The Grey Nurse Shark in Queensland has inadequate protection. The Commonwealth and NSW Government's have implemented important measures to protect the Grey Nurse Sharks such as the declaration of critical habitat sites to protect their aggregation areas. The Queensland government is lagging behind and has done nothing to protect the critically endangered east coast population of grey nurse sharks.
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Environment Australia have identified 5 sites in Queensland waters that are of vital importance to the Grey Nurse Shark. These sites are Wolf Rock located off Rainbow Beach, China Wall, Henderson's Rocks and Cherubs Cave off the eastern side of Moreton Island and Flat Rock located off the northern tip of Stradbroke Island. It it is vital that these sites are protected from fishing to minimise Grey Nurse Sharks being hooked and killed at these important aggregation sites. These 5 critical habitat sites must be protected from all forms of fishing, or the Grey Nurse Shark may be soon lost from Queenslands waters forever.
All divers are urged to express their support for the Grey Nurse Shark in Queensland by writing to The Honourable Peter Beattie, Premier of Queensland.
In your letter to the Premier, you should state that the Queensland Government must:
Fully protect all 5 critical habitats found in Queensland waters as 'no-take' marine sanctuaries with a 1.5km radius ;
List the grey nurse shark as threatened under the Nature Conservation Act 1992; and
Urgently develop a conservation plan that will ensure the recovery of this critically endangered species.
Send your letter to the Premier via email (ThePremier@premiers.qld.gov.au) or through snail mail:
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Premier of Queensland
PO Box 185
Brisbane Albert Street Qld 4002
Alternatively you can use the Premiers Online submission form to send your message:
http://www.thepremier.qld.gov.au/contact/index.htm
Let's all do our part in Queensland before it's to late for the Grey Nurse, remember, you do not have to be a resident of Queensland to send a letter.
For further information visit the Australian Marine Conservation Society webpage ( [
www.amcs.org.au ) to read about their Qld grey Nurse campaign.
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. It doesn't protect hardly any other reef area with the new zone so whats the point in protecting probally less then 1/3 of another GNS area. >
Gee these people don't have a clue.
