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Fishermen angry at bid to close off more of reef
By Greg Roberts
3rd June 2003
smh.com.au
The fishing industry believes the Federal Government faces a hefty compensation bill if its plan to protect a third of the Great Barrier Reef forces commercial operators out of business.
But conservationists welcomed the draft plan as a further step in the unexpected greening of the federal coalition by the Environment Minister, David Kemp.
In releasing details of the plan yesterday, Dr Kemp indicated that although the Government would consider objections, it will not back down on the proposal to increase from 4.6 per cent to 32.5 per cent the proportion of the 345,000 square kilometre Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to be off-limits to fishing.
"We've now got a plan which balances very effectively the interests of the users of the reef with the needs of the reef for the longer term," Dr Kemp said.
"I mean, we put out a plan which provides protection above 30 per cent and that's a level of protection that is going to put the reef on a long-term sustainable basis. That's the objective of this whole exercise."
But John Olsen, the president of the Queensland Seafood Industry Association, said 2400 of the state's 3000 commercial fishermen rely on the reef, and many could not be viable under the plan.
"You are going to have the same number of boats concentrated in much smaller areas," Mr Olsen said.
"It won't work. There could be horrendous regional impacts. Enormous amounts of money may have to be put up."
Mr Olsen said the prawning industry surrendered 23 per cent of available trawling grounds in 2000 to the marine park. "There's not that much left for them to work with."
Other fisheries that would be hard hit included coral trout, mackerel and crab.
David Bateman, chief executive of the recreational fishermen's organisation Sunfish, said 400,000 recreational anglers in Queensland would be hit by the plan.
"Apart from areas out on the reef, 20 per cent of the Queensland coast adjacent to the reef will be off-limits for the first time to mums and dads with fishing rods," Mr Bateman said.
"It will hurt our domestic tourist industry. Who is going to tow a boat to Cairns for a holiday if they can't fish?"
The plan follows other recent moves by Dr Kemp including a draft water quality plan that foreshadows, for the first time, restrictions on farming and other mainland development to protect the reef.
Dr Kemp has also reached agreement with the Queensland Government to phase out the clearing of virgin native bushland in the state by 2006.
Imogen Zethoven, the Worldwide Fund for Nature's reef campaigner, said it is encouraging that Dr Kemp appears to have departed from government practice by basing decisions on the results of scientific research.
"The minister's approach is that if the science is strong, then he will back it," Ms Zethoven said. "This is a fantastic step forward and, together with the water quality plan, it's a major advance in conservation of the marine park."
While also welcoming the plan, the director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Don Henry, said at least half of the reef should be protected from fishing.
Mr Henry said the reef is under growing pressure from other factors such as coral bleaching due to climate change, oil spills and land-based pollution.
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