishers Party MLC, Robert Brown, said today he was pleased his Bill putting a five year moratorium on new marine parks in NSW or the expansion of existing sanctuary zones, will now become law.

Brown said the Bill was passed by the Legislative council a couple of weeks ago, and was last night sponsored through the lower house by Northern Tablelands MP, Richard Torbay.

'I thank Mr Torbay for his enthusiastic support of the Bill in the Lower House, despite opposition from the Labor Party; the independent member for Lake Macquarie Greg Piper; Sydney independent MP Clover Moore; and Greens MP Jamie Parker', he said.

Brown said he was confident the new government will provide the necessary funding for a proper scientific analysis of marine parks and the efficacy of sanctuary zones.

'Properly implemented, trial fishing in sanctuary zones will cause no harm. Recreational fishers have been locked out of the best fishing spots at the behest of the Greens.

'The Greens no longer hold sway over the Government, and I hope that with the passage of our Bill, I expect the Shooters and Fishers Party will be able to clear the way for fishermen to return to the places the Greens took from them,' Brown said.

Another move welcomed by the commercial fishing industry is the independent review of NSW's current commercial fishing arrangements, commissioned by Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson. Heading up the review are independent fisheries experts Richard Stephens, Peter Neville and Ian Cartwright. They have until February 2012 to complete the project.

In South Australia this week, three industry groups - the SA Rock Lobster Advisory Council, SA Blue Crab Pot Fishers Association and SA Gulf St Vincent Prawn Industry - called for the benefits of marine parks in that state to be thoroughly examined.

At an inquiry into the size and location of SA's 19 marine parks on Thursday, various fishing groups stated that the region's economy are being impacted because of restrictions on fishing and commercial activities. They also questioned the cost and efficacy of marine parks.

In their submission they asked: 'Why should industry, regional South Australia and the SA economy in general suffer significant impacts if the marine parks network, through lack of management, will be ineffectual in providing any real community benefit?'

The SA Rock Lobster Advisory Council said it was not the purpose of the Marine Parks Act 2007 to manage recreational or commercial fisheries.

'Fisheries management arrangements in SA have been recognised internationally as among the best in the world for achieving sustainability of fish resources,' it said.