Port Stephens Marine Park - Maps?

[myocard]

Where can I get a decent map, or proper descriptions, of the zones in the Port Stephens Marine Park?

The maps on the dpi website are woeful - which would not matter except for the draconian fines that are applied and all the new twin-outboard boats the dpi has bought themselves to police the zones. Makes you wonder what country we are living in.

Is there somewhere to pick up decent maps in the area, or a description of what zones begin and end at what buoys etc?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[twoblues]

G'day mate.

Any of the bait and tackle shops, and some servo's have the maps, but they are usually the same as you will find on the DPI website.

Those maps are pretty ambiguous so you have to study them carefully. Stupid things like, "this area is out of bounds, but you can catch livies, and you can fish without bait, as long as you don't anchor there".

(That pretty much describes an area at Broughton).

The zones are mostly defined by co-ordinates so a gps is useful, but I don't think any reasonable fisheries officer would fine you if you showed you were trying to do the right thing.

Good luck up there, and check out the "Corlette Wreck" for some fun fishing. The gps marks are here somewhere and it is a good spot for live baiting. We had a good sized shark hook up last night on a livie, but lost it. There are school jewies at the wreck too.

Two Blues.

[Day's Fishin]

We fished there a few months ago & it was a nightmare! Trying to match marker numbers with the numbers given on the maps was bu-l-hit. Even when we right beside the marker it was hard to tell which one on the map it was. Then theres the rule that you can not cross restricted areas with your lines rigged up, you have to derig all lines or face huge fines. For us it wasn't worth the trip & won't be going back. Lets hope this doesn't happen around here.

Regards Jeff

[myocard]

Corlette Wreck is in Salamander Bay - is that right? Pretty close to a sanctuary zone there as well.

If you can't cross a sanctuary zone with a rigged line then every boat leaving West of Shoal bay and every boat from Hawks Nest/Tea Gardens would be affected. What is the definition of rigged?

[myocard]

From DPI website

Vessels travelling through sanctuary zones

All vessels may transit through a sanctuary zone.

Vessels must stow any fishing gear whilst transiting a sanctuary

zone.

Vessels anchored, moored or aground in sanctuary zones must

have all fishing lines unrigged.

Trawlers must have the cod end of a trawl net open and the

otter boards out of the water whilst transiting a sanctuary

zone.