Recfishwest opposes Rottnest Island Marine Management Strategy

When I think of boating in Western Australia one the first things that comes to mind is relaxing in one of the many turquoise bays of Rottnest Island catching a few herring or casting lures for salmon. With the release of the Rottnest Island Marine Management Strategy this favoured pastime of so many boaters will no longer be possible in a selection of bays around Rottnest Island.

The draft Rottnest Island Marine Management Strategy proposes extensions to the two existing sanctuary zones and the creation of three new sanctuary zones at Rottnest Island. In total, sanctuary zones will cover 615 hectares or approximately 16% of the Reserve waters. The proposed sanctuary zones are at Green Island, Armstrong/North Point and West End, with extension to the existing sanctuary zones at Kingston Reef and Parker Point.

Recfishwest is not opposed to making parts of the Rottnest Island Reserve into marine observation areas, however, we are disappointed that the RIA has chosen to locate these areas in the most popular fishing spots, without talking to those who will be most affected.

We all recognise that Rottnest Island is a special place which needs more intensive management. However, many of the issues at Rottnest are much better dealt with in a wider context. Even though west coast management has been recently reviewed, many recreational fishers are asking for tighter restrictions for the whole metropolitan region.

The draft strategy implies that sanctuary zones provide the only way to restore fish abundance. Recfishwest is diametrically opposed to this view and believes that sanctuary zones merely work as marine observation areas that provide almost no direct benefits to overall fish stock abundance. Four of the most sought after fish species at Rottnest are herring, salmon, King George whiting and western rock lobster. It is hard to understand what benefits a sanctuary zone will have for these species which all spend large portions of their life cycle outside of the Rottnest Island Marine Reserve.

West End, which is renowned for its aggregations of Spanish mackerel and tuna in the summer months, is to be closed to recreational fishers on the basis of protecting rare species of mollusc that are found there. The draft strategy seriously lacks scientific evidence for the need to ban fishing in these areas and reeks of a direct attack on recreational anglers.

The strategy is based loosely around anecdotal evidence and a barely minimal catch and catch effort study which has drawn the conclusion that people fishing at Rottnest do not reach their bag limits and hence there are no fish left at Rottnest. What they don't realise is that recreational fishers do not come anywhere near the bag limits because they limit their catch, they don't catch their limit.

If there is a problem with a species like blue groper, then let's look at solutions to the problem and address them. The concept of protection for blue groper in all waters of the Rottnest Island would have been considered but the goodwill of recreational fishers has been terribly eroded by the half-truths and biased material prepared by the Rottnest Island Authority.

Recfishwest was willing to work cooperatively on the development of a marine management strategy with the Rottnest Island Authoirty so that there could have been direct benefits back to the marine environment whilst having a minimal impact on recreational fishers. Instead they have chosen to work behind closed doors and develop a management plan that will have no direct benefits to fish stock sustainability whilst locking out recreational fishers from the most popular spots.

If the objective of these closures is for marine observation areas so that visiting people can snorkel and dive amongst an untouched environment then they are going about it in the wrong manner. The fact that the dive charters who make a profit from not having recreational fishers in the area can still drop their heavy anchors in the so-called sanctuary zones, implemented to protect benthic biota, makes a mockery of common sense.

What must be remembered is that former Premier Geoff Gallop, a leader who emphasised his green credentials, recognised the difficulties with justifying additional closures at Rottnest and said so in the Labor party policy launch at the most recent election campaign. It is clear in black and white that the Labour party will "Reaffirm its commitment not to support bans on fishing at Rottnest Island". The timing of the release of this draft strategy immediately following the departure of Geoff Gallop from the Premier's Office asks the question of Alan Carpenter - will he stand by his party policy or turn his back on the people that voted his party into power?

Recfishwest asks that all recreational fishers and boaters put in a submission rejecting the Marine Management Strategy on the basis that the process is seriously flawed and that sanctuary zones will have no benefits to metropolitan fisheries management. A process that has recreational fishers, boaters and the Department of Fisheries support will be infinitely superior to what has currently been developed by the Rottnest Island Authority.

Check out our Submissions and Letters and in particular Proposed Rottnest Island Sanctuary Zones


Written by Kane Moyle
Policy Officer
Recfishwest



This page last updated on 27 June 2006.