BY BILL MASON
BRISBANE — Conservation organisations have backed plans to ban fishing on around a third of the Great Barrier Reef as a major step forward. Legislation tabled in federal parliament on December 3 will create the largest network of protected marine areas in the world.
The legislation will boost the current 4.7% of "green zones" on the reef to 33.3% 11 million hectares. Trawlers now operating in almost 80% of the marine park would be banned from all except 34% of it. Commercial fishers using only one line would have the same access rights as recreational anglers.
World Wide Fund for Nature reef campaigner Imogen Zethoven said that while she had concerns about the watering down of no-fishing zones in some key dugong habitats, particularly Repulse Bay, south of the Whitsunday Islands, the overall package was "wonderful".
"The new network of marine sanctuaries will result in very real and tangible benefits for the health of the reef and its stunning wildlife", Zethoven said. "It will also secure the jobs of thousands of Australians who make their living from this great tourism asset."
She said there would be a need for greater enforcement because satellite transponders did not work on small dories used by line fishers. It was also not feasible to make recreational anglers use transponders.
Australian Conservation Foundation campaigns director John Connor said that while the ACF saw the zoning as a major step forward, he was concerned about the low level of protection given to some highly biodiverse areas including Missionary Bay, Hinchinbrook Island, Princess Charlotte Bay on Cape York and Bowling Green Bay near Townsville.
"This was one of our worst fears realised, that the overall percentage is being lifted in areas to the north and east which are away from the main fishing areas", he said. "At the same time, other important threats like climate change and oil exploration just outside the marine park boundary haven't gone away."
Intense lobbying by some National Party MPs watered down some of the limitations on commercial fishing, in particular areas from the draft plan released earlier this year. The federal government has yet to announce compensation measures for the fishing industry under the new proposals.
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, December 10, 2003.
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