Grey nurse shark

[CEO]

NBN "SUNDAY" at 9am. The Grey Nurse Shark fiasco. What a great opportunity to have more letters to the editors, from ECOfishers. And a golden opportunity to set the record straight.....with the Greens.

[BOB SMITH]

What a shame it was not on 'Before' the election.


Bob Smith

[Mel]

MUST SEE TV

Hello All

Could you please circulate this press release to as many people as possible and urge them not to miss this story.

There are a number of us who have worked for a long time for this exposure which should be good news for us all.

Hopefully the revelations will give us leverage at the table with governments and the opportunity to promote spearfishing?s agenda  of sustainable fishing and accreditation.

This exposure has occurred through the efforts of a number of people who deserve mention, Mel Brown, Jon Jenkins, Rod Burston, Adrian Wayne, Oliver Wady, Paul Roso, Ian Puckeridge, Andrew Harvey, Simon Latta, Alex Lewis, Shane Fitzmaurice, Patrick Mullins and those who assisted behind the scene.

This exposure has been in the making for some time and as some of us have been bound by confidentiality it could not be made public prior to this.

All recreational line and spear fishers should realise that this would not have come to fruition except for the impeccable record keeping of Mel Brown and the efforts of Jon Jenkins and Rod Burston. We would urge everyone not to miss this Sunday?s Sunday programme on Channel Nine.

Adrian Wayne and Mel Brown.

SUNDAY Program Channel Nine TV ? 9am, 25th March, 2007

This week on SUNDAY, The Great Shark Hunt.   

Is the Grey Nurse Shark really on the brink of extinction as we?ve been told?   Or has good science been junked for Green politics?   SUNDAY investigates claims that evidence has been suppressed by some scientists suggesting these so-called thilocenes of the sea are not endangered at all

Recreational and sports dive fishermen say that while they strongly support protecting the Grey Nurse Shark, they?re being unfairly locked out of new marine parks and other prime fishing areas at least in part because of scientific claims suggesting there are now as few as 400 Grey Nurse left along the entire East Coast of Australia.

To prove their case there?s thousands of Grey Nurse sharks out there, they?ve taken SUNDAY to the secret spots where they say these beautiful animals are thriving ? locations they are refusing to disclose to Fisheries scientists because they fear these areas too will be closed off from fishing.

The now retired State Upper House MP Dr Jon Jenkins, a highly qualified scientist himself, believes someone in NSW Fisheries chose to sit on a second scientific survey of Grey Nurse shark numbers done in August 2003.  He used the Parliamentary Order for Papers in 2005 to demand Fisheries hand over any studies, reviews or reports on the shark?s numbers but he says it wasn?t until late last year, when he insisted the data existed, that the Parliament was finally given the evidence.

Jenkins believes someone did not want the public and policy-makers to know about this evidence which he believes undermines the published data that Fisheries scientists are now using to justify expensive research and to also justify restrictions on fishing worth many millions of dollars.

?They just trashed the science that didn?t support their point of view,?  Jenkins says.

 But Chief Fisheries Scientist Dr Steve Kennelly defends his scientists, denying the data was suppressed and saying it could not be used to count Grey Nurse numbers because it was inadequate to be statistically valid.

However eminent Townsville-based marine biologist Dr Walter Starck, one of the pioneers of scientific investigation of coral reefs, also believes claims the Grey Nurse is near extinction are unsubstantiated:

?I think that the population the total population is probably much larger than is being claimed,? he tells SUNDAY.

Dr Starck, and other respected marine biologists consulted by SUNDAY, believe too little is known about the numbers and locations where Grey Nurse?s congregate for current survey methods to be able to accurately measure the population.

It?s a high-stakes debate because one of the fundamental basis?, for founding marine parks up and down NSW? coastline was to protect the Grey Nurse shark.  Economic analyses have costed the effects of fishing closures as being disastrous for the NSW economy.   What Dr Jenkins argues is that such measures should be based on rigorous objective science.

?Somewhere along the line, a deliberate or an accidental fraud has been perpetrated here.   The science is absolutely clear that these documents clearly indicated that there were more than 500 sharks out there and yet it has been withheld and not only has it been withheld it has been suppressed from both the public, the scientific community and the Parliament.?

Reporter: Ross Coulthart

SUNDAY ? Channel Nine TV ? 9am

 

[bayrunner]

As promised on our website.....

"Grey Nurse Sharks
Coming soon .............................this information will be explosive!"

SUNDAY program, Channel 9 (or country equivalent), this Sunday, 25-5-07.

Fishermen and women statewide will be outraged to find they have been deceived and cheated out of their legal right to access some of the best fishing spots in NSW.....just for dirty green preferences!!!!

"Give the shark a park" Bullshit.

[Dr. Phil]

This appeared on the National Parks Association Marine Media website on Thursday PM.  This media release will already have gone to every media outlet in NSW.  http://www.marine.org.au/media.htm
The Nature Conservation Council, through Kessler,  have already accused the divers in the Sunday story as being "inexperienced divers, with a vested interest".  Of course the counter argument to that would be how could we trust Coastcare or Harbourkeeper divers to not have a similar agenda??

Note that the NPA have secured funding for a TAFE course so their coastcare and harbourkeeper volunteers can get a "diploma".  Note also that the NPA have secured funding from the Australian Government Envirofund for $41,000 this year for the NPA diving club to "assist management of NSW Oceans" ... I am almost vomiting.  The NPA have also secured funding for "Biological and cultural heritage workshops and survey" to the tune of $11,000 .. now I am.

The NCC, NPA and Humane Society International are mounting a court case that starts in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, in early (14th ??) April 2007.  They will be arguing that the Ocean Trap and Line industry does not satisfy Environmental rules for export of Australian Fish (GNS can be a bycatch).  This is their attempt to close down the OTLF indusrtry which of course will devastate many fishing ports up and down the Coast.  The next step will be to mandate closure of the 16 aggregation sites.  Do the Green groups give a damn about the economic suffering they will cause .. of course not.

It would be interesting to
a.  Find out where the AAT hearing will be
b.  Perhaps send observer(s) along .. it should be a public hearing.
c.  Mount a demonstration
d.  Show how the Green groups, together with the NSW Department of Environment funded Environmental Defender's Office, can mount a veaxatious time wasting costly exercise for people in business, threatening their livelihood.

The Green groups are extremely well organized and unrelenting in the message that they try and put out .. a lot of the reason that fishers do NOT like shooters is the unrelenting perception put out by Animal libbers over the years.  Similarly the South East NSW logging industry suffers from unrelenting green pressure.  When the FACTS are looked at many of these issues are far far less harmful than made out.

It will eventually be illegal to go fishing .. in my lifetime I certainly hope not.

March 2006

Bogus Grey Nurse Sharks Claims Quashed
Response to SUNDAY Program Channel Nine TV, 9am, 25th March, 2007

Claims of bogus population counts for Grey Nurse Sharks have been labelled as unsubstantiated by the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA).

"Our Grey Nurse Sharks remain at serious risk of imminent extinction along the east Australian coast," said Nicky Hammond, Marine Program Manager of NPA. "Population counts and modelling for this harmless shark have been conducted using credible scientific practice and support that less than 500 sharks remain."

"Claims on this week's SUNDAY program on Channel Nine of cover ups, fraud and buried scientific findings make for interesting viewing. However, the reality is less 'X files' than this. Survey information that wasn't released by scientists didn't reach the minimum resighting requirements for the population modelling to be scientifically valid. Therefore it was of no use. The simple fact remains that NSW is about to lose this amazing creature from our oceans forever."

"The thousands of Australians calling for the Grey Nurse Sharks to be given a fighting chance at survival would be delighted if hidden groups of sharks were playing hide and seek with the scientists," continued Ms Hammond.

"NPA challenges those doubting current population counts to publish a peer reviewed paper which rigorously challenges the clear evidence we currently have that shark numbers are at critical levels. We cannot ignore the plight of a dying species on opinion alone."

"The real threat of extinction for the Grey Nurse Shark is supported by the NSW Scientific Committee's recommendation in January this year that the Grey Nurse Shark's threatened species listing be increased from 'endangered' to 'critically endangered' under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The Australian Government has already listed the Grey Nurse Shark as 'critically endangered' under their Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)."

"We know Grey Nurse Sharks can move quickly between their key aggregation sites so sharks seen in one area can be sighted hundreds of kilometres away only days later. This, and the movement of sharks between deep and shallow waters, can result in misleading beliefs about separate populations."

"NPA is currently seeking the animals' 16 key aggregation sites be fully protected as marine sanctuaries, to protect our remaining sharks from the key threat of accidental hooking at these sites."

"These sanctuaries will add to the growing NSW sanctuaries network to safeguard NSW marine life and fisheries. Such sanctuaries are internationally recommended by scientists to ensure ecosystem based management of our oceans. They have been shown to provide benefits to tourism, the economy and fish stocks."

"It's time people stopped stalling, and start acting to save these amazing sharks," concluded Ms Hammond.

Media Contact: Nicky Hammond 9299 0000; 0416 217 286

[Oly]

How is that the NPA know that the stats from the scientists arent valid- could it be that it was shown to them and not the parliment?

 Interestingly Ms Hammond isnt at work today- guess she is campaigning somewhere to save the GNS

I know enzo has requested the data by which claim by NPA have now insisted that the sharks can travel hundreds of kilometres per day.  That will make for an interesting arguement.  Hmm survey data from same weekend-- but the sharks seen at both  Seal Rocks and SW Rocks on the same day are the same fish- they must swim fatser than sailfish or wahoo.

Its good to see the turth is out there, and that the NPA are still living the fairy tale.  Lets hope the funding stops soon
 

[CEO]

  ECO  THANK  YOU. And another very big thank-you, to ALL the ECOfishers out there who have vigorously kept the phony-fake Grey Nurse Shark issue, alive in the media for the last two years at least. Remember the "squeaky wheel?"  It works!  Looking forward to another "controversial" issue!

[CEO]

  MEMO to NPA, NCC (No Credibility Council) W.S. and all other Greenie government funded groups.
         FOLKS, Opinions don't matter. They are irrelevant. And especially irrelevant when they are "green" opinions! What does matter in science are FACTS!
        On behalf of the recreational fishing community, we are heartily sick and tired of your emotional environmental nonsense! And I dare say the rest of the community is also. So remember, your OPINIONS aren't relevant to us.

[CEO]

 I'm guessing, but I suspect the reason the GNS show couldn't have been programmed BEFORE the elections was because the Labor Party would have spent a million or more on advertising their smear campaign with Chn 9. That media outlet wouldn't have wanted to risk losing that massive advertising budget. Makes sense.

[Ken]

The show today examined some of the science methods being (mis)used in this debate. Obviously if a FACT doesn't fit THROW IT OUT!!!! Not the scientific method I learnt about in the mid 1950's (guess methods change when politics come in Gallileo was alleged to have said under his breath 'it does move' when his science was overruled by the church politics).
Fisheries said they expected to find 7 tagged GNS in 160 odd surveyed (if their estimate of 4-500 GNS was accurate) and when they found NONE therefore it doesn't count?? So if they saw one would it have counted?  WHAT figure did they want? Probably something more than 7 would satisfy their political masters!!!
ps I know how to cut costs Mr Iemma, don't bother to fund science research just make it UP!!!!!!

[BOB SMITH]

Here is a video  link to the story compliments to the spearos website >

http://spearoz.org/index.php?topic=382.0


And a better link compliments of Wayne D >

http://ninemsn.video.msn.com/v/en-au/v.htm?f=39&g=3771c83e-f950-4876-ba5d-ade43ee7bb78&p=aunews_ausunday&t=s29&mediaid=77683


Heads should roll if evidence suggests misleading parliament or tampering with evidence although 2 Ministers will be out.


Bob Smith

[CEO]

ALL, if the "scientific methodology," isn't right, the results won't be right! In this case it looks like they got it wrong. It's smelt fishy for years. Keep it up there in the media.

[BOB SMITH]

I believe that the GNS show was sanitised because not enough attention was directed at the withholding or dismissal of "crucial research" or missing files or parliamentary speak. I hope any ICAC inquiry gets the balls to proper investigate.
The other thing is with Debus gone Macdonald is a serious contender for the chop, and when you look at results in Tweed, Port Stephens and everywhere an MP exists, along with this GNS fiasco it would be the first move Iemma would make. Yes something smells fishy in NSW and the following weeks are interesting.
No wonder there needs to be a representative of fishing in the house.


Bob Smith

[Mel]

I am pleased that part of the information relating to the attempt by fisheries scientists to deny and denigrate the importance of the August 2003 survey of Grey Nurse Sharks is now in the public domain. My own correspondence to Minister Macdonald concerning this survey was completely ignored, as was other correspondence regarding the recovery of their population.

Unfortunately all the information available was not presented due to it being culled by channel nine's bosses. Hopefully they plan to use it soon, particularly that part which points to the misleading of Parliament.

The establishment of "critical habitat" areas for the "protection" of grey nurse sharks has always been highly suspect. There is absolutely no evidence that these "resting" sites are absolutely crucial for the survival of the specie. Indeed there is much anecdotal evidence that Grey Nurse Sharks can also learn to avoid these areas if given enough incentive.

Thanks to channel nine's presenter Ross Coulthard the evidence you need is out there. Please use it and demand that all Grey Nurse research be completely divorced from NSW Fisheries and contracted to independant researchers. Demand an immediate review of all GNS Fishing closures.

It will be a long, long time before there will be any trust in NSW Fisheries conducted research. Any findings will be highly suspect and should be scrutinised with the utmost vigilance.

Mel.

[CEO]

MEL, since your enquiries were, typically, ignored by Fisheries Minister Macdonald,  to whom and what, do you suggest, ECOfishers make further representations?
       Perhaps we will all get a "new" minister, in Labors Cabinet reshuffle, one that understands and appreciates the issues.....and knows the difference between a whiting and a wobbegong!