Group Formation to start the fight

[Chris Ryan]

Hi Chris.

I agree with your thoughts....we need a large number of the public to support the protest, and that facts are, a lot of people fish, they are just not aware of what is happening!

Ashley doesnt shut up about fishin on the nova station...it might be a good avenue?

Ash and the gang on Nova 106.9 have been across this issue a lot and were invited to appear at the two previous protests. I sent in emails to him on his personal address a lot after liasing with him on soft plastics fishing in a couple of emails. The grand total of asking them to say something, speak about the situation and more amounted to NIL.

Obviously its not cool enough or he might be suffering the same as all celebrity in this issue.....you don't get cool points for talking against enviro/green issues.

[lampuki]

Hi Chris.

I was thinking more along the lines of paying Nova for a block of adds to get our message out to the wider fishing community - and Ash could be the voice, just as other companies do.

If this recent drive is to make any net effect, I think it is going to cost significant cost and managment to draw the support it requires - I am hoping that the member on Ausfish can make it happen.

[CreelReaper]

- Our Lifestyle is being threatened; while Anna Bligh is trying to combat obesity, and asking the public for ideas, she is taking away a massive lifestyle opportunity, and forcing kids back behind their playstations.
- Closures will have a massive effect on Small Business and Tourism; closures threaten many small and medium Businesses, threatening income and jobs for thousands of people.
- The EPA is no longer doing their job properly; decisions are being made on the basis of shoddy science, and they are totally abrogating responsibility in many cases – They are ignoring waterways management, for example. “It’s the Council’s job...”


Hi all,
Congrats to all you guys on your efforts so far.......I am however particularly thankful that the rally has been delayed because I believe it would only be portrayed as the 'redneck' fishing fraternity blah blah blah. Up until the general public has been made aware of the significant shortfalls of the 'scientific research' and the true nature of the proposed new changes, I doubt very much that we will be received accordingly.

No one likes the fact that this is being rammed down our throats because it is the "best thing". Rubbish!! I tend to think that we will have to have a few well known personalities on board to help spread the word. Even knowing what the LNP's policies will be on this issue not just for now but in the future as well. The greenies are a well oiled machine and specialists at propaganda. We will have to be as well 'oiled' to get the strength in numbers to pressure the government into doing what is 'right' for all concerned. We can only do this by making jo public aware through the correct channels.

I like the way you have tackled the issue by itemising the 3 main points above. It would be even better if we can come up with some scientific proof to back our claims (yes I know we all know that the DPI and EPA's research was dodgy at best). This will only add weight to the argument. I cannot really offer any advice on the first 2 items or how you would get the necessary documentary evidence to prove the points, but for the third there appears to be plenty of material on the net which indicates/shows that EPA are not fulfilling their correct role.

How many scientists/analyzers/personalities etc are on Ausfish??? Are they willing to offer any guidance on how best to facilitate the necessary information we need??

Two websites I found relatively easily show the type of evidence proof that we need to help get the message out there to the general public.



http://www.riversymposium.com/index.php?element=06OLLEYJon


http://bayjournal.com.au/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1565&Ite mid=42


There must be a myriad of evidence out there we just have to know who to ask and where to find it.

Cheers

Shane

[Chris Ryan]

Thanks Shane. I will look at merging some of that info into our website. Speaking of which the new look and feel of the site will be uploaded to www.saveourbay.org.au tonight and please, if you find a mistake or think we need to add something, send me an email (details on the contacts page).

I have to make the news section live yet (just need to add URL's etc) and once again, if you have additions let me know.

Cheers,
Chris

p.s Lampuki - sorry mate, misunderstood your comments from before. I still think we might struggle to get Ash but I can see if I can get have access to recording gear and we can make our own for them to play if necessary.

[Black_Rat]

Found an interesting artical regarding one of the green zones

http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008...ent-ban-fishy/

What I find unbelievable is in the next 20 years the EPA have given the approval for the extraction of up to 60 million cubic meters of sand for development (Airport Runway) and the construction industry. One area proposed is just south of the above mentioned green zone ! Go figure

Just a thought, Is it worth trying to get a member of parliment to sponser an e petiton

[Chris Ryan]

The save our bay website is now active. Remember if you have been to the site you may have to refresh your pages.

This site is made differently your PC may still point to the wrong stuff as it stores some on your hard disk and it will look like you have a site within the site. If that is the case, click your right mouse button, select refresh (using internet explorer) or this frame, then reload frame if using Firefox.

Anyway, Timi when you get more details on where/when etc for the protest rally let me know and I will update the site.
Chris

[Lucky_Phill]

Good work Chris. I went to the site and it looked the same until I " refreshed " my Firefox browser.

Much more info to go in...............

phill.

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[oldboot]

I've not been on the site much the last week.... actulay doing some work.

But you can count on my support.


There are a couple of things that occur to me.

This is not a short term action. It is my view that many of the issues of current concern and anger are either lost or decided......this does not mean we should not be vocal about them.
Be sure there will be on going issues running on from these and or seperate from these....there are definitely groups constantly working their own agenda to influence government polocy........in a direction that we will not like.

I agree that the general public have absolutely no idea of the background or implications of these decisions.
I will go further...I believe that most of the politicians have no idea either......they will be told what to think and say by their various masters....and they will be allowed little or no time or fredom to think for themselves......unless we make them individulay stop and think by speaking directly to them.

We also need to take some lessons from the green movement.......there are a great many groups within the green movement large and small, moderate and extreem...... but they all keep pluging away at their own little agenda.

While there are a number of organisations and groups on our side...... that is not a proplem........we can all do what we can...... but we must be doing..... and long term.

In fact I can see ver big advantages in there being a variety of groups... each concentrating on specific issues and methods of action.

If you do not agree with the position or methods of one group get behind another..............but get behind someone and push.

cheers

[blue_mako]

Is this site the other side of the coin? They look well organised and draw on many areas.

http://www.savemoretonbay.org.au/main/how_to_help.php

http://www.savemoretonbay.org.au/smb...submission.php

[Chris Ryan]

Hi blue_mako

Yes mate, that is the flip side of our saveourbay coin. They are well organised and draw on many variables of the bay and so they should, they are well funded and alledgedly receive a grant from the EPA every year to the tune $150,000 tax free per annum.

They have a dedicated full time staff of 5 and all they do is send out information to a mailing list they have. they make postcards, they make stickers, they have a heap of merchandise that is designed to tug heart strings and make people go "ohh its cute we have to buy that to help save it" when in fact they don't save anything other than lobby governments....which is directly against taxation law for a charitable status!!!

Chris

[TimiBoy]

As a result of a conversation or two, I'm coming to an interesting conclusion on one thread of this whole debate;

Why is it that only Fishing is being banned from Green Zones?

Why is it that anyone else is allowed in?

It is my opinion, that if an area is declared Green, then it should be closed to all except Biologists. If we are to accept that a closure is to benefit dugong and turtles, I hardly think boatloads of "Eco-tourists" are going to be useful, given that it is large boats that are more often responsible for dugong strikes.

Their rubbish (unavoidable from tourists), their big hulls boring through at 60 km/h, their mere presence in large boats must be an issue.

We should be agitating that any closures should be complete closures.

Cheers,

Tim

[tropicrows]

Interesting thought process their Tim. I know where you are coming from but don't give the EPA any more ideas or "maybe that is their long term plan". One thing for sure if they did that, it would make navigating around the bay etc interesting in certain areas.

[rayfish]

It's definitely worth putting all our resources together and taking it to them all the way, I'm in for the pound.

PM soon.

Thanks,
Ray

[TimiBoy]

Interesting thought process their Tim. I know where you are coming from but don't give the EPA any more ideas or "maybe that is their long term plan". One thing for sure if they did that, it would make navigating around the bay etc interesting in certain areas.

Ah, but here's the rub: it might stop them in it's tracks. Much of the Green's funding comes from... Eco Tourism Operators.

If we can stop them going into Green Zones, I wonder how quickly any more would be declared? "Sorry Boys, no funding for this if we aren't going to make anything out of it."

Cheers,

Tim

[Jackinthebox]

I posted something along these lines back in March this year with regard to Divers who are mostly sympathetic to the Green cause because it leaves more spots for them, free from all those pesky fishos.

Guys,

Since the more green friendly Dive groups have mostly jumped into bed with AMCS, etc ......

I'm sure support for Green Zones would dry up pretty quick from all the diving/greeny fraternity if they were also banished from these areas due to harassment/disruption of Grey Nurse sharks & other wildlife etc. (Which divers have admitted to)

If it needs so called protection, it should be "ONE OUT - ALL OUT!"

I'm sure it would stop a lot of the effort to get more green zones in the future if they realised they couldn't have it all to themselves.

If we are going to lose these areas anyway, I have put in my submissions that divers should be excluded from green zones as well.

Mick

However, I don't think it will help much with the deeper offshore green zones/area closures they want to implement in the future.