The Nature Coast Marine Group has completed a detailed response to the draft zoning plan for the Batemans Marine Park, which is open for public comment until 15 October.
A spokesman for the NCMG, Andrew Green, said that the NCMG has suggested changes to the sanctuary and habitat protection zones in the zoning plan, to improve outcomes for marine conservation, as well as tourism, passive recreation and education.
“While the existing draft plan is a good start, one of the problems is fragmentation of sanctuary zones. Our changes will improve connectivity and provide better protection for ecosystems,” he said.
“Another problem with the draft is the lack of opportunities for passive recreation and education in safe and easily accessible sites within sanctuary zones. Places like Guerilla Bay, Shark Cove, Mullimburra Point and Mystery Bay are not protected in the draft plan, but could regenerate with protection from fishing, to provide brilliant opportunities for education through shore-based snorkelling and diving.”
“Recreational fishers often mention the need to have safe places to teach their kids to fish.”
“We are saying that we need safe places to teach kids (and adults) about the marine environment, where they can easily see the full range of species, free from spear and line fishing pressures.”
Mr Green said that another point worth remembering about the draft zoning plan is that the sanctuary zones in existing marine parks have to provide adequate conservation of representative habitats from entire bioregions comprising all of NSW coastal waters.
“If recreational fishers are concerned with the extent of sanctuary zones in NSW marine parks, they could question the current government policy framework which creates such isolated parks in the first place, with a corresponding need for relatively large sanctuary zones.”
“It could well be a better outcome for conservation and recreational fishing if sanctuary zones could be created wherever they are needed along the coast,” he said.
NCMG is hoping to run a stall at the Moruya Markets, to discuss its proposals with interested members of the public.
NCMG urges everybody to make a submission on the draft zoning plan before the deadline of 15 October. Copies of the plan are available from the Marine Parks Authority, as well as public libraries.