The Wire

Protecting our marine environment should no longer be a trade off between conservationists and fishers but it should be scientists that do the talking says the Wilderness Society. The Society, along with the Nature Conservation Council of New south Wales today said that the proposed zoning plan for the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park does not give adequate protection of marine wildlife. Stretching from northern Newcastle to Foster the park is an estuary and lake system well known internationally for its species of seagrass. Under New South Wales legislation marine parks are divided into four zones, in which one zone allows for recreational line fishing and another commercial fishing. Under the draft proposal for the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park fishing could be allowed in up to 80% of the park, something conservationists oppose. Claire Dunn campaign coordinator at the Wilderness Society’s Newcastle branch, told the Wire, that they are not opposed to fishing and would like science to play more of a role in the zoning of marine parks.