Prof. Kearney Attacked By Three Marine Scientists

[creafield]

Greetings All

The item below appeared in the Narooma News this Wednesday 19th November 2008.

It surely raises the point that they have attacked the messenger and not the message. I have a very strong suspicion that this riposte was authored by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

* An appalling lack of professionalism on the part of Booth, Gladstone and Davis.

* They do not address any issue that Kearney raised in his paper.

* There has been no rebuttal by either the Marine Parks Authority or these scientists to Kearney's paper presented to ASFB in September 2007, and, so far, this anaemic attack on Kearney's credentials rather than anything that Kearney said.

* These three Marine Scientists stand condemned by their own words.

It is worth noting that Booth has made extravagant comments regarding MarineParks on a site called "realdirt" which is edited by James Woodforde the Sydney Morning Herald's occasional writer on environmental issues.

Wesbsite URL here http://realdirtcomau.melbourneitwebsites.c...in_data_id=7913

Gladstone has produced a paper extolling the virtues of the Booderee Marine Extension.

Davis was the "Marine Science" representative on the Batemans Marine Park Advisory Committee. He attended virtually 0 meetings , but could be assumed that the "science" in the design of BMP would be suitably biassed?

Kearney's talk disappoints leading NSW scientists

NSW marine scientists were dissatisfied with the controversial rhetoric put forward by Professor Robert Kearney at a recent seminar about NSW Marine Parks in Sydney. Professor David Booth, chair of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science's Scientific Committee said "Professor Kearney made all sorts assertions, but he did not support them with robust data from NSW Marine Parks."

These sentiments were echoed by Associate Professor Andy Davis from the University of Wollongong who added "that unless Professor Kearney shortly publishes his claims in a credible scientific journal they will have little impact on the broader science community."

President of the Australian Marine Science Association (NSW branch), Associate Professor Bill Gladstone, felt that Professor Kearney's seminar was out of touch with views of the vast majority of Australia's marine scientists.

"In the last decade, hundreds of marine scientists have signed statements supporting the need for marine reserves to conserve biodiversity. This support is based on hundreds of published studies costing million and millions of dollars, although more work need to be done. In the end, it takes a lot more than unpublished rhetoric to change scientists' minds."

Professor Booth was also disappointed by comments in the media from unqualified individuals. "There appear to be a lot of charlatans in this debate. If you want sensible comment about marine biological issues, you should go to professional marine biologists. If not, comments should be taken with a grain of salt."

Edited November 20, 2008 by PIN

[pjbink]

President of the Australian Marine Science Association (NSW branch), Associate Professor Bill Gladstone, felt that Professor Kearney's seminar was out of touch with views of the vast majority of Australia's marine scientists.

"In the last decade, hundreds of marine scientists have signed statements supporting the need for marine reserves to conserve biodiversity. This support is based on hundreds of published studies costing million and millions of dollars, although more work need to be done. In the end, it takes a lot more than unpublished rhetoric to change scientists' minds."

Professor Booth was also disappointed by comments in the media from unqualified individuals. "There appear to be a lot of charlatans in this debate. If you want sensible comment about marine biological issues, you should go to professional marine biologists. If not, comments should be taken with a grain of salt."[/i]

Typical 'appeal to authority' argument used by environmental activists and their rent seeking allies in government bureaucracies and institutions. It's a way of avoiding debate by saying it's already decided. That's what these 'consensus statements' are designed to do. Science is not supposed to be conducted by opinion polls.

[pjbink]

Raiders should take notice of this quote from Booth:

NSW has five marine bioregions as part of a national network, and we need at least one marine park in each. The one glaring omission at present is the Hawkesbury bioregion, surrounding Sydney. At the last election, Minister Macdonald declared “no new marine parks” but this must be overturned and at least one new marine park declared to help protect Sydney’s fragile and highly impacted coastal marine zone.

[maniak]

Raiders should take notice of this quote from Booth:

NSW has five marine bioregions as part of a national network, and we need at least one marine park in each. The one glaring omission at present is the Hawkesbury bioregion, surrounding Sydney. At the last election, Minister Macdonald declared “no new marine parks” but this must be overturned and at least one new marine park declared to help protect Sydney’s fragile and highly impacted coastal marine zone.

Macdonald has indicated he will be vacating his seat soon

[neilm]

see this:

http://www.clovermoore.com/main/?id=1840

Proposal for the Marine Park for Northern Sydney.

[Ross Hunter]

Greetings All

The item below appeared in the Narooma News this Wednesday 19th November 2008.

It surely raises the point that they have attacked the messenger and not the message. I have a very strong suspicion that this riposte was authored by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

* An appalling lack of professionalism on the part of Booth, Gladstone and Davis.

* They do not address any issue that Kearney raised in his paper.

* There has been no rebuttal by either the Marine Parks Authority or these scientists to Kearney's paper presented to ASFB in September 2007, and, so far, this anaemic attack on Kearney's credentials rather than anything that Kearney said.

* These three Marine Scientists stand condemned by their own words.

It is worth noting that Booth has made extravagant comments regarding MarineParks on a site called "realdirt" which is edited by James Woodforde the Sydney Morning Herald's occasional writer on environmental issues.

Wesbsite URL here http://realdirtcomau.melbourneitwebsites.c...in_data_id=7913

Gladstone has produced a paper extolling the virtues of the Booderee Marine Extension.

Davis was the "Marine Science" representative on the Batemans Marine Park Advisory Committee. He attended virtually 0 meetings , but could be assumed that the "science" in the design of BMP would be suitably biassed?

Kearney's talk disappoints leading NSW scientists

NSW marine scientists were dissatisfied with the controversial rhetoric put forward by Professor Robert Kearney at a recent seminar about NSW Marine Parks in Sydney. Professor David Booth, chair of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science's Scientific Committee said "Professor Kearney made all sorts assertions, but he did not support them with robust data from NSW Marine Parks."

These sentiments were echoed by Associate Professor Andy Davis from the University of Wollongong who added "that unless Professor Kearney shortly publishes his claims in a credible scientific journal they will have little impact on the broader science community."

President of the Australian Marine Science Association (NSW branch), Associate Professor Bill Gladstone, felt that Professor Kearney's seminar was out of touch with views of the vast majority of Australia's marine scientists.

"In the last decade, hundreds of marine scientists have signed statements supporting the need for marine reserves to conserve biodiversity. This support is based on hundreds of published studies costing million and millions of dollars, although more work need to be done. In the end, it takes a lot more than unpublished rhetoric to change scientists' minds."

Professor Booth was also disappointed by comments in the media from unqualified individuals. "There appear to be a lot of charlatans in this debate. If you want sensible comment about marine biological issues, you should go to professional marine biologists. If not, comments should be taken with a grain of salt."

Who the hell is Professor Booth and his mates and who the hell is financing his research, because I am sure that the state Government isn't ..maybe I am wrong. I have no faith in any of these so called marine bioligists, unless they are backed by millions of dollars of taxpayers funds and are working in a totally impartial capacity.

Research on our oceanic species is an expensive business and would take many, many years to complete with any accuracy, maybe they are working on research from other countries which was used to implement our current Marine Parks ....Wankers the lot of them I say. Let's have some hands on three year research by our so called marine bioligists and a multi million dollar study and some real evidence on paper and less professional woffle....going and getting a degree in any subject does not make an expert without back up research and proof without doubt ..I'm sticking with Kearney

Ross