Spot X

[Nete-Quette]

The NCC don't know where this site is, so they call it Spot X. Locals have never heard of it.

[CEO]

 A typical example, of local sentiment at the governments marine park and anger at extreme green government funded preservation groups, latest proposal. 
                                                        IF WE ALL DO NOTHING, THEN NOTHING WILL CHANGE !
                                                           The Byron BAY community is certainly doing their bit.                 CEO.

[CEO]

                                                                      HUH ! Another typical NCC stuff-up.

[Nete-Quette]

Conservation through sustainable use.  Making people part of the solution

The Voice of NSW Recreational Fishers

                                                                                 
                                                                     


MEDIA RELEASE:    

 NO ADDITIONS, NO EXTENSIONS, FOR GREY NURSE SHARKS.

ECOfishers, the voice of NSW recreational fishers, welcomes the decision not to impose additional restrictions on recreational fishing families of the northern rivers, because of the Grey Nurse shark.

An extreme green group of preservationists had sought to impose an additional 1.5 km, fishing exclusion zone, around the Julian Rocks at Byron Bay.

Having failed using the judicial process, these preservationists sought to use political influence to achieve their goals. They sought to impose extra fishing exclusion zones, upon recreational family fishers, across 18 popular NSW fishing sites, including this popular site off Byron Bay.

At a meeting in the Fisheries Minister?s office last week, ECOfishers CEO, Ken Thurlow, negotiated a ?no extension, no additions,? outcome for local recreational fishing families.

Our negotiations were based upon science and reality, not green myths or anecdotal evidence.

A recent decision in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal confirmed the east coast population of Grey Nurse sharks, ?Is most likely to be somewhere between 500 and 1,500. However it might be more.? One expert witness estimated at least 3000!
This judgement makes a mockery of the, ?fewer than 500,? touted by extreme green government funded preservationists.

The Minister?s decision is a timely Christmas present for local family fishers and the community. It is based upon science, our current knowledge of the biology, migration patterns and life cycle of the Grey Nurse shark.

The existing fishing exclusion zones are more than adequate, (in this case excessive,) for the Grey Nurse. Sharks utilize 100% of our oceans. Offshore family fishers have only 0.01% of the government?s political park and for only four months of the year.

There is absolutely no advantage whatsoever, in locking-up the only periodic fishing site, for the  Grey Nurse shark, when scientists, fishers and skindivers, have never observed or recorded the sharks there!

 
The significance of this decision is that anecdotal evidence and emotional green rhetoric could not be justified.

                                                                   
Ken Thurlow
CEO  ECOfishers  NSW.