This petition is moving to its next stage. We have drafted a letter and have posted it here for comment before 5 May. Then we'll be presenting this to the Minister. If you'd like to remain informed you can still sign up and we will post updates as the project progresses. Thank you, Simon.

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We the undersigned request that the State Environment Minister create a Parliamentary Inquiry into the Victorian Fisheries Authority's (VFA) inability to protect our marine parks. 

Almost every morning, afternoon, evening and night time (multiple times every day) there are people illegally fishing in Ricketts Point Marine Park. The pressure on other marine parks in the west is even greater (Pers comm, VFA Fisheries Office).

There is abject failure by VFA to inform licenced fishers of their obligations. 

the Victorian Fisheries Authority is:

• Failing to meet four of its six objectives under the act; and
• Does not have anywhere near the resources to fulfil its enforcement role (by its own admission).

Failure to protect Ricketts Point Marine National Park shows that additional measures are needed. The significant values of our marine parks are at stake and this has serious economic consequences for Victorians but it also jeopardises the state government’s commitments under the Port Phillip Bay Environmental Management Plan 2017-2027 and both goals of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037.

A regulatory overhaul is needed where strict protection of reserves is coupled with an expansion of buffer zones and higher penalties. This is the only way to protect the park’s values. 

This petition is calling for an Inquiry to recognise:

• The role reef fish play in rebuilding living systems and how critical that is to the future integrity of Victoria’s coastline;
• The significant livelihood and economic impact that the loss of these fish is currently having on the people of Melbourne and Victoria; and
• The need to implement measures to firmly protect those values, which can never recovery under current threats. 

Consequences of lack of protection

Without protecting marine parks, VFA cannot meet the objectives of the Fisheries Act 1995 (Vic) in regards to “ecological sustainability” of our marine parks (four of its five statutory objectives).

As a result, Parks Victoria (PV) cannot meet its objectives under the National Parks Act 1975 (Vic) for the “responsible management” of our marine parks.

As a result, the State government cannot meet its obligations for Marine Spatial Planning under the Marine and Coastal Act. 

Fish recovery is impossible

Historic evidence shows that most resident reef fish were exterminated by the 1970s. In recent living memory, coastal reefs were inhabited by hundreds and hundreds where there are now very few. During 1-2 hour snorkels in areas spearfished immediately adjacent to marine parks it is common to see no fish whatsoever, other than a few toadfish and rays. 

It has taken 20 years for fish populations to rebuild at Ricketts Point but a single group of spearfishers could wipe out most important resident reef fish in an afternoon (there are currently only TWO Blue-throated Wrasse and ONE Purple Wrasse in the entire park).  

These fish are critical to ecosystem processes, which is why neither VFA or PV can claim to be meeting their obligations for “ecological sustainability” or “responsible management” under the aforementioned acts. 

Parks are being used to support fishing, not allow more fish recovery

Right now, the principle value of our marine parks is so that fishers can keep fishing a small amount of fish along their margins. Every day, vessels are lined up, casting along or into the boundaries of the marine parks. 

The activity of fishers is the clearest signal yet, that the rest of the bay is devoid of fish. That these are the only places left worth fishing is the best evidence of the need to properly protect them.

This is not what the parks were set up to do. If properly protected, these parks would enable even more fishing. 

More importantly, fish are of huge economic value as drivers of ecosystem resilience, climate resilience and are far far more valuable alive in parks than they are dead on a fishing line. 

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS PETITION