Cod Grounds Reserve Declaration Sparks Job Fears

[mrmoshe]

Cod Grounds reserve declaration sparks job fears

The new Commonwealth marine reserve at the Cod Grounds, off the coast of Laurieton, south of Port Macquarie, comes into effect today.

The reserve will provide one kilometre of sanctuary protection in a known habitat of the endangered grey nurse shark.

The two professional trawlers operating on the Cod Grounds have both accepted the Government buyout, leaving the Laurieton Fishermen's Co-op without a local supplier of ocean product.

Gillian Beakey from the co-op says the closing of the Cod Grounds could eventually impact on jobs.

"Firstly it will have an impact as far as the amount of product coming into the co-op and down the track it will affect our business because there will be less fish supplied to our local retail outlet, less product sent down to Sydney fish market and it may mean job cutting," she said.