Media Release in response to Prof. Kearney's paper

The following appeared on Ecofishers 30th September 2007

Marine Parks Authority Science paper shows gross deception in design of Batemans Marine Park.

The Narooma Port Committee, together with those groups affected by the zonings within Marine Parks in New South Wales, is astounded at the revelations of systematic abuse and corruption within the scientific committee which provided the source of documents that formed the basis for the design of the Batemans Marine Park. Emeritus Professor Robert Kearney, one of Australia and the world's leading Marine Scientists and Biodiversity experts, in a recent keynote speech at the Annual Conference of the Australian Society of Fish Biology, detailed the disgraceful behaviour of the authors of this paper.

Chairman of the Narooma Port Committee, Philip Creagh, stated "these revelations have shown that the designers of NSW Marine Parks produced zonings, particularly sanctuary zones, within the Batemans Marine Park that are based on fallacious and negligent science.

The majority of users of the Batemans Marine Park, the fishers, have not accepted the zonings because of the blatant pandering to the Green conservation minority to help the Government secure preference votes at the March 2007 State election. Little did we realize that the Marine Park Authority's own Science paper underpinning the zoning was blatantly false and biased as well."

When talking about the improvements in ecosystems and habitats produced by Sanctuary zones, Professor Kearney demonstrates that the Science paper has made an error of approximately 100 fold when claiming fisheries benefits of the Leigh Marine Reserve in New Zealand. This is more than just an error in the mathematics. This is a blatant, corrupt attempt to hoodwink the public, both fishers and non-fishers, into believing that sanctuary zones in marine Parks will be a panacea for the Oceans ills.

Professor Kearney goes on to examine the zoning of beach areas as Sanctuary zones and is similarly scathing in his assessment of the Science paper. The Science paper suggests that for beach fish species, "to effectively provide protection, whole beaches need to be included in single sanctuaries, due to movement along the beach". When the two supporting papers were examined by Professor Kearney he stated that "the logical conclusion from the two papers referenced is that there is no conservation benefit at all from closing sandy beaches as the fish are migratory and not responsive to this type of area management (sanctuary zones)." He concludes "Claiming '"protection"' of ocean beaches by implementing a fishing closure as detailed in the Batemans Marine Park documentation is a total misrepresentation of reality"

The Science paper claims that the main threats to the Batemans Marine Park in terms of biodiversity protection and conservation are "Coastal development, pollution, increased nutrient levels (sewerage and agricultural) and turbidity from urban and industrial discharges that result in the decline of seagrass habitats." Yet none of these threats have been addressed or discussed in the Science paper. Indeed the six sewerage outfalls within Eurobodalla Shire are still pumping into the Marine Park. Of the Marine Park Authority's perceived threats, fishing is the sole one targeted.

Professor Kearney is scathing in his criticism of the Science paper in stating that "if there is a greater "crime" in Science than manufacturing results, it is doing so and then attributing these results to somebody else." As far as the Premier, Minister Macdonald and Minister Koperberg are concerned there should be no greater crime than being misled by your own Scientists. However those of us who live within the confines of the Batemans Marine Park would say there is no greater crime than the cynical and dismissive manner shown to the users of the Batemans Marine Park by former Minister Debus and the former manager of the Batemans Marine Park, Geoff Kelly.

The final words should be left to Professor Kearney's assessment of the NSW Marine Parks: "The documentation relating to the creation of the Batemans Marine Park is perhaps best described as very poorly disguised advocacy marketed to the unsuspecting public as science. This is a sham. So much so that not only does it totally discredit the Batemans Marine Park, but it calls into question the credibility of the Marine Parks Authority and the justification of all existing and proposed marine parks in New South Wales."

The Narooma Port Committee calls on the NSW Government to set aside the zoning within the Batemans Marine Park, and all other Marine Parks in NSW, and to have a thorough review of the type of zoning that is required in Marine Parks on the coast of New South Wales, based on relevant science. Not with a view to a pre-ordained objective, blinkered by environmental zealots within the Department of Environment and Climate Change, but to have a fair and equitable outcome. It is only by doing this that Marine Parks have any real chance of being accepted by the vast majority of users.

Dr. Philip Creagh 24th September 2007

The Narooma Port Committee
The Narooma Port Committee is fighting for fair and equitable zoning within the Batemans Marine Park. We informally represent the interests of the recreational and commercial line fishermen, Charter Boat operators, Tackle stores, accommodation facilities and clubs who use the port of Narooma, on the far south coast of New South Wales.

Curriculum Vitae for Professor Robert Kearney PhD, DSc, AM

Bob Kearney is Emeritus Professor of Fisheries at the University of Canberra. He is currently Chairman of the Research Committees of the Hermon Slade Foundation and the Australia and Pacific Scientific Foundation.

His career in fisheries and environmental research and management includes the following previous positions: Principle Fisheries Scientist for the Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries in Papua New Guinea and Personal Advisor to the Minister of Fisheries and Forestry, Founder and Director of the Skipjack and Tuna Programs for the Secretariat of the South Pacific Community, Chief Scientist of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, Director of the New South Wales Fisheries Research Institute, Professor of Environmental Science and Head of the School of Resource Environmental and Heritage Sciences at the University of Canberra, Foundation Board Member of the Australian Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Board Member of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Foundation Board Member of two Cooperative Research Centers (Aquaculture and Freshwater Ecology), Member of the Australian Government Biodiversity Advisory Committee and the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, and Chairman of the Board of the WorldFish Center.

He is the author of approximately 150 scientific and technical papers and the recipient of more than 20 million dollars in research grants. Major research achievements include the first assessments of the tuna resources and related fisheries in the central and western Pacific and identification and first documentation of the need for a regional fisheries agency to manage these fisheries. More recent research projects include modelling Australia?s fisheries production and consumption to 2050 and beyond, reducing conflict between recreational and commercial fishers, and injecting industry perspectives into the use of marine protected areas for conservation and fisheries management purposes. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his contribution to international and Australian fisheries research and management.