POPULAR Sydney radio broadcaster Ray Hadley has been inundated with emails from listeners who are up in arms over the proposed Sydney marine parks.
The proposal would set up 25 marine parks between Newcastle to Wollongong, locking out fishermen and forcing them into dangerous locations as the areas are rezoned to protect marine life. (To see a map of the proposed areas click HERE)
President of Narooma fishing club David Clark on the state’s south coast told Ray on air that he’s felt the ramifications of government-controlled marine parks first hand.
“They turned around and locked us out. They turned around and said, ‘You aren’t going to fish here and you aren’t going to fish there’.
“I’ll tell you what, if it does so much damage down here, once it gets into Sydney and Wollongong and Newcastle, all hell will break loose.”
Mr Clark said the marine authorities justify the lockouts with “new scientific evidence” but when he asked to view the evidence, “it was never produced”.
“It’s all been lies and it’s really frustrating.”
Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair then called into the show, telling Ray it’s not about locking out fishermen.
He says it’s in a bid to prevent a possible future Labor government from implementing complete lockouts.
But Ray wasn’t having that.
“This is going to cost you your job, it might cost Gladys Berejiklian her job as well,” he said.
Click HERE to hear the full interview.
