A TELEVISION commercial to promote South Australia’s new marine parks has been crticised after it was noted that a young boy in the ad carries a crab net into a marine park area where such fishing methods are illegal.
The $1.1 million “Enjoy life in our marine parks” campaign got off to a controversial start after it was discovered the boy in the commercial is carrying a crab net onto Port Noarlunga Jetty, where crab fishing is not allowed due to marine park zoning restrictions.
Dept of Environment, Water and Natural Resources CEO Alan Holmes told ABC’s 891 Breakfast that fishers were not allowed to crab from the jetty, but the commercials would not be changed.
“You are correct that you can’t crab at Port Noarlunga, I concede that, but that’s not what we were trying to do, we were trying to convey the importance of Marine Parks and that people can still fish from jetties,” Mr Holmes said.
“There is an issue around Port Noarlunga Jetty; I don’t know how big a deal that is.”
Mr Holmes said, commercials aside, the Marine Park boundaries had been announced, with enforcement of the zone to commence October 2014.
