Latest Draft Of Zoning Circulating For Psmp

[BOB_SMITH]

This zoning map is circulating AS CURRENT for the Port Stephens Marine Park. An announcement is imminent.

Bob Smith

TFP

[Grantm]

SZ Sanctury zone

HPZ Habitat Protection Zone

SUZ Special Use Zone

GUZ General Use Zone

Is that right Bob ?

Can you explain what the zones mean to rec fishing ?

Edited April 30, 2006 by Grantm

[Geoff]

SZ Sanctury zone

HPZ Habitat Protection Zone

SUZ Special Use Zone

GUZ General Use Zone

Is that right Bob ?

Can you explain what the zones mean to rec fishing ?

Here is an extract from the J.B. marine park web site

Sanctuary Zone

No recreational fishing by any method, or cleaning of fish or fishing gear is permitted.

Habitat Protection Zone

Recreational fishing by line and trapping is permitted. Spearfishing is not permitted in creeks and estuaries , but is allowed in other parts of the zone. Recreational nets permitted for the taking of prawns and crabs are the scoop, landing, scissor (push) or hoop (lift) nets. Collection of marine plants and animals for recreational purposes (bait or consumption) is permitted. High impact commercial fishing (such as trawling) is prohibited.

General use zone

All methods of recreational fishing are permitted."

It is perhaps fair to assume the same will apply to P.S.

Geoff

[BOB_SMITH]

SZ Sanctury zone

HPZ Habitat Protection Zone

SUZ Special Use Zone

GUZ General Use Zone

Is that right Bob ?

Can you explain what the zones mean to rec fishing ?

Grant

The sanctuary zoning is standard total protection where not even a twig or a shell can be removed BUT! the Minister can regulate different closures or species/area specific in the other zones to suit either scientific committee/extremists/political pressure. (At any time or review)

Zones:-

Sanctuary zones allow for total protection of marine animals and plants and their habitat. Activities that involve harming any animal, plant or habitat are prohibited.

Habitat protection zones give protection to habitat, but allow limited taking of specified fish and plants. Only activities that do not have a significant impact on fish populations and have a negligible impact on other animals, plants and habitat are permitted. Line fishing, spearfishing and hand gathering are all permitted within a habitat protection zone.

General use zones allow multiple use, as long as these are ecologically sustainable. Activities in general use zones are subject to generic regulations that apply across the whole park, including permits.

Special purpose zones are used when special management systems are required, including protection of Aboriginal and other cultural features, marine facilities, or for specific park management reasons.

To check what can happen in the Byron Bay Park (and this could have changed with yesterdays declaration up there) go to > http://www.mpa.nsw.gov.au/cbmp/pdf/Final%20info%20side.pdf

Here is some of the basic regulations that happen in the Byron Political Park >

Permits

A variety of activities undertaken within the Marine Park require

a permit from the Marine Parks Authority. The Cape Byron

Marine Park Zoning Plan identifies activities that can occur

without specific permission and those that require a permit.

Examples of activities undertaken within the Marine Park

requiring permits include:

• Commercial activities;

• Personal watercraft and hovercraft use;

• Organised events (including weddings and competitions);

• Research; and

• Collecting for private aquariums.

Domesticated animals

Domesticated animals (including dogs and horses) are

permitted on beaches within the Marine Park that have been

designated for such activities by local government authorities

or other land management agencies. Dogs are not permitted

on beaches adjacent to a National Park or Nature Reserve.

Horses are permitted on Tyagarah Beach subject to the owner

obtaining a Marine Parks Authority permit.

Domesticated animals will be permitted within any zone of the

Marine Park if they are assisting a disabled person, are a police

dog, remain confined to a vessel or vehicle, or if the owner has

a Marine Parks Authority permit.

Recreational and commercial boating

Speed Restrictions

In addition to speed restrictions imposed under the Maritime

Services Act 1935, all vessels are required to limit their speed

to 4 knots within 200m of Julian Rocks trigonometrical station,

except where preservation of life or property requires.

Personal watercraft and hovercraft

The use of motorised personal watercraft (including jet skis)

and hovercraft for commercial or non-commercial purposes is

prohibited within the Marine Park unless use is:

• by a regulatory authority in the course of its business;

• for safety purposes (e.g. by surf lifesaving clubs under

permit); or

• for an organised event (under permit), including training,

that requires the use of such craft.

Anchoring and mooring• Anchoring is permitted in the Marine Park with the following

exceptions:

– anchoring is not permitted on any reef within a

sanctuary zone;

– anchoring is not permitted within 700m of Julian Rocks

trigonometrical station.

• Vessels greater than 25m in length can only anchor in areas

of the Marine Park north of Julian Rocks, latitude 28° 36.6’S,

or south of Cape Byron, latitude 28° 38.6’S;

• Seven moorings have been provided at Julian Rocks that may

be used by vessels of up to 15 tonnes displacement (up to

10m in length) in winds of 24 knots or less;

• A mooring provided by the Marine Parks Authority must

not be used in a manner contrary to the conditions of use as

displayed on that mooring;

• A vessel cannot occupy a Marine Parks Authority mooring

for more than 2 hours;

• A person cannot attach a vessel to another vessel already

at a Marine Parks Authority mooring (does not apply to

tenders);

• Fishing is not permitted from a vessel attached to a Marine

Parks Authority mooring;

• A person cannot attach a vessel to a Marine Park Zone

Marker Buoy.

NOTE: Anchoring is permitted in all areas of the Marine Park

in emergency situations, where preservation of life or property

requires.

Transiting the Marine Park/sanctuary zones

A Marine Parks Authority permit is required to undertake

a commercial activity in the Marine Park. However, a Marine

Parks Authority permit is not required for a commercial vessel

to transit the Marine Park provided that no commercial activity

is conducted within the Marine Park, and the route through

the Marine Park to a destination outside is the most direct

and expeditious. Fishing vessels may transit a sanctuary zone

provided that all fishing gear is stowed appropriately. Fishing lines

must be inboard and must not be baited and no part of a fishing

net can be in the water.

Discharge of ballast water

Discharge of ballast water is not permitted within the Marine

Park. Any vessel intending to discharge ballast water is required

to exchange ballast water outside the Marine Park.

Hull fouling

Where a visiting vessel is considered to be heavily fouled by

marine organisms or poses a reasonable risk of the introduction

of exotic animals and plants to the Marine Park, the vessel

will be required to leave the Marine Park, except where the

preservation of life or property requires.

Commercial vessel based whale watching

The operators of commercial vessels require a permit from

the Marine Parks Authority to conduct whale watching in the

Marine Park. Permits will not be granted for commercial vessels

to undertake whale watching in the Marine Park to the east of

Cape Byron between latitudes 28° 36.9’S and 28° 39.6’S; that

is, east of a line from 1 nautical mile north of the northern most

extremity of the Cape (Stepping Stones) to 1 nautical mile south

of the southern most extremity of the Cape (Cosy Corner).

Motorised wheeled vehicles

The use of vehicles on beaches is only permitted where

designated by local government authorities or other land

management agencies. Emergency and authorised vehicles,

including those with a permit from a relevant government

agency, are permitted on beaches in the Marine Park as

required. Boat launching is permitted at current boat launching

areas within the Marine Park.

Fish feedingFish feeding, including shark feeding is prohibited in the

Marine Park.

Fish cleaning

Fish cleaning and dumping of fish discards is prohibited in

sanctuary zones.

Collecting

• Collecting is not permitted in sanctuary zones, or in

Mackerel Boulder, Wilsons Reef and Bait Reef, or Lennox

Head Boulder Foreshore habitat protection zones;

• Commercial collection for the aquarium trade is prohibited

in the Marine Park;

• Recreational collecting for aquarium specimens is allowed

subject to possession of a relevant permit;

• Collecting marine plants and animals for scientific or

educational purposes is allowed, subject to possession of a

relevant permit;

• Collecting (for non-scientific purposes) in habitat protection

zones is restricted to species listed in Table 1.

Setline/dropline, longlining, and purse seine

nettingAll forms of setline/dropline, longline and purse seine net fishing

are prohibited in the Marine Park.

Protection of species

All species are protected in sanctuary zones of the Marine Park.

All species are protected in habitat protection zones of the

Marine Park, except those species listed in Table 1. Note, all

species of sharks and rays (Class Chondrichthyes), are protected

in habitat protection zones.

Here is the other basics >

Marine Parks Act 1997 No 64 (Note i)

17 Other regulations for marine parks

Without affecting the generality of section 15, the regulations may make provision for or with respect to the following matters:

(a) regulating the use and enjoyment of marine parks,

( regulating or prohibiting the carrying out of activities (including commercial activities) within marine parks either generally or in relation to particular marine parks or by reference to different zones within a marine park,

© regulating or prohibiting the taking of animals, plants or materials from or into marine parks,

(d) regulating or prohibiting the entry into a marine park (or part of a marine park) of all persons or any class of persons,

(e) removing from marine parks trespassers, persons causing annoyance or inconvenience or persons committing offences,

(f) regulating navigation and use of vessels within marine parks, or closing a marine park or part of a marine park to vessels,

(g) regulating where vessels may be moored or anchored within marine parks,

(h) protecting cultural heritage within marine parks,

(i) prescribing fees payable in respect of the use of a marine park or the carrying out of any activity within a marine park.

Expect similar regulations at Batemans and Port Stephens

Bob Smith

TFP