BFCA applauds Coalition marine park policy

The Boating and Fishing Council of Australia (BFCA) has welcomed the announcement by the Coalition that, if elected, it would put a freeze on further marine parks.

BFCA spokesman Dean Logan has said, “Today’s announcement is a win for commonsense and a massive win for the marine environment.

“Under Labor we have seen arbitrary lines drawn around the Australian coastline map that lack scientific credibility, primarily to appease fringe environmentalists. Key scientists have not been apart of the process, data has been kept ‘confidential’ and communities have been removed from the process.

“The Labor solution – backed by the Greens – has been to lock recreational fishers and boaters out of millions of square kilometres of ocean in the name of ‘marine bio-diversity’, with no credible scientific foundation.

“Our argument has always been that we will deliver far greater environmental outcomes if we all work together.

“The Coalition must be applauded. They have taken aspects of the USA system that deliver serious benefits to the environment to form today’s policy announcement.

“The establishment of 4 Bio-regional Advisory Panels is one such move. This is an outcome supported by fishers, boaters, scientists, industry and importantly the Australian community.”

Cartoon from The Australian, 28/7.

A spokesman for Environment Minister Peter Garrett told Fisho yesterday, "What Tony Abbott has done today is turn his back on a process started under the Howard Government to establish National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas.

"The trick here from Mr Abbott is that he has suspended a process started under Mr Howard without saying what his alternative process will be if he were to win Government.

"The Government is committed to a process which gets the balance right to ensure the fishing industry can stay sustainable into the future while at the same time protecting our unique marine environment.

"The Government is engaged in a thorough, comprehensive and ongoing program of engagement and consultation with a range of stakeholders. No decisions on marine planning will be made until that process is concluded. Mr Abbott and the Coalition are simply scaremongering and creating confusion."