REC fishos in WA are being encouraged to comment on the Federal Government’s plan for a series of marine parks off the state’s coast.
Fisheries Minister Norman Moore says all interested parties should take the opportunity to comment on the draft Marine Bioregional Plan and draft Marine Reserve Network Plan for Commonwealth waters. Moore said the draft Marine Bioregional Plan, released today, intended to guide the Federal Government on key issues of environmental significance in the South-West bioregion, for consideration within the context of the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
“The draft Marine Reserve Network document includes proposed zones cover an area from Shark Bay in Western Australia’s north through to South Australia’s Kangaroo Island, between three and 200 nautical miles offshore, within which some forms of commercial and recreational fishing activity will be excluded,” he said.
“The Department of Fisheries is currently reviewing the documents to determine what effect the proposed marine reserves will have on WA’s commercial and recreational fishing interests.”
“I also understand the Federal Government will be undertaking formal consultation with members of the community at major regional centres such as Geraldton, Perth, Bunbury, Albany and Esperance,” Moore said.
The 90-day comment period ends on August 8, 2011.
Details of the draft plans and the adjustment policy are available at
http://www.environment.gov.au
