Marine Park Madness

[spanyid]

a marine park is in the pipe line to be established from crowdy bay north to lake cathie 22000 acres.this is where my father taught me to fish and where i take my kids now.

soon we won't have any where to fish. this doesn't just affect the locals think about your holidays or your kids holidays in the future.i am certain that the mpa won't stop until you cannot fish between qld and victoria.

Do we stop everone from entering tasmania because the devil is threatened? no. what about Koalas do we stop housing develpments? the are advertising receational hunting in nation parks??? what aout us???

the shooting party are having some results us recreation fisherman need to band together before it's too late

we have our bag limits size limits all we wan't is our freedom thats why we live in australia. i take my kids fishing (aged 4 and 2)so the have an outdoor interest apart from drugs in the future and play station games

or soon the only place the can fish will be the rapala game on wii.

enjoy your fishing while it lasts

below an extract from manning river times

Time to protest

11/03/2009 8:43:00 AM

THE latest campaign for a marine park stretching north from Crowdy Head would result in “dire consequences” for the retirement, fishing, tourism and business future of local coastal communities, according to Bob Smith, founder and chair of The Fishing Party.

Mr Smith, a resident of Harrington, has joined the call for the Manning’s fishing and business fraternity to “make lots of noise” in protest to the National Parks Association (NPA)’s growing media campaign for another State-proclaimed marine park from Crowdy Head north to the Macleay.

Already public meetings attended by hundreds of concerned locals have been held in other areas, and Mr Smith is keen to hear local concerns and hopefully take part in a protest in the local area.

Last week the chair of $%^&* NSW, Ken Thurlow appealed to the Manning community (MRT Tuesday March 3) to start protesting loudly about the latest marine park proposal, which would mean some waters off the local coast would have restrictions placed on them.

Mr Thurlow said he feared the NPA was pushing the move in order to have a local marine park proclaimed before the next State election, when it is highly possible the ALP will lose power.

Mr Smith said the Manning has been aware of this NPA threat since 2005 when a public meeting at Harrington organised by the then Harrington Residents Action Group in conjunction with The Fishing Party in November of that year rejected a marine park or any fishing no-take zones.

Both The Fishing Party and the (now renamed) Harrington Community Action Group are contemplating more public action with interested groups, and would like to hear from concerned residents, Mr Smith said.

He asked: “Who is in control of our fishery, the National Parks Association (a supposedly non-government greenie minority lobby group), the NSW ALP or both?

“Is the government letting the NPA do their dirty work in testing the waters for more no-fishing zones and extending existing ones?”

He claimed that neither the NPA nor the ALP have any supporting science, meaning no credibility to back their campaign to lock out recreational fishers.

“Existing marine parks only target fishing while the real threats to bio-diversity such as toxic runoffs, sewage, blue green algae, habitat destruction, erosion, and massive siltation problems make poor water quality and flow, killing our marine life,” he said.

“Reports show that up to 50 percent of our east coastal fish stocks are lost due to environmental problems that one would think greenies and environmentalists would address more stringently but, you guessed right, the silence is deafening.

“This NSW government has not listened to any public protests or debate so far in this marine park issue and looks determined to self destruct for the sake of the green vote.

“Surely they would have learnt their lesson by losing the seat of Port Stephens to the fishing vote with that marine park, making all the parks now in non-Labor electorates.”

Mr Smith said it is interesting to note that the Tasmanian and Northern Territory governments have declared huge marine parks addressing those real problems whilst not banning recreational fishing.

“Further the current election in Queensland has the Liberal/ National Party promising fishing will be allowed in green zones while they do a 12 month $3 million study on the effects of recreational fishing in them.

“Maybe the fishing community should be holding public meetings and campaigns in the remaining coastal ALP held electorates in the lead-up to the 2011 state election, as I know The Fishing Party will be,” he said.

Any person or group interested in holding another marine park public meeting or public debate at Harrington is invited to contact Bob Smith on 6556 0338 or Joan Hall on 6556 1521.

[Jiggy]

Go for it and I wish you win - BUT this is all about Labour capturing the green preferences in most Sydney seats. As you mentioned all the parks are now in non Labour electorates and they are still in power.

Want to stop/reverse no fishing zones in marine parks - Sydneysiders need to vote liberal next state election.

Cheers

Rob