Barrie
I agree that the commercial fishers and their quotas are to blame for much of the depletion of our fish stocks. However, there has been a National Marine Recerational Fishing survey: Harvest Estimates (carried out in 1999/200) completed in a report form on September 2002. This survey when compared to an earleir survey conducted in 1995/1996 varied greatly by 300% (harvest increase). This amount was considered phenominal and hence a review was conducted to evaluate both of the survey techniques and see why there was such a difference. The latest survey accroding to the review was believed to be the more accurate and precise of the two. If this is true it meant that for some fish species the recreational harvest was greater than the commercial.
(I can email a copy of both the survey and the review to anyone interested)
I think that cummmulatively recreational fishers must be having some effect on the ocean (even if 300% is over the top!) as well as commercial and that both need to be managed to some extent perhaps commercial more so. The sea is considered a public resource but "Tradgedy of the commons" comes to mind.
The main issue we are being asked to comment on in the report is a Marine Park, not a Marine Reserve. A marine park will cover a larger area and allow for recreational fishing therefore keeping commercial fishers out to 4 nautical miles.
Barrie - wouldn't a marine park, not reserve 'force the commercial fishers out wider' as you suggest is needed? I know what Treavlly is saying about Mfish etc should be doing there job but they clearly are not so I think someone needs to step in.
Barrie if a marine park will keep commercial fishers out to 4 nautical miles, surley this is in our top 10 of looking after the fishery?
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