The decision of Gillard government to lock up the vast areas off WA coast from fishing is fully influenced by US greenie charity. In the name of saving critical habitat in WA waters an American charitable trust is taking the decision to close fishing in the areas. That is what is happening in the development of the Gillard Government’s new plans to ban commercial activity in huge areas of our best fisheries – with little or no public involvement.
The Pew Environmental Group is the lead body in a group of environmental organisations called Save Our Marine Life that has been at the forefront of agitating for new no-fishing marine sanctuaries off the WA coast. The plan was set out two years ago with the launch of a report called Protecting WA’s Big Blue Backyard.
The report has targeted few “threatened” species and ecosystems such as blue whales and white sharks. Interestingly, the report didn’t offer any of its own scientific research, but it did quote what it said was recent opinion polling. And that is the nub of this issue. The campaign plays solely to green sentiment, not science.
The commercial fishing industry has been fighting a losing battle ever since to stop locking up 30 per cent of WA waters for no good reason. Recfishwest executive director Frank Prokop said that the cynical marketing campaign by these green groups ensures that a sad looking seal is asking them to help save it when the truth is that populations are actually increasing and sanctuary zones will have no effect on them.
Department of Environment and Conservation audit of Jurien Bay Marine Park showed that despite 24 per cent being closed to line fishing there were no clear benefits after 10 years. The bottom line is that Pew and its greenie mates have got away with blue murder for too long.
