Latest Grey Nurse Shark hype from BBMPA on ABC

[Malcolm Poole]

All,

Some interesting and pointed statements inferring Fishers are causing all the problems.

Fishing bans aim to protect grey nurse shark
Posted 7 hours 53 minutes ago

Fishing restrictions start at Cape Byron Marine Park in northern New South Wales today to give more protection to the endangered grey nurse shark.

The seasonal closure of the park is an effort to give the slow breeding shark time to mate and give birth without the threat of being caught by fishers.

Marine park manager Andrew Page says all fishing is off limits in the area around Julian Rocks.

"The base of it is 700 metres north of Julian Rocks and it goes up to the apex of the triangle," he said.

It's actually 1.5 kilometres from Julian Rocks.

"It's closed to all forms of fishing, recreational and commercial fishing, and there is some track (I think that is trap) and line fishing that takes place around there."

[CEO]

Thank you Malcolm. A journalist from the Northern Star (Lismore's regional daily) rang the ECOfishers office about 3;15pm this afternoon for an interview about Grey Nurse sharks and the seasonal closure of the 0.01% of the political park, local offshore fishers get to use, for 4 months every year. And then there was a message for ECOfishers, from a TV station, requesting another interview next week. At least the media are talking to the right people! It was pointed out again, among many other issues, commercial trawlers get to use 53% (at least) of the political park every night ogf the year, Apparently Grey Nurse sharks that follow the prawn trawlers, don't get caught! And in over 40 years of local recreational catch statistics, from our traditional fishing grounds at the Julian Rocks, not one Grey Nurse has been recorded.
  Further, the fact that juvenile GNS have occasionally been sighted at our traditional fishing grounds doesn't mean they give birth or even mate there. But when you have a Qld NPWS employee, as manager of a NSW government marine park, anything is possible - anything at all!  And the mis-manager wouldn't know the difference between a track and a trap. There hasn't been any commercial trap and line fishing there since the political park was zoned! More lies from the MPA. They make calendars for people like him - just so he has half a chance of working out what day it might be! Rocky.