PROPOSED RELOCATION OF CRONULLA FISHERIES

[mrsswordfisherman]

Visit the SAVE CRONULLA FISHERIES site for info.

Here is a templated letter that is being sent to govt

Dear Minister Hodgkinson,

I write in regard to the recent decision by the NSW Government to close the Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence (CFRCoE) and "decentralise" staff to disparate regional centres throughout the state. I find this decision astonishingly short-sighted in terms of the management of our fisheries resources as well as financially wasteful of my taxes. I ask you to carefully reconsider this poorly conceived decision. This iconic research station is one of the most famous in the world of fisheries research and the birthplace of marine research in Australia. It was the first centre for fisheries research in the southern hemisphere and has employed some of the world's finest marine scientists over its 110 year history. It has an internationally recognized reputation for excellence in scientific contribution to marine research. The historical significance and research reputation of this centre are irreplaceable. Its heritage-listed buildings and aquaria facilities have only recently been upgraded at considerable cost to the tax payers of NSW. These facilities are now amongst the most modern and effective for fisheries research in Australia, and for some aspects of research are amongst the best in the world. The capital infrastructure of CFRCoE is not available at any of the proposed relocation sites and would cost further millions of tax payer dollars to duplicate elsewhere. This will be a waste of my taxes. Most of the staff at this site have indicated that they will not be able to transfer out of Sydney. This will ensure that NSW will lose centuries of scientific experience and expertise in this very specialized field. NSW's fish stocks are some of the most sustainably managed in the world. This will no longer be the case if you allow NSW to lose some of the finest fisheries scientists in Australia. Much of the important research at CFRCoE which cannot be done elsewhere is funded by money raised from the sale of recreational fishing licences. If the site is closed and the researchers leave the department, my licence money will have been wasted. The location of the site is also logical as it is centrally located in relation to the extent of the state's commercial and recreational fisheries. The proximity of CFRCoE to the population of Sydney also facilitates the education and mentoring of the next generation of natural resource scientists through the centre's close alliances with Sydney's major universities. Many of these students have gone on to become your own scientists, because they already have training in NSW government policy needs. You will lose this important link if you close the CFRCoE. This is not a sensible or logical decision. If this closure goes ahead, it will be to the great detriment of the state's commercial and recreational fishers. Most importantly however, this decision will negatively impact on your ability to ensure the sustainability of NSW's fish stocks at a time when the effective management of our fisheries resources are facing their greatest challenges.

[redpump]

The relocation is ridiculous. I've put my vote in! (I like how there is only 1 option - the best option!)