UPDATED
With much focus on the issue of the South Australian Marine Parks due to come into effect on October 1 2014, RecFish SA take this opportunity to explain our current policy on Marine Parks and how this conflicts with both the current Marine Park Act and the Private Members Amendment Bill, currently before the SA parliament. We draw attention to the possibilities presented by our position.
RecFish SA’s policy was developed at the 2013 strategic planning workshop with over 20 council members and other stakeholders from around South Australia.
It states:
– There should be a review of Marine Parks Sanctuary Zones to provide a “Threats and Risk” based approach in place of the current “Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR)” method which was used in the SA Marine Parks initiative.
– That any current sanctuary areas which can be scientifically shown to protect the spawning and nursery environment of iconic recreational species from identifiable risk or threat, shall be maintained
Neither the current Marine Parks Act or the proposed Amendment Bill employ scientific risk or threats assessment of areas to be protected. Additionally, it appears that the proposed Bill would remove the protection afforded to important spawning and nursery areas at the top of the Gulf St Vincent; an area considered to provide critical protection for many recreational fishing species and their ecosystem. RecFish SA urge MP’s who will be voting on this issue in September to consider our position, particularly with respect to the call for a scientifically assessed, threats and risk based approach and protection for key spawning and nursery habitats of important recreational species.
We note that under the current Act, around 6% of state waters would be closed to recreational and commercial fishing, while the proposed Amendment Bill before the parliament would reduce this to approximately 4%. Naturally, RecFish SA strongly advocate for maintaining recreational fishing access wherever possible and have consistently called for for an expansion of land based fishing to be permitted in sanctuary zones.
We would also like to point out alternative arrangements in other states where some areas are protected from commercial exploitation, while still allowing for low impact recreational fishing activities to take place. It appears that this avenue could be further explored in South Australia in order to achieve access for recreational fishers as well as enhanced protection for the marine environment.
Marine Parks (Sanctuary Zones) Amendment Bill 2014
A letter has been sent directly to all Lower House Parliamentarians by the Chair and Executives of RecFish SA together with a map showing the true location of Port Wakefield and Sanctuary Zone 1 in Park 14 which has been referenced in the letter. The letter refers to RecFish SA’s marine parks policy and its position on the Marine Parks (Sanctuary Zones) Amendment Bill 2014 as proposed by the Hon Michelle Lensink MLC.
Click Here to read the letter
Please note that Ms. Lensink and other proponents of the Amendment Bill did not consult with RecFish SA on this important policy matter. Accordingly, the letter was sent directly to Parliamentarians, especially to highlight the importance of retaining the Sanctuary Zone at the top of Gulf St. Vincent which contributes to the protection of critical spawning and nursery habitat for a wide range of species there. Whilst habitat protection and fisheries management are separate matters, the prawn, blue crab and Garfish fisheries are in serious trouble in our Gulf St. Vincent due to over extraction, so the banning of netting, potting and long lining in some parts of Marine Park 14 is simply common sense as well as an important habitat and ecosystem preservation measure. Note that commercial and recreational fishing can still operate out of Port Wakefield.