Fishos Warned Off Ex HMAS Brisbane

[Derek_Bullock]

Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women, Desley Boyle

06/02/06

Something fishy about "the Brisbane"

Six months after the ex-HMAS BRISBANE was scuttled, the artificial reef around the wreck is blooming and dive business is booming, Environment Minister Desley Boyle said today.

Ms Boyle said the ship and artificial reef was exceeding expectations as a tourism drawcard for the Sunshine Coast as its reputation as an excellent dive continued to grow.

The ship was scuttled by Premier Peter Beattie on 31 July 2005.

"All three commercial dive operators working on the BRISBANE have enjoyed great business since the ship was scuttled," Ms Boyle said.

"The ship is averaging 800 dives a month, and tourism operators are fielding bookings from international and interstate divers intending to holiday on the coast."

Ms Boyle said the most exciting aspect was the prolific growth and colonisation of the artificial reef - making the ship an underwater paradise.

"Growth of the reef has happened a lot faster than even we expected," she said.

"The ship's exterior is almost completely covered in brightly-coloured young corals, so much so that the ship's famous number '41' can hardly be made out on the bow," she said.

"The ship's structure, the depth of water, the amount of light, water temperature and the mixing of ocean currents are combining perfectly, as planned, to create a magnificent reef."

Ms Boyle said people were seeing new marine species moving in, almost on a weekly basis.

"A pod of dolphins are regular visitors to the wreck," she said.

"Huge schools of baitfish have made the wreck their home. Large schools of long toms and whiting have been hanging around the wreck, as well as deep water fish such as kingfish.

"Crabs and crayfish, squid, sea slugs, cuttlefish and seasnakes are regularly seen there and a university researcher has reported a possible new species of sea slug that has moved in."

Ms Boyle said that in most cases, assets depreciated over time, but not the BRISBANE.

"Its value as an artificial reef, a marine habitat and breeding ground for local fish stocks, plus as a diving destination will grow over time," she said.

"The feedback from divers is absolutely fantastic - they are full of praise for the BRISBANE."

Ms Boyle said it was vital that everyone who enjoyed the BRISBANE worked to protect the growing ecosystem and divers who explored it.

"There have been reports of illegal fishing and trolling over the wreck, and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is conducting regular patrols of the site," she said.

"Due to the risk to divers posed by hooks, line and discarded fishing materials, general boating access and fishing is prohibited in the conservation park surrounding the ship.

"To avoid a $300 fine, a good rule of thumb for boaties is to stand-off approximately 300 metres from the BRISBANE site. This will ensure you are outside the conservation park."

Club and private divers wishing to obtain permits to dive the BRISBANE and book two-hour timeslots should contact Maroochy Tourism on (07) 5479 1566 or 1800 882 032.

People wishing to book through commercial dive operators, should contact either Sunreef Mooloolaba, (07) 5444 5656; Scuba World Mooloolaba, (07) 5444 8595; and Noosa Blue Water Dive (07) 5447 1300.

The BRISBANE is open seven days a week for day and night dives.


Ends

Media contact: 3227 8819

[Derek_Bullock]

Rangers to get tough on wreck trespassers

10.01.2006

By Peter Olszewski

NATIONAL Parks rangers have increased patrols and will get tough on people fishing illegally at the HMAS Brisbane wreck site or people who “souvenir” pieces of the sunken ship.

The move follows reports from Sunreef Dive staff that they have discovered evidence of pilfering from the Brisbane and found two of the wreck’s kingfish colony with lures in their mouths.

“Quite a few things have gone missing from the wreck including gauges, brass wheels and telephones,” Paul White, the co-owner of Mooloolaba-based Sunreef Diving, said.

“There is also a school of kingfish that have now made the wreck their home and they don’t move off the ship.

“Recently we discovered two of them with lures hanging from their mouths and we have also found hooks on the deck.

“Plus we have had the occasional boat come over and trawl while we’re down on the wreck.

“But fishing on the site is totally protected and they shouldn’t be there.”

Mick Cubis, the senior ranger with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Sunshine Coast, said that following complaints from Sunreef he would step up patrols at the site and show no mercy to people breaking the law.

“There’s an out-of-bounds area of 300 metres around the site for people without permits and fishing or vandalism out there is definitely not on,” he said.

“We can’t patrol all of the time but we will put all our enforcement officers on it, and whereas before we gave people warnings, now we’ll hand out fines.

“There’s a $300 fine for being within 300 metres of the site without a permit and another $300 fine for fishing, so it could become a quite expensive exercise.”

[fish2eat]

why Fishing is Banned

[Deelirious]

Scuttling of the HMAS Brisbane represents the single largest handout of public taxpayer dollars to a private enterprise since that given to Virgin Blue to base their operations at the Brisbane airport.

In light of this I was surprised to find that the rudest person I have ever been confronted with in my entire LIfe was an employee of one of the "Three" Dive businesses WHOS BUSINESS IS BOOMING since the expenditure of millions of dollars of public money. The individual in question was not only foul mouthed and arrogant and used profanities in front of paying customers on board the vessel he had driven from Mooloolaba harbour but showed no remorse when confronted with his complete misinterpretation of the situation at hand.(Sunreef Dive I'm not going to mention any names).

A small word of advise to the dive industry.
Before you get all high and mighty and start abusing people and ranting and raving about "your exclusive access area" get off your soap box and have a think about who it was that GAVE you that exclusive access. If you are finding this a bit difficult to work out I'll make it easy for you - it's all the mums and dads of Queensland that pay GST on fuel to take their kids to school, it's all the FISHERMAN that pay GST on consumable items and basically its nearly every Queensland home that is supporting the profits of apparently 3 businesses and providing great holidays for international visitors.


Hopefully some food for thought.

Ed

Ps: It is a shame that after the taxpayers have spent so much money placing the wreck there that divers can't help themselves from stealing iconic pieces of the historic vessel.
PPs: To the Diver reporting on the "resident king fish that never leave the site" - wake up to yourself and grab a copy of Grants Guides to fishes or some other basic guide to feed your obvious hunger for knowledge.
PPPs: I fully support the closing of the artificial reef to fishing - but my reasons have nothing at all to do with diver safety - it's all about the fish.