Last week the New South Wales Government announced its new approach to marine park management—specifically, that it will open up ocean beaches and headlands in sanctuary zones to recreational line fishing, continue the moratorium on creating any new marine parks, abolish the Marine Parks Authority and establish in its place two new bodies stacked with economic rationalists at the expense of ecological expertise. The Government previously sold out New South Wales’s natural environment in return for political deals on other important issues such as national parks by allowing shooting in our national parks. This latest development in our marine parks is equally shameful. It is worth remembering that the Government originally amended the Marine Parks Moratorium Bill so that the moratorium period could be defined in legislation as either five years from the commencement of operation of the amending bill or a shorter period linked to the completion of the scientific audit, whichever occurs sooner. In Hansard, the Minister for the Environment said:

The Government considers that this independent scientific audit is necessary to ensure that future decisions we make in relation to marine parks are evidence based and rely on the best possible information. We also include an amendment to prohibit conducting or continuing reviews of zoning plans within the moratorium period.

So in the Government’s response there was no acknowledgement that the audit report had recommended that mechanisms be found to enhance and protect biodiversity in the Hawkesbury and Twofold Shelf marine bioregions, which were identified gaps in the marine park system. No, of course not: that would not fit with its anti-marine science ideology. So what did the Government focus on? An amnesty—a free-for-all, an immediate lifting of restrictions on line fishing from ocean beaches and headlands in sanctuary zones which, of course, is a complete gift to the Shooters and Fishers Party—a gift to the Shooters and Fishers Party that could have significant implications for fish species that already are fully fished or overfished. For example, tailor is an inshore schooling fish and predator. It is classified as fully fished. Tailor live to 10 years and mature to about 10 kilograms. However, they are fished at around one to 1.5 kilograms before the species can reproduce. Older fish are commonly found around rocky headlands.

The estimated recreational catch of tailor in New South Wales is between 150 and 300 tonnes each year more than the commercial catch. So one can see how an influx of recreational fishers into sanctuary zones could be a huge blow to any newly recovered populations of species, such as tailor, in these areas. Mulloway, which is overfished, is even more at risk. Dr Daniel Bucher, who is a senior lecturer in fisheries biology and marine biology at the Southern Cross University, says that that decision is not supported by the science:

I have been scanning that audit with a fine tooth comb and I cannot see anywhere where this is actually part of that recommendation.

In fact quite the opposite. I have found parts of the audit where they believe that no take zones are important in the context of biodiversity conservation and where the aim is to preserve habitats from extracting uses including human impacts including fishing.

The decision to open up all of the coastal sanctuary zones to recreational fishing is not supported by the science.

The science of marine parks would say we need reference areas that are free from all potential human impacts that will serve as the long term reference against which we can measure impacts.

So what is line fishing in sanctuary zones? Surely it is effectively a change in the zoning of the marine park. Surely it is making sanctuary zones a habitat protection zone, or something similar. Remember the Government moved an amendment to the Marine Parks Moratorium Bill to prohibit conducting or continuing reviews of zoning plans within the moratorium period. This is rezoning of a marine park by stealth. Perversely, this free-for-all in the sanctuary zones will occur while a new yet-to-be-formulated expert knowledge panel, which will be headed up by an economist, undertakes a six-month assessment of recreational fishing access to these areas. Why on earth would a Government lift the amnesty before the review or assessment has been undertaken? It is disgraceful. Once again, this Government has demonstrated absolute contempt for marine science in New South Wales. In fact, this move makes no sense unless it is yet another move to pander to the Shooters and Fishers Party. Then it makes sense.

Indeed, the Government’s response to the audit report is at best ill informed and at worst just a politically motivated restatement of Coalition prejudice against the protection of the State’s marine reserves. But in parallel with this fixing of the findings of the audit report, I draw attention to the Government’s progressive dismantling of scientifically credible information sources about the state of our marine environment. One of the recommendations of the audit report was to expand the scope of ongoing assessments of fish stocks and to assess ecological sustainability and management of fisheries rather than just stocks. Yet the body responsible for undertaking regular three-yearly monitoring of the status of fish resources was the Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence. The centre of excellence was abolished by the Minister for Fisheries, Katrina Hodgkinson, last year.

Now, apparently, the latest three-year fish stock assessment, which is due out now, has not even been started. The Government says it is delivering on its election commitment for a common sense marine parks policy. Well common sense would tell the Government that we need to conserve fish stocks for future generations. The audit and the review of management practices is just a front behind which the Government is undermining the marine park system, dismantling systematic scientific research, and using our precious marine environment as bargaining chips to please a minority voice within the fishing community, The Nationals, and to maintain the favour of the Shooters and Fishers Party.

Greens MP and environment spokesperson Cate Faehrmann says the Premier must intervene if the Primary Industries Minister fails to immediately implement the key recommendation from a Parliamentary Inquiry into the controversial closure of the Cronulla Fisheries Centre, and that is to reverse the decision.

Ms Faehrmann, who was a participating member of the Inquiry, said “I implore Premier O’Farrell to step in and save the day here if the Minister does not. Furthermore, if the Minister fails to act on our key recommendation the Premier should strip her of her portfolio.

“This Report has confirmed what the Greens knew all along. The decision had no feasible rationale, did not follow required government guidelines and treated the staff and the public appallingly. I have no doubt it will be used for years to come as a text book example of how governments should not make decisions.

“The decision was politically motivated and has caused a great deal of distress to many people while ruining the state’s reputation internationally.  It is resulting in an irrevocable loss of scientific expertise from NSW Fisheries that will put management of the state’s fish stocks at serious risk if not immediately reversed and the staff offered their jobs back.

“The Minister’s attitude to the inquiry was incredibly arrogant with the Minister and her senior bureaucrats appearing dismissive of parliament scrutiny at best.

“The report even has its own section ‘The Minister’s Approach to the Inquiry’ and rightly so. The Minister first refused to appear before the Inquiry, then when she did appear, and only under considerable pressure we understand, she was found by the Committee to be ‘evasive in failing to answer questions’.

“The fact that the Minister and her Director-General refused to inform the Committee as to the real reason behind the decision is proof it was politically motivated and nothing else,” said Ms Faehrmann.

Media contact: Peter Stahel 0433 005 727

Greens MP and environment spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann says protection reinstated for the  critically endangered grey nurse shark today should never have been removed and does not go far enough to protect the species from extinction.

“When you are desperately trying to save a critically endangered species from extinction, half-hearted compromises are not the way to go” said Ms Faehrmann.

“The government has finally agreed to reinstate bans on line fishing  with bait around grey nurse aggregation sites at Fish Rock, Green Island and added protection for Mermaid Reef near Crowdy Head and Magic Point at Maroubra.

“After taking government, the O’Farrell Government repealed protection for the grey nurse shark at Fish Rock and Green Island for purely political reasons. They then undertook a public consultation process where 82% of respondents told them they supported grey nurse shark protection, recreational fishers among them.

“A 200 metre prohibition on line fishing with bait is not sufficient given research by CSIRO has shown that grey nurse sharks migrate 1500m from the rock gutters where they aggregate. This is why conservationists have consistently called for 1500m sanctuary zones around all aggregation sites.

“The regulations announced today will be an enforcement nightmare. How will they police which fishing method is being used, particularly when they rarely visit the sites? This is another sound reason why 1500m sanctuary zones for grey nurse sharks are what is really needed.

“The community need to be reassured that a vigorous compliance effort will be put in place at the aggregation sites to make sure the rules are enforced. We will continue to call for 1500 metre sanctuary zone protection and this is what is needed to give the grey nurse shark the best chance of survival”, said Ms Faehrmann.

Media contact: Peter Stahel 0433 005 727

One of the world’s largest super trawlers has entered Australian waters and is set to have a huge impact on Australia’s marine life unless the federal Environment Minister can be persuaded to veto its operation.

This Dutch-owned factory ship, the FV Margiris, is set to fish some of Australia’s most critical fish species along our coastlines.  It’s the largest ever super trawler to operate in Australian waters – 144 metres long, with a net large enough to hold 13 jumbo jets. Each day the trawler can catch 250 tonnes of fish and almost a month’s catch can be stored on the trawler.

Removing this quantity of baitfish from the marine eco system, threatens not only the sustainability of local stocks but also all the other species who rely on them as a food source. On top of this we can also expect the nets of the super trawler to snare other species of fish, as well as bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, seabirds and sharks.

For the next year, Margiris is permitted to catch 18, 000 tonnes of fish in Australian waters – a quota currently under investigation by a Commonwealth Ombudsman for the tenuous and outdated scientific data it relies upon. Seafish Australia, the company in charge of this venture, has conceded that a quota reduced by only a few thousand tonnes would make this project financially unviable.

As Seafish Australia apears unconcerned with the devastating impacts of the super trawler on Australia’s marine eco-system, they will only cancel this venture if it becomes financially unviable.

Please help by using the form below to urge the federal Environment Minister to veto the approval that has been given for this massive fishing operation.

Dear Minister

I write to urge you to stop the FV Margiris from fishing in Australia's waters. This vessel has the potential to decimate Australia's marine eco-system at a scale never seen before along the nation's coastlines.

I am deeply concerned that the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has not considered the following environmental issues in determining the fishing quota allocated to this super trawler:

(1) The stock assessments for the blue mackerel, jack mackerel and redbait need updating. A quota based on decade-old assessments of fish populations is irresponsible.

(2) The danger of localised depletion of targeted fish: The storage capacity of the ship and the immense fuel costs mean that concentrating fishing in a small area is an attractive option.

(3) The impact of depleted fish stock on the ecosystem: The species targeted by the super trawler are an important food source for other marine animals including bottlenose dolphin, fur seals and larger fish such as southern bluefin tuna and sharks.

(4) The dangers of ensnaring animals such as dolphin, albatross, sea lions, seals, sharks and rays: The effectiveness of excluder devices is contestable

As the minister for environment you have the authority to prevent the FV Margiris fishing and exporting from Australian waters.

Please do not allow our marine eco-system to be damaged by this super trawler.

Yours sincerely

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The person found to be responsible for the live mutilation of a grey nurse shark must face full force of the law says Greens MP and environment spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann.

“The Department of Primary Industries has confirmed that the shark found with its fins sliced off and washed up at Evans Head last week is a protected, critically endangered grey nurse shark,” said Ms Faehrmann. “What is even more tragic is that it is a young breeding female. The Minister needs to reassure the public that the Department is doing everything it can to catch the offender”.

“The loss of a breeding female from the tiny grey nurse shark population on the east coast of Australia is a huge blow to the desperate conservation effort to save this species,” said Ms Faehrmann. “The shark was still alive when it was found on the beach and suffered a slow, cruel death.”

It is illegal to fin a live shark and discard its body in NSW waters and it is also a very serious offence to harm a critically endangered grey nurse shark. Clearly, the Department needs to step up its compliance activities if fishermen think they can get away with such serious offences”, said Ms Faehrmann.

“The Minister also needs to make her own position clear on the conservation of this critically endangered species. On taking office, she revoked protections for the grey nurse shark at South West Rocks and Solitary Islands to appease the fishing lobby. She has since undertaken a lengthy public consultation process on grey nurse shark protection during which the public told her that they overwhelmingly support protective measures. Yet she still holds off on giving these sharks’ habitat full protection”, said Ms Faehrmann.