Dirty Smellograph Attacks Marine Parks.

[Arete]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20546950-5006009,00.html

My own lab is involved in a multi department research program called MEGMAR. The research, carried out for over 5 years shows that a series of small marine parks is a viable way of protecting even species with planktonic larval stages.

The campaign against the parks by the telegraph even questions the relevance of New Scientist as a viable scientific journal (good one Murdoch).

I know a lot of people fish and I know that a ban on your favourite spot might not be welcome but is it not common knowledge that our marine ecosystems are in a pretty desperate need of protection? Is it also not common knowledge that recreational angling does have a significant impact on local environments (anyone who actually looks under the water will have anecdotal evidence of the impact of line fishing on marine ecosystems)?

The fishing lobbyists are a powerful bunch but this is plain silly. Marine parks are wonderful recreational areas.

My letter to the telegraph, along with letters from the majority of the marine scientists involved in our group are sent. Hopefully sense prevails on this one.

[NCR600]

Another reason not to read that fish & chip wrapper (yeah, terrible pun, I know)

Having experienced the degradation of popular recreational fishing areas first hand, I don't see how any serious amateur fisho could be opposed to marine parks, or fishing licences for that matter, about which there was a huge uproar a few years back. I don't fish much anymore, simply because there are no fish to be had without going to extremes. (ok there are fish to be had, but you have to put a heap of effort in, and there are no guaranteed feeds anymore)

It's really just a case of people who have been able to fish in a convenient spot, not being able to fish there anymore. Classic "Not in my Backyard"-ism.

[bazza]

Another reason not to read that fish & chip wrapper (yeah, terrible pun, I know)

Having experienced the degradation of popular recreational fishing areas first hand, I don't see how any serious amateur fisho could be opposed to marine parks, or fishing licences for that matter, about which there was a huge uproar a few years back. I don't fish much anymore, simply because there are no fish to be had without going to extremes. (ok there are fish to be had, but you have to put a heap of effort in, and there are no guaranteed feeds anymore)

It's really just a case of people who have been able to fish in a convenient spot, not being able to fish there anymore. Classic "Not in my Backyard"-ism.



red


necks

pretty much. we had the same problem up here but now they are starting to realise that fish are getting larger and more plentiful now that these zones are starting to come into full effect. on another point.........

since when have nature based government agencies had enough money to do anything apart from barely cover their wages and fuel costs?

surely the daily telegraph should cover this instead and action that the department needs funding to help research the effects of bringing in protected areas to some of these off-shore reefs instead of just bagging the crap out of them. poor journalism as usual.


oh yer i am in a shitty mood tonight if people havent guessed ahhaha.

[sawtell]

to any one who is paying out marine parks, saying there not worth it.. maybe they could come to my area..

basically one side of the 'penisula' i live on is a marine reserve and the other side isnt...

one side is dead, and full of rubbish, smells, and full over oily water.

one side is full of fish, sea grasses, and well just a beutiful area.

give em time, and the fish from the marine sancturay will evenutally fill it up and spill out into the neighbouring areas.. helping re stock, our already low fish stocks..

or we could all just be impatient and over fish the current stocks to the point where they cant be reguivatned in a couple years..

[FR Drew]

And as you've shown, rather than going out and catching fish on hooks, it can be a far more rewarding pasttime to catch a few of your friends on hooks instead.:)

"Suspend fishing, Suspend fishermen..."

Ah, think of the bumperstickers you could write

(I'm sure there's a "swinging voter" gag in there somewhere but I just can't get it to work this morning...)

[Rik]

Catching an animal on a hook and putting it through immense suffering before its death is a great family pasttime, how dare you attack one the great pillars of Australian society!
Fucking hippies eroding away at what makes it great to be a middle age white Australian male :mad:

[murrum]

i live on the South Coast - in the area of the BBay Marine park. I think he concept of marine parks are a great idea, but the state gov, and marine park authority have themselves to blame, to a large extent, for the poor publicity and poor recption from the local community and local businesses about Marine parks.

Their consultation with the local community was woeful ...They should have known it would be a sensitive issue for an area that is so reliant on tourist trade - many of those tourists being rec fishers. - and could have done a much better job of consultation than the rushed job they did...the shame is that the poor consutation ,created plenty of room for the fear mongers and doomsayers to poo poo the whole idea, making the MPA's job even harder and creating divisions in the community.

[Arete]

well the telegraph actually published my letter today, albiet under a giant "Experts give fish no chance" headline...

[TonyG]

Good work Arete. I pretty much live to fish, but also consider myself fairly green too. I like the idea of Marine parks. I would support more, and so would most of my fishing mates. Anyone with an ounce of sense should be able to realise that as a renewable resource and the amount of abuse it cops these sort of parks are inevitable.
I am a sports fisherman, and very rarely keep anything. I would like to think I will have a decent resource available to me for some time.

Keep up the good work mate.