Media Statement
Anglers and Conservation Groups Reject Jurien Bay Marine Park

1 September 2003

Western Australia's peak recreational fishing and conservation bodies have categorically rejected the Indicative Management Plan for the Jurien Bay Marine Park. Recfishwest and the Conservation Council have joined together in slamming the Jurien Park and seeking reform of the current process for implementing a marine reserve system.

Recfishwest feels cheated by a process which appeared to value the needs of the rock lobster industry over those of other users and the environment.

Executive Director of Recfishwest, Frank Prokop said "CALM had been highly critical of the Fisheries Department's management for the Abrolhos Island and said that they would be more even handed with their own reserves. Instead CALM have put forward a plan which is much more biased in favour of one sector."

Recfishwest is particularly disgusted that the Jurien Park does not contain a single recreational zone yet has around 20% of the area which effectively allows only the harvest of Western rock lobsters by commercial fishermen.

"Although recreational fishers can use the zones as well, they are so far from facilities that they are effectively special commercial rock lobster sanctuaries." Mr Prokop said.

Conservation Council coordinator Rachel Siewert said that conservation needs had been ignored as well. "Only 3% of the Park area, little of which has special representative significance and which happens to be of no-use to the rock lobster fishery, is fully protected. This is a classic paper park, a confidence trick, and a will be a waste of scarce conservation and fisheries management resources".

Both groups believe that CALM has not negotiated in good faith in the Jurien process that was flawed from the beginning.

Both Recfishwest and the Conservation Council are highly sceptical about the current process being able to deliver real results for the environment or the community. What is needed is an integrated marine natural resource management (NRM) framework, a multiple-use plan over all State waters and within that, a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of "no-take" areas.

These fully protected marine reserves would have explicit functions with respect to biodiversity conservation, scientific reference and fisheries management within each bio-specific area plan".

Mr Prokop said that it was time to look at implementing larger protected areas in more remote and pristine areas rather than always looking to stop recreational fishing in higher use areas such as at Jurien, Dampier Archipelago or the Cape to Cape region.

ENDS

Media Contacts:

Frank Prokop, Executive Director, Recfishwest 9246 3366, 0419 949 118

Rachel Siewert, Coordinator, Conservation Council 041 991 4424



This page last updated on 30 December 2003.