Download Minutes - Independent Scientific Audit of Marine Parks

Independent Scientific Audit of
Marine Parks in NSW
PO Box H292, Australia Square NSW 1215
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.marineparksaudit.nsw.gov.au
Workshop 6e
Summary
2–3.40pm, Thursday 1 December 2011
Room 1254, Parliament House
6 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW
Attendees:
Assoc Prof Bob Beeton, Chair
Prof Colin Buxton
Mr Greg Cutbush
Prof Peter Fairweather
Assoc Prof Emma Johnston
Dr Roberta Ryan
Ms Petrina Alcock, Secretariat Manager
Dr Fiona Powell, Secretariat
Mr Bruce Schumacher, Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing
Mr Malcolm Poole, Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW
Mr John Burgess, Australian National Sportfishing Association, NSW Branch
Mr Craig Wilson, Australian Land Based Anglers Association
Mr Christian Gough, Australian Land Based Anglers Association
Mr Geoff Parker, Coff's Harbour Deep Sea Fishing Club
Mr Ken Thurlow, Ecofishers
Mr Dan Bode, Byron Bay Services Deep Sea Fishing Club
Mr Adrian Wayne, Underwater Skindivers and Fishermen's Association
Mr Peter Saunders, Underwater Skindivers and Fishermen's Association
Mr John Paton, Commercial Vessel Association of NSW
Mr David Litchfield, NSW Game Fishing Association
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Apologies
Mr Ken Smith, Byron Bay Services Deep Sea Fishing Club
Ms Ann Garard, Charter fishing representative on NSW Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing
The views expressed at all workshops are those of the individual participants. They do not
necessarily reflect the views of the NSW Government, the views of all the workshop participants or
the views of the Audit Panel.
The Chair welcomed attendees, provided a background to the Audit and explained Audit
procedures.
Participants introduced themselves and discussed the visions of their various clubs and
associations.
Participants expressed a desire for marine parks to balance biodiversity conservation and other
uses.
It was suggested that land based fishers have been overlooked by marine park management and
that Jervis Bay has become the worst case scenario for these fishers, with large social impacts from
marine park establishment.
It was suggested land based fishers are amongst those most severely impacted by fishing closures
for marine parks and a substantial number of land based game fishing locations have been closed
for management of Jervis Bay Marine Park, Booderee National Park and Royal Australian Navy
precincts.
It was suggested land based fishers have very little impact on fish numbers and the environment yet
they are denied access to many coastal platforms and beaches in state marine parks.
It was suggested marine parks have adversely affected kayak anglers and small vessel operators
and there is no process for kayak anglers and small vessel operators to work through issues with
the relevant authorities.Participants indicated deep sea fishers have been involved with marine
parks since 1995.
Participants discussed how clubs and associations had tried to raise awareness of marine parks
amongst recreational fishers.
Participants suggested there was conflicting science on the benefits of marine parks and indicated
that they were not necessarily opposed to marine parks. It was suggested there will always be a
trade-off between economic benefits from the marine environment and costs to the marine biota.
Participants discussed safety of fishers, including the improvement of safety through education and
angel ring life buoys.
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It was suggested habitat protection zones should be implemented along rock platforms such that
fishers can seek safe fishing locations and access during poor weather and dangerous conditions.
Participants expressed concern that marine parks do not protect the marine environment from all
threats.
It was suggested that international studies do not justify marine parks in NSW.
Participants were concerned that penalties for park infringements were too harsh and that fines
were exorbitant. It was suggested that an adversarial approach was often taken by the Marine
Parks Authority when an educative and informative approach may be more appropriate.
It was suggested that many illegal activities occur in marine parks, for example, the scattering of
ashes without the required permits and illegal collection of shells, but generally only fishers are
fined.
Participants discussed zone boundaries. It was suggested that sanctuary and general use zones
should not be adjacent but separated by habitat protection zones because fishers may inadvertently
drift from general use into sanctuary zones.
It was suggested that locking up areas as sanctuary zones does not necessarily prevent the impact
but rather disperses the fishing effort to surrounding areas.
Participants were concerned that rigged gear cannot be stowed in rod holders in sanctuary zones
though the safest place for the gear is in the rod holders.
Participants discussed the difference between consultation and participation and indicated they
wanted more of the latter.
Participants discussed the influx of people to coastal areas during holiday periods which results in
two distinct groups of recreational fishers (resident and holiday) needing to be consulted.
Participants discussed spear fishing. It was put to the Panel that within marine parks spearfishing is
excluded together with some types of line fishing at Carcharias taurus (Grey Nurse Shark)
aggregation sites. This is despite spearfishing being allowed at Grey Nurse Shark aggregation sites
outside of marine parks where it is considered to have a low impact.
It was suggested spear fishing is the only form of fishing prohibited on Lord Howe Island and there
is nowhere to spear fish in Cape Byron Marine Park.
Participants discussed the physical limitations of spear fishing. It was suggested spear fishing is
limited to rocky reef habitat. It was further suggested restrictions under marine parks has resulted in
spear fishing becoming an activity for elite spear fishers only, as only challenging sites remained
open for fishing and easier sites suitable for beginners were closed. It was suggested this is a social
and cultural issue as it prevents experienced fishers passing knowledge onto their children.
Participants suggested fishing havens and articificial reefs are of little value to spearfishers and are
no substitute for spearfishing areas lost due to marine parks. Participants indicated the Underwater
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Skindivers and Fishermen's Association have kept fishing records for 60 years and that these data
are being published.
Participants discussed a proposed accreditation system for spear fishers in NSW.
Participants expressed concern that the amount of sanctuary area in each marine park was prebargained between the NSW Government and conservation groups.
It was suggested different bag limits in different marine parks has led to confusion.
It was suggested there is no spillover of fish stocks from marine parks into adjacent areas in NSW
and lobsters and abalone have not increased in marine parks following park declaration.
Participants expressed concern that pollution and ballast from cruise ships is one threat not
managed by marine parks.
License fees for recreational fishers were discussed and it was suggested that the benefit of the
fees to the recreational fishing sector is not evident.
Participants were concerned that marine park zones do not recognize different types of fishing,
though they may have different impacts on the environment.
Participants suggested water pollution from agricultural chemicals in upper catchments, sewerage
disposal and the desalination plant are major threats to the marine environment.
It was suggested marine parks do not protect the marine environment from all threats and that there
is a lack of political will by all governments, most environmental agencies and environmental groups
to address the real threats to the marine environment and fish resources. In this context, the
relevance of the Pareto principle was discussed. It was suggested while fishing might account for
20% (a percentage contested by participants) of impacts to the marine environment, 80% of
measures to protect the marine environment curtailed fishing. Conversely, the factors causing
(ostensibly) 80% of the impacts to the marine environment attract only (ostensibly) 20% of the
management effort.
It was suggested there had been no research into the effects of land based angling on fish
populations.
Participants discussed fishing in high energy areas including beaches and suggested natural
disturbances in these areas would outweigh any disturbance from fishing.
Participants expressed concern that marine park zoning had ignored recommendations from
recreational fishing groups.
Participants discussed Epinephelus daemelii (Black Cod). It was suggested this species is not a
recreational fishing species and is protected in the spear fishing code of practice.
It was suggested marine parks result in the displacement of recreational fishing effort.
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Participants discussed fish spawning areas and suggested they did not object to these areas being
closed. It was suggested fish stocks are not collapsing in NSW.
Participants discussed the advocating of marine parks for conservation management outcomes
rather than for fisheries management outcomes. It was put to the Panel that a paper by Lynch
(document 309) contrarily emphasized fishing closures in Jervis Bay Marine Park for fisheries
benefits. Further, it was suggested Lynch's results were based on the incorrect assertion of uniform
fishing effort across fishers and fishing techniques.
It was suggested the best way to manage recreational fishing is through fisheries management
approaches such as bag and size limits, and through education.
It was suggested certain types of low impact fishing should be allowed in sanctuary zones.
It was suggested that in some cases species bans in habitat protection zones have effectively made
these areas sanctuary zones and this is not consistent with sustainable use of the habitat zones.
Participants highlighted the importance of the support of fishers for achieving management
objectives.
Participants generally expressed the view that very little illegal recreational fishing activity occurs in
NSW. It was suggested the licensing program had contributed to fishers' sense of ownership of fish
resources.
It was suggested recreational fishing is less about necessity and more about lifestyle. It was further
suggested that generations of recreational fishers have self-limited their take of fish.
It was suggested that recreational fishing havens create quasi ownership and guardians that
contribute to informal protection of an area.
Participants suggested few fishers are able to fill their bag limits and some choose not to take the
limit, so generally recreational fishers take fewer fish than may be expected.
It was suggested that license fees have contributed to research on fish barotrauma.
Participants discussed social and economic studies on recreational fishing and indicated that
funding under the Recreational Fishing Trusts has been allocated to conduct a comprehensive
survey of recreational fishing in NSW.
Participants indicated that the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) are
looking at further research.
Participants indicated fishers are more than happy to tolerate regulatory measures if they make
sense.
The Chair closed the workshop at 3.40pm.
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Supplementary material participants offered to provide:

Lynch 2006, Incorporation of recreational fishing effort into design of marine protected areas

Steffe 2008, Response to Lynch

Information obtained under a freedom of information request of the Commonwealth
Government, relating to rock fishing in Booderee National Park.
The Audit subsequently received other supplementary material in relation to this workshop. It is
available on the Audit website.
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