BEWARE of HABITAT PROTECTION ZONES IN NSW MARINE PARKS

[Duffer]

The reason habitat protection zoning was put in place was simply to protect marine habitats and some 40% of the total area of NSW marine parks are protected by that designation.

Great we all say - No habitat = No fish.

Unfortunately the Marine Parks Authority, without any justification, is missusing and abusing this classification.

The original intention of habitat protection zones was to facilitate the management of activities that damage marine habitats.

The Marine Parks Regulation 1999 in Division 3 Reg. 12 specifies which fishing activities are allowed in the habitat protection zone of a marine park, these being:-
(1) (a)   the taking of fish by use of a hook and hand held line,
     (b)   the taking of fish by hand,
     (c)   the taking of fish by use of a scoop net or landing net,
     (d)   the taking of fish by use of a spear or spear gun,
     (e)   the taking of fish by any other method permitted by the zoning plan for the marine park.

Despite these very specific regulations spelling out what is allowed in this zoning we find the Cape Byron Marine Park prohibiting all fishing at the Mackerel Boulder Habitat Protection Zone for 7 months of the year and that Wilson Reef and Bait Reef Habitat Protection Zones have an extremely restrictive species list imposed . Spearfishing has been completely prohibited at Lord Howe Island Marine Park.

It is very apparent that in each marine park the authorities can do what they like to whoever they like and there is stuff all we can do about it. The guiding regulations are absolutely meaningless.

Ever marine park in NSW has locked up the entire foreshore area with either a habitat protection or sanctuary zoning. Surely there is a case for significant areas of foreshore, widely used by the public, to be classified as general use zone?

[Oly]

If you look you will find that other marine parks introduce their own rules that oppose what yuo have included in your post as allowable activities.

For instance at JB, habitat portection zones at Hyams beach/greenpatch area have sepcifically banned spearfishing.

on Lord Howe Island- spearfishing is banned in sanctuary and habitat protection areas.  Hmm which is great except the marine park at Lord Howe Island only has two zones - habitat protection and sanctuary zones.  So spearfishing is effectively banned

The devil they say is always in the details


Oly

[Steve B]

Communities just like corporations or any business have fixed overheads related to their basic needs infrastructure. For those of us who choose to live south of batemans bay those infrastructure costs are carried through access to the sea, be it amateur or pro. How do we support our schools, hospitals etc with our major dollar earner gone? At the moment we are barely able to cover the shortfall due to inadequate govt spending. 

[Tarki]

Duffer,
       Correction mate. The Mackerel Boulder Habitat Protection Zone, in the despised Cape Byron Political Park is only available to fishers for FOUR months (4) each year. It is a sanctuary zone for EIGHT months ( every year. The small boat fishers have no where else to fish in the political park. Every other bit of productive reef is locked up forever in sanctuary zones........unless of course, we can change the government in March 2007. The current Opposition has promised to implement the communities wishes about zonings..........if relected. Now that is music to my ears.      Is it any wonder that the communities affected by the Cape Byron Political Park, won't support it in any shape or form?  They have been totally dudded and lied to by the Marine Park Authority.    Tarki.