SPEARFISHING historian Mel Brown says that a report published by the Marine Estate Management Authority has recycled a claim made by NSW Fisheries some 30 years ago which was subsequently shown to be fraudulent.
In its “Review of Pre-Identified Sites” (Feb 2016) published as a supporting document for the Hawkesbury Shelf Bioregion Assessment a report on the North Harbour Marine Reserve claims the “Rationale for excluding spearfishing was based on research from the USA at the time of declaration (1982) which indicated that this fishing method makes fish less approachable by passive divers wanting to photograph or study them (DPI internal 1979)”.
This statement was subsequently proven to be false when the alleged research was found to be nothing more than a magazine article published in the USA relating to the John Pennekamp State Park voicing the personal opinion of the author.
Mel Brown said “It is extremely disappointing to see that a statement made thirty years ago is being recycled in this way as an attempt to justify the exclusion of spearfishers. They must have known this statement was dishonest and is yet another example of the prejudice spearfishers must contend with”.
You can read Mel Brown’s full letter by clicking here and you can have your say regarding the Sydney marine park by clicking here.
