Fury at trawler plan
Fishos, industry clash on Coral Sea policy
CAIRNS recreational fishermen have strongly opposed a Federal Government draft management plan that allows trawling in the Coral Sea.
CAREFISH director Paul Aubin lodged a submission to the Coral Sea Marine Park draft management plan due to fears “industrial harvests” would return.
Mr Aubin said new zones would pave the way for destructive fishing and warned of “community uproar” if purse seiners and mid-water trawlers were seen in Far Northern waters.
“Deep sea prawn trawling must also be considered destructive to the sea floor and important habitat and should have no place in a marine park either,” he said. “As such we cannot recommend more strongly that these industrial harvest methods be removed absolutely from the Coral Sea MP.”
The Federal Government released draft management plans for 44 marine parks in July this year. The plans aim to set out various zones in the Coral Sea that take into account the need for environmental protection and a sustainable commercial fishing industry.
The Queensland Seafood Industry has “vehemently disagreed” with the recreational fishing group. QSIA chief executive Eric Perez said it was nonsense to suggest tuna longlining and prawn trawling were “industrial fishing”.
He said the Coral Sea was “very lightly fished” by international standards and said the draft plan “strikes a balance between industry and environmental outcomes”.
“Fishing by Queensland fishermen is not a threat to the Coral Sea and everyone knows it.” The QSIA is drafting a final submission.
Submissions close on September 20.