The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) have a responsibility to ensure that all users of the marine environment respect the zoning plan.  It is more than a little interesting that the authority on its Facebook site announces to recreational fishers that it is on a compliance blitz.  This is not the first time this has happened. Industry has previously asked for this type of media warning prior to an enforcement blitz to stop, yet here we are again.

Yeppoon to Town of 1770: fish in a no-take green zone and risk a $2100 fine

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority themselves recognise that the dominant complaint they receive about inappropriate use of the Marine Park, is green zone poaching by recreational fishers. That suggests this is a rather large problem to overcome. Any success of catching recreational fishers poaching green zones seems unlikely, when the agency warns poaching recreational fishers them they are going to be out and about looking for them.

The action is also at odds with approaches to green zone poaching that may be occurring by other sectors We are not aware of any pre-emptive warning to commercial fishers, charter fishers or indigenous fishers of enforcement blitzes. Any fishing infringement within Marine Parks is a serious matter.  What is unappreciated are warnings to the recreational fishing sector about surveillance efforts.  The issue that is amazingly confusing and builds distrust of the authority is that these warnings are not mirrored in other sectors that use the Marine Park.

When the GBRMPA acknowledging “poaching” from marine parks as a serious issue compromising the health and resilience of the Marine Park, why do you warn potential offenders?

Fair treatment between the sectors is essential to building trust amongst sectors – the impact of recreational fishing in the GBR is not fully understood and should be and surveillance tactics that warn potential offenders are next to useless.

Author: Eric Perez, CEO – Queensland Seafood Industry Association

Note: Thanks to Andrew Tobin for bringing this issue to the attention of association.

Image Credit: GBR Map (Department of the Environment and Energy)

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