THE CAIRNS BLACK MARLIN FISHERY IS UNDER PRESSURE

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO ENSURE IT SURVIVES

The heavy tackle Cairns Black Marlin fishery is in severe danger of collapsing after the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) announced the draft zoning plan for the Marine Park via the Representative Areas Program on Monday June 2nd 2003. This is not scare mongering, but fact. Not only is the heavy tackle fishery in danger, but every recreational angler along the whole Great Barrier Reef region will be severly disadvantaged by the level of marine protected areas (green zones) proposed in this plan.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has been divided into 70 separate areas of bio- diversity called bio-regions. Each and every one of these bio-regions have something different, sea grass flats, sponges etc that GBRMPA wish to protect. To do this, the marine park is to being rezoned, with the entire marine park to have 32.5% green zones. green zones are non-extractive zones, ie. No fishing, either commercial or recreational, no collecting of any kind. Boating, snorkeling, scuba diving and other tourist activities will be allowed. Currently the marine park has 4.5% green zones most of which are in the Far Northern section of the marine park. GBRMPA are now calling for a further 28% of the marine park to be green.

The Northern section of bio-region X5, the Southern section of bio-region NL1, all of bio-regions NR and X2 are the critical operating areas for charter operators and recreational game fishing persons during the one hundred and twenty day annual Cairns Black Marlin fishing season from September to December. The area inside the 300 metre depth contour from the top of Carter Reef to just south of Heartbreak corner will not be accessible. This includes the openings between # 10 and No Name Reef and between No Name Reef and Yonge Reef. Large areas offshore of the reef from #10 down to Opal Reef will also be no fishing, as are areas in the middle Ribbon reefs and all of Opal Reef in the South.

In all, we have lost just on 45% of our fishing area, including some of our historic best fishing spots. The operators who work from Lizard Island have virtually no where to go. If you are hooked up to a marlin and the fish and the current take you into one of these green zones then you are required to cut the fish off? Many inshore light tackle areas in the Cairns, Townsville, Whitsunday and Southern regions have also been lost. Large areas offshore of Townsville are also now green and the only areas in the Whitsundays that the charter fleet can access on day trips with consideration of economics and weather have been taken away. Unhindered access to the bio-regions in the Cairns to Lizard Island sector are vitally important, so that game fishing charters which include trolling for migratory pelagic species, anchoring of vessels and the safety of persons at sea, snorkeling, historical bait gathering and other light tackle game fishing activities can be carried out. These changes to the zoning in these regions will mean that this industry will not be able to operate. Because of the migratory patterns of the Black Marlin (makaira indicus), there is no alternate area that our members can operate in.

Boating, snorkeling, scuba diving and large tourist pontoons etc will be allowed ‘carte blanch’ access with new moorings and other infra structure (pontoons etc) being allowed into the future. Fishing will never be allowed though. This is discriminatory bio-diversity at its best.

Game fishers, because of long standing industry, ‘Codes of Practice’, the ethics of fishing to standards set by the International Game Fishing Association, the Game Fishing Association of Australia and the Queensland Game Fishing Association, and our commitment to tag and release fishing have shown that game fishing has negligible or no impact on the bio-diversity of the marine park. No scientific evidence exists that shows that game fishing has any effect on fish stocks, quite the contrary in fact. Through the tag and release program, sonic tagging and other research undertaken, the knowledge that has been obtained has been beneficial to the fish stocks by better understanding of the species and their migratory patterns. Through responsible management and research, a new scientific tag has been developed which will further enhance the information available on the stocks of game fish. Modern technology, equipment and fishing techniques have ensured that all fish are released in excellent condition. These programs and fishing methods have resulted in the past seasons being the best for twenty years.

Not only does the charter game fishing industry provide a much valued Eco tourist experience for anglers travelling from all over Australia and the world but the economic value to the regions economy cannot be understated. The Coopers & Lybrand study, completed in 1996 indicated that the game fishing industry was worth at that time, forty million dollars to the Cairns economy alone. With the accepted 52% increase for the year 2000-2001 this industry is currently worth in excess of sixty million dollars. The importance of game fishing to families and the community as a whole cannot be understated. If we include the recreational angler and their worth to accommodation houses, service stations, tackle shops, boat dealers, supermarkets and other small business and the jobs they in turn create, then we have a value to communities right down the East coast that would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Green zones are more about easy enforcement than about protection. Green zones will not protect any other part of the bio-diversity of the ecosystem other than that, which is removed or destroyed by extractive methods. It is not addressing pollution problems, soil run off or loss of habitat. There are much better management tools available than to deny access to a group of users that have proven beyond doubt that they do no damage to the bio-diversity of the area. From ten thousand one hundred and ninety (10,190) submissions received by GBRMPA in the first round of public consultations, 46% were from sectors that required access to the reef for recreational angling opportunities or were concerned about the negative impacts on the economy and lifestyles of anglers and communities adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. The balance of submissions (54%), were either commercial fishing, (3%) or made no comment whatsoever on recreational angling or charter fishing. However, the majority of submissions did show concern over the level of commercial fishing activity within the Great Barrier Reef region. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, by the action they have taken have shown complete disregard for the public consultation process.

You can look at the draft zoning plan on the web at: www.gbrmpa.gov.au click on the Representative Areas Program icon on the right side of the home page and you can access the maps, submission forms etc. Submissions close on August 4th, and we would appreciate as many people as possible sending in a submission. Instead of green zones, an alternative of a yellow Conservation Park Zone, along with better fishery management will protect the Reef for future generations without impacting so severly on peoples lives. This is the last chance to comment on this plan before it goes to Government to be legislated and become law.

With only seven weeks left before submissions close, we urgently require your assistance, to ensure that you will still have access to your favourite part of the Great Barrier Reef. You can also support our fight by sending a letter, preferably on a company letterhead voicing your disapproval of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authorities proposal to increase the level of green zones. The economic support that you have given to the region over the years, by chartering local boats is also of great importance, and cannot be disregarded. If this plan goes ahead, the game fishing industry will be devastated with the consequent loss of jobs and closure of many business. A fighting fund has also been set up, and any pledges that you can make would be greatly appreciated.

Laurie Wright
President

A more detailed overview of the situation, and the CPGFA's submission to GBRMPA is available for download (PDF 36kb).

Please send your letter to the Minister as per below;

The Federal Minister of the Environment
The Hon. Dr. David Kemp MP
Parliament House, Canberra
ACT. 2600 Australia

Please forward a copy of your letter to this association as per below;

Cairns Professional Game Fishing Association Inc.
P.O. Box 5722
Cairns, 4870
Queensland. Australia.

E-mail: info@cpgfa.asn.au Web: www.cpgfa.asn.au