BLOG: Losing touch

IT was with sadness and disappointment that I watched the one sided and seemingly unfair argument surrounding the marine parks issue shown on 60 Minutes over the weekend. On one hand the greenies and do-gooders tell us to get back in touch with Mother Nature while propagating the message of organic produce and sustainable harvesting, while on the other hand they want to limit our ability to sustainably catch fish using rod and reel by locking us out of our home waters.

Please don't make me eat unidentified fish meat. I loathe the day when I'll be forced to open up a cardboard carton to feast on the delights of fish sticks and processed food for my dose of fishy goodness. Same goes for the unravelling of a store bought parcel of butcher's paper to reveal a sad looking and drab creature that has been sitting in fishmonger ice for weeks.

I have never bought a fish to eat and can never recall eating a frozen meal – I was brought up in a household where produce was respected and a good meal was a labour of love. Fruit and veg came from our back yard or the markets, meat came from a butcher and we ate fish whenever luck was on our side after an active day on the water.

What could be greener than a line caught fish that is dispatched immediately then put on ice to be enjoyed later that evening?

The further removed you are from primary production, the greater the environmental and adverse carbon impact. The amount of carbon produced in the manufacturing, packaging and transportation of processed fish surely surpasses the carbon footprint of a bloke with a line, fishing off a beach or bank? Shouldn't logic then argue for the promotion of recreational line fishing?

Our society is losing touch – rather than bringing food production home we seem to be going backwards. The more detached from wholesome and fresh produce we become, the more readily processed and pre-packaged food items become accepted as a meaningful meal.

We should be encouraging backyard primary production and activities such as recreational fishing – the pursuit of fresh fish brings with it both health and social welfare benefits whereas pre-packaged foods bring with them more adverse health and carbon impacts.

If you want to help save the environment and contribute to a healthier Australia you should pare back the food processing chain, encourage backyard primary production and support recreational fishing. The greenies should be supporting our pursuit of sustainable line fishing practices rather than trying to lock us out, and if anything they should be on our side – can somebody please tell me how the recreational fishing community became the bad guys?