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HAVE YOUR SAY ON A MPA
By Bob Lister, Chief Executive, Tasmanian Fishing Industry Council
The Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) are now seeking submissions on their draft recommendations for the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour and the Kent Group of Islands in Bass Strait.
Copies of the RPDC Draft Recommendations Report are available by telephoning the RPDC on 03 6233 2795 or you can access the Commission's website at www.rpdc.tas.gov.au.
Comments need to be lodged with the RPDC by close of business on 28 April 2003.
The proposals as they stand restrict future commercial and recreational fishing access within these important areas and the eventual outcomes will set the scene for the establishment of even more MPAs throughout the rest of Tasmania.
My commercial fishing industry members have very real and serious concerns about any attempt to exclude them from their traditional fishing grounds and to lock up even more areas of our State waters for little apparent benefit.
A brief history of this issue is of interest.
Since 1996 there have been three attempts by the Tasmanian Government to introduce MPAs in Port Davey/Bathurst Harbour and the Kent Group of Islands.
The first proposal in 1996 was withdrawn by the Secretary of the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries as it was eventually deemed to be inappropriate and the second attempt in 1998 was overtaken by a State election and subsequently lapsed.
The new State Labor Government then decided that in order to formally progress the issue they should develop a planning strategy for a representative system of MPAs throughout Tasmania.
In August 1999 the State Government established a Marine and Marine Industries Council with a specific task to develop a policy framework, or a blue print, for the establishment of a system of MPAs in Tasmania and the final strategy paper was released in early 2001.
In accordance with the Strategy in August 2001 the then Minister for Primary Industries, Water and Environment gave a reference to the RPDC to conduct an inquiry and to recommend to the Minister on the establishment of MPAs within the interim bioregions known as the Davey bioregion and the Twofold Shelf bioregion.
The RPDC has since prepared a Background Report and considered written and verbal submissions and have now just released their Draft Recommendations Report.
This 106 page report summarises the RPDC deliberations to date and records some of the issues put forward in submissions both verbally and in writing.
The views are extremely wide and variable ranging from total 'no-take' MPAs over the whole reference areas to lesser restrictions and acknowledges the difficulties in establishing and managing MPAs in whatever form.
From a fishing industry perspective we are of course very concerned about any loss of productive fishing areas.
Catches of abalone, rock lobster and scalefish at Port Davey are worth around $5M pa and at the Kent Group approximately $1M pa and the introduction of any no-take MPA puts at risk the substantial benefits that our fishing industry provides to local coastal communities and to the economy of Tasmania.
As we have a well managed and sustainable industry with already over 300 marine areas in the State where fishing is either prohibited or restricted it is difficult to see why we need even more MPAs.
If creating marine reserves is a political or numbers game then existing protected areas could be renamed Marine Reserves and we would have more of these areas in Tasmania than anywhere else in the world.
There are also great difficulties in establishing a multiple use concept and enforcing any restrictive boundary decisions in very remote areas and it really just creates a mine field of issues.
The RPDC will eventually provide their recommendations to the Minister for Primary Industries, Water and Environment who after consideration may seek State Cabinet approval to declare the MPA proposals.
Any MPA restrictions will be implemented under the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002 and/or the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995.
I urge all interested persons to obtain a copy of the RPDC draft recommendations and to very carefully consider all the issues before lodging a written response by the due date.
Bob Lister is the Chief Executive of the Tasmanian Fishing Industry Council, which represents the best interests of all commercial fisherman, marine farmers and fish processors in Tasmania in an industry worth $306M pa at beach price.
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