Green Zones - submissions closed -

[Janelle]

50% of the area where we chase Tuna is the southern part of Moreton Bay is proposed as a green zone. So are many of the other areas in which we fly fish. The new zonings have the potential to dramatical affect where we fish in Moreton Bay.

Friday is the deadline for getting your submission in to the EPA regarding the zoning in Moreton Bay. If you haven't sent your form in jump on line and do it NOW.
Go to http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_...g_plan_review/

Even if you don't fish in the bay on a regular basis please fill in the form.
If you ever plan to visit Moreton Bay to fish or if you have mates that fish here now do your bit to help. If you live OS or interstate fill it in as well. Let them know that fishing tourism dollars count to.

Janelle

[Chris Ryan]

Never a truer word spoken Janelle. Thank you for this post.

Chris

[buzzard]

Just sent mine in took about 1/2 an hour to complete thats with adding my two bobs worth at the end.Wasn't that hard to do,alot easier than sitting in your boat looking at the places you used to be able to fish.

[wags on the water]

Lodged mine a couple of days ago. Pretty soon the whole bay will be off limits.

Wags

[flyfisho]

Not long to go now , I called in for a fishing dedicated sickie (well I am going to be late) to fill it out , I have had so much time leading up , but I am glad its done now and at least I have tried to make a difference , no matter how small it all adds up .

[Moonlighter]

Hi all

Just to let you know that the MBAA submission went in today with Part 2 of our research that was commenced in response to the EPA Draft, as well as submissions from Redlands Boat Club and ANSA that supported the MBAA submission. Marine Qld (Formerly BIAQ) also put in an excellent submission that dealt with the rezoning at the strategic level and which beautifully compliments the MBAA sub.

We expect to have the MBAA sub up on the Marine Qld website so you can see what we've proposed. Will put a link up when its available (and when we've had time to catch our breath), and will also post some excerpts from the latest MBAA research scientists that will interest Ausfishers.

To wet your appetite, can anyone guess the annual recreationalfishing related expenditure attributable to the EPA's proposed green zones?

Thanks to all for their encouragement and support throughout this process. Well done to Ausfish for keeping the topic in the news, and to Janelle and Duncan at Fishhead for their efforts too.

Grant

[seatime]

Hi all

To wet your appetite, can anyone guess the annual recreationalfishing related expenditure attributable to the EPA's proposed green zones?

Grant

I imagine it would've been an exhausting calculation to make factoring in the likes of the occasional once/twice a year fisher's and their expenditure.
The Gov't propaganda would have us believe eco-tourism and it's "low impact" on the environment can generate some sort of ludicrous wealth without harming the Marine Park.

$700,000+ ?

[Poodroo]

I lodged twice. Once as me and once on behalf of my wife. It is in her best interest to support me because the bay gets me out of the house and consequently out of her hair. If I can't fish then I will be annoying her more at home.

Poodroo

[Moonlighter]

Gelsec

You're "cold"!

I will add that the fugure our researchers have calculated includes an ecomonic multiplier of 1.7 - in laymans terms, it means that every million dollars you and I spend on fishing, an additional $700,000 is generated in the economy.

Anyone care to have another try?!

Grant

[seatime]

Grant, I'm mystified as to why I typed in 700K, possibly a bad ice cube at that time of night.
I think I meant 700M, but then I have no idea and can't remember

Steve

[Chris Ryan]

unfair for me to guess Grant.

Mate to you and the MBAA crew, a thank you from me for the efforts you have gone to to help put some semblance of common sense to this argument.

The battle is far from over - we have a long way to go still but step one is done with the submissions - step two and beyond, well we will keep that a surprise for now. Don't want our friends from the Government and the anti fishing movement preparing themselves accordingly

Top effort everyone. Time to put the foot full throttle until they make it law.

Cheers,
Chris

[castlemaine]

My submission went in a couple of weeks ago. Great support all, hope it's not to deaf ears.
Cheers

[Moonlighter]

Hi Steve

At $700million, you've gone from "cold" at one end of the scale to "sub-polar" at the other end!

I'll try to help you out a bit:

MBAA's researchers in stage 1 of our review put recreational fishing expenditure in the MBMP at $265 million per annum. In stage 2 which was a key part of our sumbission to EPA, they were able to put $ figures on the expenditure related to each of the green zones proposed by EPA (and the alternatives proposed by MBAA.) This expenditure may not occur if their GZ's are implemented without significant changes.

The "lost" expenditure related to MBAA's alternative green zones worked out to around $6 million per annum, which proves that even if you are very careful to select locations and if you involve the people who fish in the Bay to work out exactly where they should best go to minimise impact, you will still have an unavoidable impact.

Now, that's enough hints from me. You now know the lost expenditure is somewhere between the MBAA's proposal ($6 million p.a.) and the total MBMP amount of $265 million. The EPA draft said their green zones would only impact on 5% of fishing trips ......

What's your estimate now?

Grant