Guys,
I can not emplore you enough to take Rick's advice and have your say. I have never been to the Volkner Rocks, but I have dreamed of doing so since I was about 8 years old, old enough to know Rick's name and theat this is the place to catch kingfish (which I have been doing since that age or younger).
I agree with Rick that the submission is flawed. A lack of scientific data cannot be used to demonstrate anything. There is a gaping hole in the data. you cannot say that something only occurs here is it is one of the very few places you have looked at that depth.
Marine reserves are primarily for the purpose of scientific research. This is a requirement of the Act. Seems most of the research began well after the reserve was first mooted, by recreational fishos as a limited extraction reserve.
The application is unduly dismissive of the opinions fo people who know the area best, people like Rick. It demeans their collective opinions and dismisses them as unfounded, when in reality these people know this place better than everyone else put together. On the other hand, the opinion of a scientist, on the basis of a single data point when they have not really looked elsewhere is held up as some sort of miraculous vision.
We need to be sure that those that make decisions on these matters realise that much of the ocean is a comparative desert. If the 10% of coastal water that the government wants to lock up in reserves focuses around good fishing spots, as it has to date, then very very soon, we will all be fishing in the desert that surrounds the places that produce and hold fish. Of the fishing areas that I know really well, I would say that less than 10% on a surface area basis offer good fishing. The rest is largely devoid of life large enough to catch.
I don't think any responsible fisho would argue against the need for reserves, per se. However, reserves need to consider all users, extractive ones included. The difference in range of recreational and commercial vessels need to be included in this consideration also.
I would like to add that we need add our own individual thought to be taken seriously. Use of form type submissions could be a very useful way of getting numbers of people expressing the important messages, however, if they are all identical and contain no original thought or input, they are largely treated as one by the people that analyse these things.
If you care, put in a submission. If you really care, put some effort into teh submission. This is your only chance to have a say.
...you just saved me a marathon typing effort!
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