Parks alarm

Kim Waters
BELLARINE Peninsula anglers fear a push for a marine park off Clifton Springs could “lock” them out of Corio Bay, according to a spokesman for anglers.
St Leonards Angling club secretary Phil Walters rejected Victorian National Parks Association’s (VNPA) claims that recreational fishing off Clifton Springs was a key threat to marine biodiversity.
Mr Walters said the VNPA’s demand for a marine park lacked scientific backing.
“To say that recreational fishing is a threat to marine biodiversity and to compare it with global warming is blowing this issue way out of proportion,” Mr Walters said.
“If there was a genuine reason for this marine park in Clifton Springs then all the anglers in the area would be more than happy to stop fishing at the site.
“But we have yet to see any scientific evidence to prove that fishing is threatening the environment or to prove that marine parks help increase biodiversity.”
VRFish executive officer Christopher Collins was “deeply concerned” about VNPA’s demand for the park and dozens of others around Victoria’s coastline.
“As the peak recreational fishing body in Victoria we are totally opposed to this,” Mr Collins said.
“Already there is about five per cent of Victoria’s coast locked up by marine parks and they want to increase that by another 20 per cent.
“Since this first happened in 2002 there has been no quantifiable data to prove whether the parks have had any positive affect on sustainability.”
VNPA marine and coastal project officer Simon Branigan defended the parks push, saying the association was not “anti-fishing”.
“Marine national parks are the most effective and efficient way to protect unique habitats,” Mr Branigan said.
“There is overwhelming scientific evidence from around the world which shows that marine national parks protect biodiversity and increase resilience to other threats like marine pests and even increase fish stocks.”
Mr Branigan said a comprehensive scientific review of Victoria’s marine habitat values and threats was due for release in “the next few weeks”.
The review identified Clifton Springs as a “conservation priority area”, he said.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings said State Government had “no plans” to create new marine parks.
But he said VNPA’s request for 20 new marine parks would take “some time to analyse” before the Government could make a firm decision.