More Marine Parks Needed: Greenpeace

[mrmoshe]

More marine parks needed: Greenpeace

Greenpeace wants the world's governments to set aside 40 per cent of oceans as marine reserves.

The call follows the release of an international study claiming marine ecosystems around the world face wholesale collapse in the next 40 years.

The scientific study, published in the journal Science, found almost 30 per cent of fished species populations had reached collapse in 2003.

It found that, if nothing is done to reverse the trend, in a mere four decades, little sustainable fish or sea food will remain.

Greenpeace spokesman Nilesh Goundar said the severity of the situation called for dramatic protection, namely setting aside 40 per cent of the world's oceans as marine reserves.

"Overfishing and pirate fishing are destroying our oceans at an alarming rate," Mr Goundar said in a statement.

"Ocean pirates are stealing up to $US9 billion ($A11.65 billion) worth of fish a year from some of the world's poorest people.

"Urgent action worldwide is needed to change fishing practices and reclaim our oceans for marine life and coastal communities."

[pjbink]

Here are a few points the gloom and doom merchants left out:

1. It is a story rehashed from "Letters to Nature" Myers and Worm, May 2003 "Nature" , and expanded on in other Journals.

2. The authors, Ransom Myers and Boris Worm, specifically refers to commercial fishing in International waters, which is completely unregulated.

3. The authors, in the article, stated "We need protected areas in the open ocean"

4. The authors specifically stated that "Most fisheries within sovereign countrie's EEZs (generally 200nm.) are well managed"

5. The Australian and NSW Fisheries are the most regulated in the World.

6. Australia has 30% of the entire marine parks in the World.

[BOB_SMITH]

Here is the link to the actual news release or study that started all this which relates to more than just fish create the problems

It's always amazing how they deliberately not print all the story. More research coming up but see this for starters >

http://www.fmap.ca//ramweb/media/biodivers...AlSciencePR.pdf

Here is a link to read and hear media player interview with Hieke Lotze >

http://abc.net.au/news/australia/nsw/newca...11/s1780209.htm

Here is the heading from Nov 3 Science Mag if anybody is a member to get a copy (and send me one)

ECOLOGY:

Global Loss of Biodiversity Harming Ocean Bounty

Erik Stokstad

If a new analysis of marine ecosystems data is correct, commercial fish and seafood species may all crash by 2048. (Read more.)

Bob Smith

Edited November 3, 2006 by BOB_SMITH

[Guest danielinbyron]

I got sent that report a couple of days ago..

Bobs right, and NSW marine parks do nothing to address the issues raised in this report, except give some people a false sense of security....or a kind of ignorant sense of righteousness..

The report is more relevent to newer technology and commercial practises in open waters, scraping the barrel and pushing species beyond commercial sustainabilty then moving on to a different species..

But the report also suggests that diversity needs to be maintained by managing different or seperate species as a whole ecosystem rather than looking at the numbers of any one species....

Which I've come to understand is a tricky business but believe is a code we'll have to crack..

And it would be far more beneficial to be able to better police our waters and get some research happening on fisheries as whole eco systems than draw some lines in the oceon that say..

You can't catch these until they swim over to there..

And you the guy with trailer boat and the fishing rod ... you can't catch these at all mate. Unless they happen to swim into there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6108414.stm

Edited November 3, 2006 by danielinbyron

[BOB_SMITH]

Here is a media release from Minister Abetz which reflects Australia's position>

The Australian Government categorically rejects claim made by northern hemisphere scientists led by Canada’s Dalhousie University that Australia’s fisheries are “set to collapse.”

“The reality is Australia is a world leader in fisheries and oceans management”, Fisheries Minister Senator Eric Abetz said today.

“While we obviously welcome any serious scientific contribution, instead of trying to tar us all with the same brush, these scientists should instead be singling Australia out as an example to the world of how to ensure fisheries sustainability.”

For example:

Under the Direction issued by the Federal Fisheries Minister, currently being implemented by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Australia has a comprehensive plan to ensure the sustainability of Commonwealth fish stocks for generations to come;

Of the world’s area of marine protected areas, some one third is in Australian waters;

Australia is a leading member of several Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), including leading landmark reforms at the recent 13th annual meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna;

The Howard Government is amongst the leading nations in the world in the fight against illegal fishing, both in our own backyard and on the high seas;

“Frankly, we get a bit annoyed at northern hemisphere scientists, whose fisheries management often leaves a lot to be desired, making sensationalist predictions about the state of Australian fisheries from half a world away.”

“In reality, Australia’s record at oceans management is up there with the best and credit should be given where it’s due”.

Further inquiries:

Senator Abetz’s office: Brad Stansfield 0419 884 666

Bob Smith

[Ross Hunter]

Bob,

Thanks for your report as always most interesting.

The whole scene is a debarcle of over regulation. The way I see it is that the real problem is Oceanic fish stock management, or the lack of for the past 20 years. Deep water trawl, purse seining and the demise of the orange roughy. kingfish Etc.......We cannot blame the commercial fisherman, they were only doing their jobs, earning an honest living .So who do we blame?

The people who allowed it to get to a point where some species should be on the endangered list...Federal and State Fisheries.

In every instance be it the Inshore or Offshore fishery commercial pressure has been the problem. There has never been any research done by any Australian Institution on sustainabillity of pelagic stocks..."just go out boys and catch the hell out of them pay your taxes and away you go" is the attitude..They did that and did it well, with to day's satalite oceanic photos and technoligy, did it remarkably efficiently, but the stocks suffered badly to almost extinction in a couple of species over acouple of decades

The poor recreational fisherman, who works to bag limits and rarely achieves them could not harm the fish stocks to any great ammount even if they fished every day of the year. A good catch of 2 or 3 tuna per trip might relate to 15 fish for the season I have seen catches of 300 tuna in one shot on an Australian long liner."Tonnage versus recreational Kilos".

The whole Inshore Marine Parks issue stinks of a brown nose to the Greens for preferences as well of gaining control of massive areas of prime NSW coastline.

I say buy out the commercial trappers from the M. Parks, if they must, that would be good, but allow the NSW rec angler access to fish Marine Parks They must do this as they have no research that gives any indication that our inshore species are under any direct threat from Recos pressure.

These so called papers and pen pushing advisers are to "full of it" for my likings and us fisherman are being dictated to in a most annoying way by a pack of idiots for are so wrong in ill founded theories read from some overseas findings.

This is Australia and unlike the USA we have less than 5 percent of the population in comparison with totally different bio diversity.We cannot even draw a comparison from such statistics.

Recently the Feds have allocated 220 million "Federal Licence buy out" to fix their decades of bad oceanic fisheries management by oceanic raping. The "Federal licence buy out' will help some species in the long term, but some will never recover.Especially SB.tuna and Roughy and maybe gemfish. Have we shut the gate after the bull 's gone?

Should Southern Bluefin be placed on the "endangered species list" whilst they are receiving accolades from others on their great work on our oceans?.

You see! if it breaths air and makes us feel "warm and nice" then protect it and spend millions doing it....but our whales and dolphins have no preditors and are multiplying in great numbers theyv'e been beaching themselves for the past 10.000.years, but let's spend thousands putting them back in the briny only to have them swim over to next beach a day later and repeat the whole scene, but the exercise is good publicity if it makes National TV for a Green group....The Koalas have been cuddled nicely and that's good they needed it, the forests are under control and that's great no more woodchipping great, no ones blowing up the oceans at the moment.....that's even better Mr Shirack..so what's left "Lets make some Marine Parks and ban all fishing in them"but unlike the above mentioned you cannot see the fish as they don't live in our environment but to quote a Marine Parks advisor recently "Well you ask any one and they will tell you... We don't catch as many like we used to" So we must need some sanctuaries...That will be nice and GREEN that will make someone feel good, "nice and warm like"...........and it's definately not the NSW fisho

The Inshore Marine Parks must allow recreational fishing and that is that.We must be allowed to continue going camping with our famillies and fishing alonely beach where and when we like! Let's keep belly aching and then get rid of them in the March Elections

[Guest danielinbyron]

but some will never recover.Especially SB.tuna and Roughy and maybe gemfish

As I understand it the southern blue fin is of breeding age at 1yr.. and they are prolific breeders . there is no reason that they couldn't come back to abundence if they and there major food source ie squid and gar, were just given a bit of a break... Is it so inconceivable that the trendy jap sushi world couldn't live without them for a couple of yrs...

[Ross Hunter]

Southern bluefin live for 30 to 35 years and do not become sexually mature untill they are 8 to 10 years old That is why they are not recovering, where as yellowfin live for 7 years and breed at 3 years they have a chance but bluefin are in danger.

Ross

[pjbink]

Southern bluefin live for 30 to 35 years and do not become sexually mature untill they are 8 to 10 years old That is why they are not recovering, where as yellowfin live for 7 years and breed at 3 years they have a chance but bluefin are in danger.

Ross

The other reason is that they are found in international waters where there is little effective regulation and overfishing has been common.

[Guest danielinbyron]

Southern bluefin live for 30 to 35 years and do not become sexually mature untill they are 8 to 10 years old That is why they are not recovering, where as yellowfin live for 7 years and breed at 3 years they have a chance but bluefin are in danger.

thanks Ross ...

woooo v scary stuff...

[Ross Hunter]

It is scary and sad......I am old enough and ugly enough to have lived the great era of "life with out long lining". Those wild days in the late '60's and the great times of the 70's When you could not get a commercial Fish market any where to take a tuna ...they were cat food. Enter the Japanese ,who would take a bite out of your arm if you spilt a bit of soy sauce on it and in a quick 20 years we have seen the demise of our pelagics. All cut up in jig saw puzzle pieces and eaten raw.......seems as though there's been a bit of bad management somewhere.

It is such a complex problem to fix because we can control our waters but we have no control over International waters IE The Pacific Ocean on our doorstep from the highly efficient and lethal international long liner and purse seiner fleet...it's enough to turn a man to drink

Ross