WHO IS MANAGING NSW FISHERIES?

The Honourable Peter Garrett, MP.
Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Arts.
PO Box 2600
Parliament House,
CANBERRA ACT 2600.

Dear Mr Garrett, Re: ?Further Closures for Grey Nurse Shark Sites.?
Media Release ? 13/12/07.

ECOfishers, the voice of NSW recreational fishers, is gravely concerned you have been misinformed, in relation to this matter. As custodians and users, of the NSW fisheries resource, we seek to set the record straight.

On Friday, 16th November 2007, NSW Minister for Fisheries, Ian Macdonald, (under the signature of DPI Director General, Barry Buffier,) announced greater protection and additional restrictions, on commercial line fishing, at Green Island and Fish Rock, off South West Rocks NSW and Magic Point at Maroubra, NSW. (ECOfishers is in a position to know. I was in the Minister?s office, representing NSW recreational fishers, at the time of that announcement.)

Mr Garrett, your media release, dated 13/12/07, almost one month after Mr Macdonald?s announcement, is belated!

Manta Arch and The Steps at Anemone Bay, off Coffs Harbour, NSW are incorporated in the NSW government?s Solitary Islands Marine Park. Both sites are currently protected by a variety of NSW government sanctuary and habitat protection zones and fishing gear restrictions. These restrictions have been in place for the last decade.

Grey Nurse sharks are seasonal visitors to these two sites, on their annual winter northward migration. Hence there is absolutely no advantage whatsoever, for the shark, in locking-up popular fishing sites, when the shark is not visiting.

Mr Garrett, for community support for these, ?lock-up and lock-out? initiatives, there has to be a balance, for them to be effective. There is a limit to what the community will accept. Decisions must be based upon robust and credible science, not green myths or anecdotal evidence.

The recent hearing in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) concerning the Grey Nurse shark and the export licence for the NSW OTLF, confirmed, the current science concerning the life cycle and biology of the Grey Nurse shark, is inconclusive at best and shonky at worst.

However, Justice Downes in the AAT, did determine 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 3,000!

That determination makes a complete mockery of the extreme greens continued claims, that there are, ?fewer than 500,? Grey Nurse sharks in the east coast population. So radical are some of their claims, they are demanding the ?locking-up,? of a site off Byron Bay, where Grey Nurse sharks have never been recorded!

As fishers and daily users of the marine environment, we know and are aware of, other Grey Nurse aggregation sites, in addition to those cited by the extremists. And for obvious reasons, fishers are sworn to secrecy and will not divulge the location of those sites.

Fortunately, the previous Federal Government, allocated substantial funding, (2007 ? 2008) for further research and investigation, into the biology, life-cycle, migratory patterns, impacts of SCUBA divers on Grey Nurse shark aggregations and habitats etc, so inconclusive is the current data.

ECOfishers has continually challenged and disputed the existing work by NSW Fisheries ?scientists,? in regard to their ?mark-recapture studies.? It failed to meet all of the basic assumptions criteria. The AAT hearing confirmed our concerns. So that ?scientific? data is unreliable.

Hence, as representatives of NSW recreational fishers, we urge you to exercise caution and restraint. Rely solely on solid science and not green myths. And wait until all the new science and research is in before making further announcements or demands, concerning NSW fisheries and the Grey Nurse shark. Your announcement of 13/12/07 is considered embarrassing, to you.

Finally, as a representatives of NSW recreational fishers, we would greatly appreciate being ?kept in the loop,? concerning future Federal Government initiatives and announcements, that pertain to NSW fisheries. Seasons greetings.

Yours sincerely,

Ken Thurlow
CEO ECOfishers NSW.