Moreton Bay Marine Park Zoning Plan review launched

[Adamy]

Hmmmn... sounds like a nice (i.e. long) way of saying - get ready to bend over!!

[fishingjew]

Boswell calls for up-front economic impact statement on Moreton Bay fishing closures
Sunday, 17 June 2007
Leader of The Nationals in the Senate, Ron Boswell, today called on the Queensland Labor Government to produce detailed social and economic impact statements before consideration begins on closing parts of Moreton Bay to fishing.

“The Federal Government has paid over $100 million to fishing and onshore businesses on the Great Barrier Reef as a result of the GBRMPA biodiversity closures, and we have not yet hit the top of the scale,” Senator Boswell said.

“At the time of the GBRMPA closures, the Beattie State Labor Government quietly went ahead and closed state marine park areas adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in a process they called ‘complementary closure’, for which they provided not one cent of compensation, despite the very high impact on fishermen.

“Fishing and onshore businesses have been burned on this once, and it should not be allowed to happen twice.

“Before any Moreton Bay rezoning takes place, there must be a full, public disclosure of costs associated with closures, and a plan on how those costs will be met by the State Government. I’ve been here before, where bureaucrats see 10% closure and think 35%.”

Senator Boswell said that just some of the questions that needed answers were –

· How many and what kinds of commercial fishing boats / licences would need to be bought out, under what scheme and at what cost?

· How many, and what kinds of onshore businesses would be effected, and what would it cost to compensate bait and tackle shops, seafood outlets, boat and motor dealers?

· How much, and under what system would a grandfather and two kids have to pay if they are caught fishing in a ‘green’ zone?

· What would be the fishing effort displacement effect of the closures (ie, how many fishing boats would be crowded into other fishing grounds?)

· How would the State’s compensation be calculated for onshore and offshore businesses?
· How can recreational fishermen be catered for to ensure children, parents and grandparents can go fishing and not risk breaking the law?

Senator Boswell pointed out that a radio interview this morning with Professor Paul Greenfield, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Panel for the Queensland Labor Government’s Moreton Bay's Zoning Plan Review, confirmed that a minimum of 10% of the Bay was earmarked for fishing closures, and suggested that this figure could be much higher.

Professor Greenfield said on an ABC Radio interview on Friday "Clearly if you protect 33% of Moreton Bay, then you're protecting biodiversity better than if you protect 10%. But we have said 10% as a minimum. I don't know what number people are going to come up with, because there will be conflicts between different actual or potential users."

“Until a comprehensive, pre-emptive impact statement is produced, Moreton Bay commercial and recreational fishermen should refuse to come to the table, or risk being left high and dry by Labor, as we predicted would happen before the state election,” Senator Boswell said.

[Chris Ryan]

So (as per my Green Zones post) do we put our collective weigth behind Senator Boswell and his team to get him to have the Beattie government put the "real" agenda and figures on the table?? I am sure we can somehow lobby these people, we are all voters, all rate/tax payers, we all do the right thing and there are quite a few of us. Can we use our collective muscle somehow???

Or do we do what Adamy is suggesting and prepare to bend over and kiss our asses bye-bye?? Personally, I don't kiss ass, I prefer to kick it!!!

[fishingjew]

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Craig Bohm

The Australian Marine Conservation Society has restated its concerns about the health of the Park and called for high levels of protection, consistent with those being called for by the Park’s scientific reference panel.


Spokesperson for the society Craig Bohm said: “An even-handed, impartial review of the marine park is already underway. Why call for another review?”


“On 1 September 2008, the Marine Park (Moreton Bay) Zoning Plan 1997, expires. This year the Queensland Government engaged a panel of 12 independent, scientific experts as well as nearly 30 independent stakeholders to infuse an updated review with expert, independent advice on the biological, physical, social, cultural and economic characteristics of the marine park.”
The Independent Scientific Panel for Moreton Bay Marine Park recently said that at least 10 percent of each habitat in the Park needs to be protected in high conservation “green zones” but that amounts recommended in the scientific literature fall in the range of 20% - 40%. They also said that presently less than 1% of the world’s oceans are protected in marine protected areas, and this is the same in Moreton Bay Marine Park.


“Some 200 threatened turtles are found sick, injured or dead in Moreton Bay Marine Park each year. An average of 15 dugongs die within the Park in this same period. Moreton Bay has also already lost 50% of saltmarshes and a 20% of seagrasses. We need to secure a better future for this special place.”


“Queensland has the highest boat ownership in Australia and a booming population. The rezoning of Moreton Bay is an opportunity to secure our wildlife, our fish stocks and our lifestyle.”


“Conservationists support any positive contribution to the rezoning process as long as it helps us secure the high levels of protection our Park and its wildlife desperately needs,” Bohm concluded.


According to the EPA, fishing and collecting are not permitted in green zones but snorkeling, boating, swimming and scuba diving are.


Craig Bohm, Australian Marine Conservation Society


Additional Information



Moreton Bay Marine Park Zoning Plan Review
Scientific Guiding Principles Recommended by the Expert Advisory Panel (extract)
Amount of protection required
There are no hard and fast rules to determine the extent of protection required to conserve marine biodiversity and ensure long-term sustainability. Each region must be examined on its own merits and decisions made that take into account the unique aspects of its oceanography, geography, history, flora and fauna, as well as present and future socio-economic factors.


The International Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has recommended 10% of each country’s ecological regions (i.e. habitat types) be conserved in marine protected areas. Amounts recommended in the scientific literature generally fall in the range of 20% - 40% of the ocean”s environment in no-take areas1. Presently less than 1% of the world”s oceans are protected in marine protected areas.


Biodiversity conservation and the current zoning plan

The Expert Advisory Panel believes the current level of no-take areas in Moreton Bay Marine Park does not provide suitable protection for the biodiversity values of the area because:


• at present Moreton Bay Marine Park has just 0.5% included in no-take areas “well below international recommendations;


• the no-take areas are small, widely separated areas, largely confined to coral reefs and mangrove habitats; and

• many significant habitats within Moreton Bay Marine Park are not protected in no-take areas.