According to seafood industry EPA plan for the Moreton Bay Marine Park is deceptive and secretive. Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA) spokesman Winston Harris told that the association was not aware the State Government had finalised the massive expansion of “green zones” in Moreton Bay, until contacted by media.
Harris said that the EPA went through a cruel and farcical pretence on industry consultation in planning the rezoning, and that’s been topped off by this secretive release of their final plan. He added that the EPA has kept the details of the plan and even the date and time of its release a total secret from the group who will be most impacted – the seafood industry and seafood consumers.
Harris said that EPA’s behaviour stinks. Premier Anna Bligh today announced “green zones”, where commercial and recreational fishing are prohibited, would account for 16 per cent of Moreton Bay from Caloundra to the Gold Coast Seaway. IN this new plan extensive stretches of favoured fishing grounds east of Bribie Island, Crab Island and North and South Stradbroke Island have been rezoned to prohibit commercial and recreational fishing.
The QSIA Trawl Committee Chairman, Robin Hansen, opined that the association had not seen a copy of EPA’s final rezoning plan and was not in a position to comment on its impacts. He told that as far as they were concerned the decision and its implications were still in the melting pot.
According to Sustainability Minister Andrew MacNamara some 100 of 420 commercial fishing operators in Queensland would leave the industry, once new zoning became effective in March next year. He also said that the details of the compensation package were ambiguous. He added that commercial fishing licencees will go under and without adequate compensation.
