A BIG SHOUT OUT to Greg Vinall for having the chairman of the Fraser Coast Fishing Allianice Inc. on Doc Lures Podcast, coving the facts and history of the campaign to "correct" the GSMP from the time it was legislated in 2006.
You can listen to this Podcast here - https://doclures.com/great-sandy-marine-park/
While we have had a HUGE win with the removal of the Designated Great Sandy Area (Red Cross Hatching), there is scope to improve it - so please complete the online survey.
These are some changes our members and the local community have suggested so far: -
* Question 16 - We STRONGLY DISAGREE to the retention of tunnel netting in the Yellow Conservation Zone areas! There should be NO commercial netting in Yellow Conservation Park Zones.
* MNP11 - Goes out further now and takes in some key recreational fishing areas/marks. We suggest the current MNP 10 is left at its Northern limit and is widened to the West to maintain the proposed Green Protection Area percentage or look at another area where deep seagrass could be protected.
* MNP16 - Could be reduced to allow fishing on the top Eastern and Western sides of Big Woody ( out from the shoreline) as it is a key recreational fishing area and is essentially all hard rock. We propose a 300-metre Yellow Conservation Zone be applied from the shoreline around the top of Big Woody island.
* HPZ09 - Shoreline section of HPZ05 and HPZ02, Habitat Protection Zones - It is proposed that the habitat protection zones that are being shown along the shoreline of K'gari from North Ngkala Rocks to Moon Point be Changed to Yellow Conservation Zones - in line with the CPZ13, CPZ17 and CPZ21 - essentially continuing the Yellow Conservation Zone CPZ16 ALL the way around K'Gari to Moon Point.
* HPZ11 - Habitat Protection Zone in the Burrum River and Sherwell Rivers be changed to a Yellow Conservation Zone. Otherwise, it will allow commercial netting in that area! We believe it was changed to enable shoreline structures to be more easily approved, erected and maintained like jetties etc. The Great Sandy Marine Park Zoning Plan - Summary of Key Proposed Changes suggests that HPZ 11 covering the Upper reaches of Burrum River and Cherwell River will EXCLUDE commercial fishing with large mesh gill nets and ring nets - BUT WE NEED this to be FORMALISED.
* THIS MUST ALSO BE APPLIED TO MPZ-13 around the iconic Urangan Pier as well.
* MNP 23 - Move the new proposed Green zone further South away from Tinnanbar township - is there any scope to move it from the North side of Kauri Creek to the South side of Kauri Creek mouth while still protecting the key habitat - seagrass?
PLEASE make your submission to the On-Line Survey here :- https://intheloop.des.qld.gov.au/great-sandy-marine-park-zoning-plan
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE ON THE 23rd of OCTOBER!