Hinchinbrook Marine Mammal Sanctuary in Danger

 14/1/10

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXm1ICO8Nec

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUa23yevmVo

 

 

The Hinchinbrook Dugong and Marine mammal sanctuary is in danger of being dismantled once again if commercial fisherman have their way.

They are trying to use the second round of the Inshore Finfish consultation process to introduce some forms of netting back into the Dugong protection A area of Hinchinbrook Channel

Believe me when I say this is only the thin end of the wedge.

They are already pushing for the wider use of what they call Salmon nets, they claim these will not kill Dugongs; one thing is for sure if there were a fatality the dead Dugong would never be found.

One very concerned group is the Nwayaigi traditional people the custodians of Sea County in this area.

Last week I was invited by Jacob Cassidy to speak at Nwayaigi  AGM at Mungalla to talk about issues in country.

Both the Nwayaigi and the Girrigan have in place a Tundra agreement with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority not to hunt marine mammals in their county.                                   

They are gravely concerned about any activity in sanctuary country that could endanger the very marine mammals they themselves have agreed to protect.

Many were not aware of the 2 resent Dugong Fatalities in the area one at Lucinda and one at Balgal beach.

Even though there was now evidence of the cause of deaths they both occurred in the down graded Dugong B Protection areas where large set nets are allowed.

What this is going to do is cause a major rift between the general community and the commercial fishers all over very small gazzeted sanctuary.

We may have all thought this issue was put to bed during the first round of the tropical Inshore Finfish consultation.

It was raised by the commercial sector on the 28-3-2008 and was totally opposed by the whole of the Hinchinbrook community at a meeting held at the Ingham bowls club.

The minutes of that meeting are available on the net for all to see http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/extra/pdf/fishweb/RIS/MeetingRecord-Recreational-Ingham-19Mar08.pdf

See section on Dugong protection where the community said a big NO to set nets in the Dugong protection area.

So her we are just two years later and the push is on again, but this time there is no public consultation or community involvement and DPI Fisheries are distancing them selves from the process.

That is why they have engaged an independent research organization to run a foil for what is being proposed.

The second round of the so called consultation process has excluded those who voted against the introduction of nets back into the channel in 2008 and to this point in time no information has been available to the general public and only the commercial sector have been given the opportunity to put forward proposals

How fair is that?

 What the commercial sector is proposing has been kept tightly inhouse, given the fact the only activity that commercial fisherman can not do is set nets in the Dugong A protection area it does not too much working out what it is they want  as it is the only form netting they are excluded from.

There would be many in the commercial sector who would say leave the Dugong sanctuaries alone, the reputation and creditability of all commercial fishers need this like a whole in the head.

Anyhow there is another meeting scheduled for 5.30 pm on the 28th of January at the Girrigan center Cardwell.

There is no information available to the general public as to the structure of this meeting.

How can the general public find out what is being proposed other than turning up at the meeting                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The Hinchinbrook Dugong protection area is only very small in the overall scheme of things and should be set in stone for future generations.

Is not Queenslland supposed to be the smart state; we will be the laughing stock of the world if this proposal is allowed.

It will be the only mammal sanctuary in the world where the very thing that can kill Dugongs is allowed into the sanctuary.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/dugongs-killed768.html#cr

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HRI4Z5NTg

 

http://9am.ten.com.au/dugongs.htm

 

Alan Goodwin

Lucinda

 

Gill netting expansion in Hinchinbrook and Cardwell shires.

 

 

 

A resent meeting in Cardwell may well be a precursor to the reintroduction of set gill netting if commercial netters have their way.

The process is being conducted by The Mc Phee research organization engaged by Queensland Fisheries and funded by the FRDC The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.

DPI Fishers decided to engage an independent body to run the second round after what they copped at the Ingham Bowls Club during the first round.

This is stage 2 of the Inshore Finfish management plan.

Remember in stage one they wanted and failed to introduce “Dugong Safe” nets back into Hinchinbrook Channel.

So just to bring you up to date what has transpired resentley, the DPI Fisheries minister signed of on a press release that was headed by the wording “ Community to have their say in new east coast research”.                                                                                            

 At the end of the day nothing could be further from the truth.

Here’s how it went the meeting was held at Port Hinchinbrook was at 11 am on the 30^th Nov.

Guess what no community involvement it was and invitation only affair.

They did invite some recreational stakeholders most were given just a few days notice and were never going to be able to attend because of work commitments myself included.

So who did attend the meeting, one lone rec fisher from Townsville, members of the steering committee and McPhee researchers?

And yes I nearly forgot some eighteen commercial fishers and industry representatives were present by way of only a few invitations.

So one would have to conclude given the total lack of representation form recreational stakeholders any points put forward that could affect recreational stakeholders must be deemed as invalid.

Believe me when I say what is going on here is all about commercial domination of any formed community based management body                                                                  

There are some commercial representatives saying they have no interest in the channel at the moment, if that is the case why is this while process taking place.                                                                                                                                                    The is fact the Dugong A sanctuary of Hinchinbrook channel is the only area where set net are banned.

The Dugong A protection area of Hinchinbrook Channel is the ultimate goal.

It was not so long ago they changed the wording from Catch sharing to the sugar coated Co Management.

If the channel is not in their sights lets see a statement from official sources with in DPI Fisheries to that effect.

Why is this whole process-taking place given the fact the channel is the only set net free zone anyway?

They must think the average recreational fishers are pretty dumb.

People will make up their own mind if they know what is going on.

At the end of the day this whole stage 2 of the finfish process has been designed to keep as much information as possible away for local communities and traditional owners negating any chance for them to have any input on local fisheries proposals.

Once again we have been given the mushroom treatment on and issue that is extremely important to all those who are concerned about protecting Dugongs.

It has been leaked that the next meeting in Cardwell is on the 28^th of January but to this point in time a time and venue have not been confirmed.

If you would like to know the date and time of this meeting is on email

daryl.mcphee@WorleyParsons.com

And ask the question the more askers the better.

I suspect they will try once again to exclude recreational stakeholders by staging the next meeting during the day, when it must be held at tight to insure a balanced attendance.

Late mail is only confirming how misleading and deceptive information coming from the Organizers of these meetings, the Port Hinchinbrook venue where the meeting is supposed to me held is not even booked for the 28^th of January.

So I suspect it will be the same again as the last meeting the organizers will select a date and time just a few days out to exclude Recreational Anglers again.

 

 

Alan Goodwin

Crackajack Sportfishing Adventures & Echo Tours

Hinchinbrook Barramundi Catch Sharing Proposal 2009

A cover up for alowing nets back into Hinchinbrook channel Dugong protection area.

4/8/09

Hi Friends

Just when we thought the Dugongs in Hinchinbrook Channel was protected from commercial netting we are now faced with another challenge as per the press release below.

The statement in the release that a "good proportion of the community approve of Commercial fishing" is a broad based sugar coated statement and in no way is a true reflection of how local Hinchinbrook and Cardwell communities feels about any reintroduction of set nets back into the Hinchinbrook Channel Sanctuary.

One just has to read between the lines to see what is coming, this study is being commercially driven to gain access to closed areas.

The reference to concerns should read access to Grey mackerel in port Douglas, in Hinchinbrook Channel Dugong A protection area, and net harvesting in the Burdekin area.

The big question that needs to be answered is who is raising these concerns for this research to be conducted, one thing is for sure it is not the recreational sector who fish the already set net free Hinchinbrook Channel.

It leaves no doubt that commercial sector are trying to come in from another direction [catch sharing] to once again push for the reintroduction of set netting back into Hinchinbrook Dugong protection A area.

If you don't believe this is another cloak and dagger attempt dismantle a marine mammal sanctuary why would they be even talking about catch sharing, given the fact that all other areas adjacent to the Dugong Protection area are open to barramundi set netting.

If you want to talk about catch sharing just ask the residents of Taylors and Forrest beaches if there is a danger of Dugong entanglement.

The general public will one again be starved of info regarding these proposals and the dates of these meetings will not be known much out from the actual dates.

It is hard to believe that after such a huge outcry during the last attempt to introduce so called Dugong safe nets into the Hinchinbrook Dugong Protection Area that another attempt would be made so soon.

Regional management what does that mean, i will tell you what that means local commercial fishers in positions of influence over a public resource.

Who is going to appoint the representatives to any proposed local management committee, local residents must have the final say as to who they want to represent them in fisheries issues.

If you take into context the wording in the press release such as "Catch sharing" and "Hinchinbrook Barramundi" this alone should start the alarm bells ringing given the fact the the only area where catch sharing is not taking place is the Hinchinbrook Dugong A protection area.

Why would the DPI enlist an independent group such as the FRDC to head up this project, i will tell you why the firstly they would have to have commercial sympathies and secondly those DPI reps who attended the first round meetings at Ingham bowls club and Port Hinchinbrook would not be keen to cop what they did at the last attempt to dismantle the a Dugong SANCTUARY in Hinchinbrook Channel.

 This is just the start of the second round of the battle to keep set nets out of Hinchinbrook Channel Dugong A protection area.

We must all be aware of what is being attempted and call as many people as possible to arms and reject this proposal and protect the biodiversity of Hinchinbrook Channel.

I also find it very interesting that Townsville and Cardwell are not on the menu for one of these meetings given the fact that the greater part of Hinchinbrook Channel is in the Cardwell shire and so many anglers also visit Hinchinbrook from Townsville.

Given the flack the Bligh government is coping over all sorts of issues at the moment it would need this like a hole in the head, any move to dismantle a marine sanctuary before an election would be political suicide.

I may well be jumping the gun and paranoid here but if i am let DPI Fisheries come forward and state on the public record that there is absolutely no possible push for barramundi catch sharing in the Hinchinbrook Dugong protection area, if i am wrong i will be the first to admit and make a full retraction.

As further info comes to hand it will be posted here.

Stay  Tuned

Al

Why is a meeting being held in Port Douglas?

http://www.ffc.org.au/Grey_Mackerel.html#latest

Why is a metting being held in the Burdkin

http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/2465/rp21_part_01.pdf

 

 

 

30 July 2009

 

Fishers to have say in new East Coast research DPI Press Release

A new research project funded through the Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC) kicks off this month to look at regional management of Queensland’s fisheries.

The project has been initiated by the Queensland Government to address concerns over how to fairly allocate our fisheries resources.

Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland Tim Mulherin said the research is the second phase of the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery review conducted last year.

“Given the vast number of issues raised during the review relating to resource allocation, the government decided to address the management of the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery in two stages,” Mr Mulherin said. 

“Stage one, which is now completed, dealt with holistic East Coast issues such as fish size limits and bag limits, sustainability measures and how commercial fishers should operate.

“The second stage of the review will now look at regional concerns including fair access to fisheries resources for both commercial and recreational fishers.

“A good proportion of the community support commercial fishing, however some recreational fishers are concerned net fishing reduces their available catch.

“We therefore need to deal with these issues through consultation with local communities to work out how commercial and recreational fishing can coexist in Queensland.

“There will be three pilot studies in Port Douglas, Hinchinbrook and the Burdekin, including local meetings starting around September this year.

“Concerns raised in these areas include commercial netting of grey mackerel in Port Douglas, barramundi fishing in Hinchinbrook and commercial net fishing access within the Burdekin River.”

FRDC principal investigator Dr Daryl McPhee will lead the project team, which will include staff from James Cook University.

“This project is a great opportunity to demonstrate how all stakeholders can work together to solve local issues at a local level,” Dr McPhee said.

“The community knows best how to look after its own patch, so with the pilot projects we’ll look at what support and flexible tools our communities need to responsibly share fisheries management.”

Mr Mulherin said following the outcome of the pilots, other Queensland stakeholders including recreational fishers and residents would have an opportunity to apply for regional management within their areas.

“This review will ensure a practical, balanced approach to fisheries resource allocation for both public enjoyment and economic viability,” Mr Mulherin said

 

 

 

This is of grave concern to us all at Hinchinbrook

 

 

Dugong Protection [A] Wild Life Sanctuaries in Hinchinbrook Channel [World Heritage] Shoalwater Bay, Ince Bay, Harvey Bay-Tin Can Bay, Port Clinton, Stewart Peninsula-Newry Islands-Ball Bay are set to have gill nets [walls of death] reintroduced.

 

 

National parks and world heritage areas on both sides border Hinchinbrook Channel with Hinchinbrook Island National Park being the largest Oceanic Island National in the world.

 

 

RE: Queensland DPI Fisheries Inshore Fin Fish Management Plan

 

Queensland DPI Fisheries have listed in a draft proposal to have full scale gill netting reintroduced in all state DUGONG  protection areas in Queensland state marine park and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park waters.

Managers have been under strong pressure from the commercial fishing sector to try and push through a proposal that has the potential to decimate our marine life including Dugongs, turtles, and dolphins and erode biodiversity.

The Federal Government established the Dugong protection areas in Queensland in consultation with the DPI, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority James Cook University with an expert team headed up by renowned dugong researcher Dr Tony Preen.

I spent a lot of time working with Dr Preen as his eyes in Hinchinbrook Channel recording such things as Dugong counts and movements and sea grass density.

This extensive research and data over many years led to the establishment of the DPAs.

The research pointed to the fact that set fishing nets are the major contributor to Dugong fatalities in many areas.

Through all this Queensland DPI Fisheries reluctantly agreed and the DPA protection areas were gazetted.

The federal government paid out millions of dollars to compensate commercial fishers for loosing access to the Dugong Protected areas.

Was this whole process for nothing?

The commercial fishers were paid compensation by the federal government they took the money and said thanks very much.

To my knowledge the issue of reintroduction of gill netting in Dugong protection areas was never raised at any of the previous consultative meetings attended by recreational fishers in 2006.

No one would have thought that the downgrading of Dugong Wild Life Sanctuaries to maximize fisheries yield was up for discussion, considering so much compensation was paid by the federal government to commercial fishers not to gill net these Sanctuaries in the future.

Will the federal Government once again be put in a position where they may have to pay out commercial fishers once again for what ever reason?

Or will the state government find itself labial to pay compensation to echo tour operators and associated businesses if the heritage values are reduced by impacts on the wildlife and resources, which in turn may affect incomes.

Are we prepared to take a huge steep backwards and endanger venerable marine mammals once again?

If there has ever been a case of Double Dipping this proposal has to be up there with the best of them.

Ever since exclusion zones were put in place the DPI Fisheries have been under pressure from the Queensland Commercial Fishermans Organization to set nets reintroduced back into Dugong [A] Wild Life Reserves such as Hinchinbrook Channel.

Now we have a situation where they are going to try and use the Inshore Fin Fish Management Plan to do just that.

We may well ask since when have fisheries managers been given the mandate to

Become wildlife custodians?

The average citizen out there has no idea of what they are trying to do.

The token awareness campaign put in place by Queensland DPI Fisheries has failed to reach the masses, it all looks good from their side of the fence but out there in the real world ignorance prevails.

One thing is for sure and we challenge them to make public any submissions other then those from the commercial sector supporting the reintroduction of set gillnets back into DPA A rated areas

This has been done in a non-transparent way where all stakes holders may not have been made aware of the clause 9 content before it was placed into the proposal let alone be given the chance to comment on it.

The framework of the next round of these consultative meetings is divisive and will only throw fuel on the fire and ensure the continuation of the them and us attitude.

Since the

Any proposals put forward at a commercial meeting would not see the light of day until

A draft release, as has happened in the case of section 9 relating to gill netting in Dugong

Protection Areas.

The catalyst in such proposals has been brought about by far to many endorsement holders set lose on a diminishing fishery.

In the area of catch sharing the recreational sector faces ever increasing limitations, while on the other hand managers have never considered any form of commercial quotas to N1 or N2 endorsements to aid overall sustainability.

The draft plan was released early December 2007 and submissions must be in to Queensland fisheries by mid March 2008 the bulk of this time is taken up by holiday periods when people have lots of other things on their mind and may negatively affect responses.

In sections of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Dugongs A protection areas include Cleveland Bay, Hinchinbrook Channel and Missionary Bay, Shoalwater Bay, Harvey Bay-Tin Can Bay, Port Clinton, Ince Bay, Stewart Peninsula-Newry Islands-Ball Bay some of these are designated yellow zones and are in the federal GBRMP and may not be subject to change but for all other state marine park waters it looks like protection may disappear and all this in some of the most ecologically sensitive areas along the tropical coast.

It seems crazy that we could end up with sections of a DPA netted and other parts net free and all this in theSmart State

It is proposed to reintroduce set nets making the dugong protection rating a farce in state waters.

The types of nets that will be used are a 200m net made of large line size monofilament needed to mesh barramundi and a 400m general-purpose monofilament net.

These nets are anchored in one spot and form a wall for their intended or unintended victims.

These are the very types of nets that have caused so many Dugong deaths in the past.

As a token gesture DPI fisheries propose they will only allow 1 set net per fisher who must be in attendance, there is no proposal to limit the number of commercial netters and in real terms there could be dozens of hi impact pulse nets in a given any area at any one time.

At the sharp end of this proposal is the wordingLOW RISK NETSthe big question that needs to be asked here is

What in fact is the physical difference between a low risk net and the currently used high-risk nets? Nothing is mentioned in the proposal.

One could easily believe the use the wording low risk nets is just sugarcoating to make the proposal more palatable to the general public who have no idea what is involved.

In the Queensland east coat net fishery there are 670 N1 AND N2 licenses the type of nets that are proposed reintroducing to the Dugong Protection A areas.

Yet managers only talk about one net per operator in the new proposal.

The real truth is 670 license holders can move anywhere in the state including the DPA A areas if permitted.

So talking about only allowing one net per fisher is totally misleading.

Set net fishing is all about anchoring the net in a fish aggregation area or movement corridor this in itself would create a situation where many one net operators would be competing for fish thus nets would be set close together.We all must never forget a gill net that is set anchored at both ends is always ging to be a "a high risk devise"

Given the fact the all set netting is done at night or in times of flood and away from any form of scrutiny what chance would a 200kg Dugong have once it became entangled.

A mammal this size could potentially sink a small net boat in attendance and even inflect severe injuries to the netter if he tried to untangle the trapped animal.

There has been some talk of a code of practice to release entangled animals from nets, one thing is for sure there might be real problems finding a volunteer to show how its done especially in a crocodile habit.

Once a Dugong swims into a set net it panics and rolls wrapping the net around itself.

Once the animal is trapped in the net they are held under the water and die very quickly.

One thing is for sure the netter is going to wait till an entangled animal settles down [or drowns] before trying to free it rather that take a knife and start cutting his gear up.

The size of impact of such a proposal is unknown but one thing is for sure it would be devastating.

To ensure gillnetting is not reintroduced into existing state or federal Dugong Protection Areas the battle must be fought on the conservation front.

Any mention of the proposed reintroduction of gillnetting in DPAs as being an impact on current fisheries stocks will only aid and abet state law makes push the legislation through.

They will try and make it a catch sharing issue and claim that most recreational fishers would only consider the absence of gill nets as a fishery enhancement tool.

Nothing could be further from the truth since the introduction of the protection areas Recreational catch rates have remained static due to many reasons including habitat loss, agricultural runoff, and a large increase in recreational fishers visiting the area.

Surly DPI fisheries must have to produce some form of RIS to establish the impacts on marine resources and what effects would be on bioderversity, food chains and most of all

Natural values.

I speak with some authority on this subject as I have been at the coalface operating guided sight seeing tours and low impact catch and release fishing tours in Hinchinbrook Channel for 15 years.

It is almost a daily occurrence on our tours to sight Dugong, turtiles and crocodiles and dolphins in the channel, which has to regarded as on of the most important transit corridors for marine mammals along in the central section of the marine park.

The latest Dugong sighting was in an area adjacent to the mouth of the Herbert River on the 6^th January 2008 and was witnessed by a couple from the Sunshine Coast.

I have not seen any major change in fish numbers since the DPA was put in place; the only quantifiable trend fish seem to be a little wider spread.

Given the fact that commercial netters now have reduced areas to fish because of the rezoning by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority the thought of being allowed back into Dugong A areas is a real carrot.

There are some in the commercial sector that feel this proposal will only inflame tension and conflict between stakeholders and is a step backwards in public relations.

In many of the protection areas echo tourism ventures have evolved taking tourists to view the beauty of the area and the extensive wildlife.

Especially in areas such as Hinchinbrook channel where millions of dollars have been spent in nurturing echo tourism ventures, we cannot afford to take a step backwards to the dim dark ages.

Are their investments in the future to be put at risk for a hand full part time netters [many of whom have lucrative incomes from other interests] when all is said and done gill net fishing in an environmentally sensitive areas is a Third world approach to resource management

At the end of the day you cannot blame the genuine commercial fishers they are just trying to make a living within the law, but for proposal 9 in this draft it is a case of Bad Management.

Once it becomes know that full-scale netting is taking place the natural attraction and values along with bio diversity will soon disappear.

We cannot stand by and let this proposal get any further considering the danger to Dugongs, other marine life and to the tourism industry, which generates hundreds of millions, more dollars more than the net fishery.

This proposal has the potential to remove the opportunity for your children and their children to experience a true marine wildlife wilderness.

As we have seen in the resent election people power can move mountains so objections to these plans should be focused to concerned government ministers who are extremely intelligent and realize being involved in wildlife protection is a mirror to creditability.

It is ironic that Queensland DPI fisheries claim to be responsible in this proposal yet; they have seen fit to place an image on the front cover of the draft depicting commercial harvesters using the very equipment that has caused so many Dugong deaths.

Please follow this link to the page relating to Dugong protection areas.

 

http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/extra/pdf/fishweb/HaveYourSay-SummaryBrochure-Dec2007.pdf

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/05/10/1919799.htm

How can I do my bit to help insure set gill nets are not allowed back into Dugong A Sanctuaries?

 

Go to section 9 of the response form and be careful to only check the box that says I STRONGLY DISAGREE.

After all the proposal asks you to agree in the first instance with the use of something that does not exist namely a Low Risk Net

 

Go to your local fisheries office for a copy of the proposal and a response form.

 

Call DPI fisheries 132523 and request the have your say documents to be posed to you.

 

Attend Public Meetings and voice you opinion.

 

Even though the official meeting timetable lists the meetings as recreational or commercial the general public is entitled to and is encouraged to attend commercial meetings to hear first hand what is being proposed and voice their view.

 

Ayr: Monday 25^th Feb 1pm- Recreational /7pm-9pm Commercial

Calledonian Hall, Edward St Ayr

 

Townsville: Tuesday 26^thFeb 1-pm- 4pm Commercial/ Recreational

Townsville Plaza Hotel 598 Flinders Mall Townsville

 

Cardwell Wednesday 27^th 1pm- Commercial

Inspiration,10 Poinciana Boulevard Port Hinchinbrook.

 

Ingham 28^th Feb 7pm-9pm

Ingham Bowls Club Ann St Ingham

 

Cairns Wednesday 20^th 2pm-5pm Commercial 7pm-9pm Recreational

Trinity Room Rydges Tradewinds 137 Esplanade, Cairns.

 

Innisfail Thursday 21 Feb Commercial 1pm- /Recreational 7pm-9pm

Innisfail RSL 18-28 Fitzgerald Esplanade Innisfail.

 

Full list of other area meetings in the draft plan documents.

A good idea is to also respond by letter to

 

Mr. Andrew McNamara MP
Minister for Sustainability, Climate and Innovation

P O Box 15155

City East

Brisbane 4002

 

If it were possible to have a referendum on this issue and a clear-cut question was asked!

Do you agree to have set gill nets reintroduced into Dugong [A] Wild Life Sanctuaries and Reserves?

I would suggest a 99.9% against such a proposal would not be unrealistic.

Take particular notice of section 9 relating to safe netting practices in DPAs, the truth is that when set gill nets are in the water and given the potential for human error, marine mammals will die from entanglement and no amount of proposed safe practices can guarantee deaths will not occur.

 

Alan Goodwin

Crackajack Sportfishing and Adventures

172 Patterson Parade

Lucinda 4850

Ph/Fax 47778365

Mob 0417192318

crackfish@aapt.net.au

 

 

 http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/key_issues/conservation/natural_values/dugongs/dugong_protection_areas

 

 

 

http://www.jcu.edu.au/top/JCUPRD_017973.html

 

http://www.reef.crc.org.au/publications/brochures/dugong_2002.pdf

 

 

Dugong Update.

 

 

 

 

The proposal to reintroduce commercial netting back into Dugong A protection areas is being pushed hard by members of the Queensland Seafood Industry Inc Cardwell branch and may well have its origin with this group of people.

The group is trying to reach a tundra agreement with strategies, which by their own omission may appear in DPI Fisheries documentation.

This move may well be an attempt to erode the current tundra agreement between the Girragun and the GBRMPA not to take turtles and dugongs.

I guess they may feel that if such and agreement could be reached it could be used as a bargaining chip to get a foot in the door.

They are putting forward proposals to the elders that claim there will be no impact on the integrity of the DPA.

They are pushing proposed trade offs by netting some DPA A areas and leaving other areas not netted, caps on the numbers nets to be used and a permit system overseen by the Girragun to regulate outside netters accessing the area.

At this point in time the Girragun have not agreed to anything as they are listening to all parties and will not be entering into any premature agreement with any stakeholder group.

Nowhere in the official DPI response forms is there any reference to forming new boundaries within a DPA.

So it is abundantly clear that the proposals put forward to the Girragun by this group are not included in the response documents for public comment, therefore they cannot really be considered in this round of public consultation.

My summation of the situation is that this groups proposal could back fire on the commercial fishing industry as a whole by having the Dugong protection issue revisited by federal and state governments.

Now that we have a federal labor in power in Canberra agreements with labor states will have a much smoother passage.

Public support for Marine mammal conservation is at an all time high these days given what has been going on with whaling the southern oceans, so any proposal that will endanger any marine mammals would be widely rebuffed by the community as a whole.

There is a very real chance both state and federal governments may decide to put the Dugong protection issue to bed once and for all, especially after compensation was paid

To remove set netting from the sanctuaries.

The way that this may be done is for the state government to hand over Dugong protection dark blue areas of state waters for inclusion in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

This may well see all Dugong protection areas both A and B declared yellow zones.

I am sure that commercial operators in other parts of the state would be up in arms if they lost access they have under the current legislation by actions of one small group.

Politicians are people who are in the numbers and votes game so this decision will be made in their best interests.

With local council elections just a few weeks away the silence on this issue has been deafening

It is disappointing that none of the candidates for Hinchinbrook shire have identified what an emotive issue this is within the community, considering the number of registered boats in the shire and the size of the potential block of votes available.

Be interesting to see if any turn up at the public consultation meetings to state their position at either the Cardwll public consultation meeting at 1pm- Wednesday 27^th February or the Ingham meeting at the Ingham Bowels Club on Thursday 28^th February 7pm-9pm

 

 

 

 

Dugong Conservation in Hinchinbrook Channel

 

Questions that needs to be answered regarding this proposal.

Why are commercial netters trying to gain access into Dugong Sanctuaries?

One can only conclude that resource levels that are available outside the Sanctuaries are not economically viable.

You do not have to be Einstein to work that out unsustainable management strategies driven by commercial stakeholders along with population growth are two of the factors contributing to these types of proposals beings tabled.

Sadly commercial net harvesting is a short-term gain long-term pain activity

Net harvesters have to be subsidized by other incomes or endorsements to survive.

This will always be the case where the harvester does not sow what he reaps.

Fisheries managers are saying this proposal is only an extension of netting activities that are all ready allowed in dugong A protection areas.

The public needs to know these facts that are currently in the fisheries act regarding dugong A protection areas.

The central section of Hinchinbrook Channel no nets of any form are allowed.

Areas at the northern and southern end of the channel general purpose net are allowed.

But what people do not know that these general-purpose nets must be worked, that is they cannot be stationary or set in one position.

The net must be run out and then immediately retrieved this in it self is the very reason general purpose nets are not being used currently, as they are not in the water long enough to be viable.

Managers are saying they want to introduce two new types of low risk nets, this is a totally misleading statement, the low risk nets are the ones that are currently allowed to be used, the ones they plan to introduce are in fact the high risk ones. It is the way the nets are proposed to be set that is the big problem.

Nets need to be anchored both ends to catch fish that are forced into the net by tidal flow.

This very configuration has lead to so many documented Dugong deaths in the past.

In proposal 9 in the draft there will be no restriction of the number of netters allowed in the channel, one net each, it will become worse that that current crab fishery overcrowding where there are so many jockeying for position and a share of available product.

Netters can claim they are going to adopt practices and strategies to avoid Dugong deaths but at the end of the day when the sun goes down and in the black of night it becomes all about dollars and cents first and foremost.

Managers who are supporting this proposal need to take a long hard look at the damage this will do to the commercial fisheries profile out there in the real world.

Any person or government department who openly want to support a proposal that will endanger threatened marine mammals and destroy their sanctuary are misinformed or simply don’t care.

There is a mountain of evidence out there relating to Dugong fatalities, just Google

Dugong fishing nets the search results are a sad indictment.

This is 2008 not 1968 and society will stand idly by and let marine mammals suffer.

We need to conserve our marine mammals not endanger them.

 

 

 

To have your say and strongly disagree with proposal 9 regarding the reintroduction of full scale gill netting in Hinchinbrook channel pick up a response form from DPI fisheries offices, Tony’s Basic Tackle Halifax or Jason at Complete Angler Ingham.

All concerned residents can and are encouraged to attend public consultation meetings in Cardwell on Wednesday Feb 27th 1pm- at Inspirations resort Port Hinchinbrook and

Ingham Feb 28^th 7-9pm Ingham Bowls club.

 

Alan Goodwin

Crackajack Sportfishing & Adventure Tours

Lucinda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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