How to give your views to the Government on the proposed South Coast Marine Parks

You have until 16 June to provide your views to the Government on the proposed South Coast Marine Parks through the public comment process.

It is critical as many fishers, including you, put your views forward through this process – referred to as “making a submission” – to give us the best chance of getting a better outcome for fishing.

So, if you value fishing on the South Coast, now is the time to have your say on the future of your cherished fishing spots.

You don’t have to live on the South Coast to comment on the plans. Whether you and your friends and family visit regularly or occasionally or haven’t yet had the chance to fish these areas, we strongly encourage you to have your say.

You can have your say by:

  • Completing the online survey here; or
  • Emailing pscmp@dbca.wa.gov.au; or
  • Posting a letter to:
    Planning Unit
    Aboriginal Engagement, Planning and Lands Branch
    Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
    Locked Bag 104
    BENTLEY DELIVERY CENTRE WA 6893

Submissions carry the same weighting regardless of what method you choose.

However, we suggest writing an email if you are confident in your writing abilities and setting out your views. If having a pre-set form would make it easier for you to give your views, we suggest completing DBCA’s online survey.

If you are part of a fishing club or group, we encourage you to make a submission representing the views of the club, as well as strongly encouraging your members to make their own personal submissions.

If you’re having any issues understanding the proposals or making a submission, please feel free to get in touch – call the office on (08) 9246 3366 and ask for Sam Bock or Matt Gillett, or email us at info@recfishwest.org.au

BEFORE MAKING YOUR SUBMISSION

  1. Check out the interactive map here to see the areas that are relevant to you and your fishing.
  2. Focus on the green areas (sanctuary zones). These zones restrict all forms of fishing. There is also a purple zone near Middle Island/Cape Arid, which would prohibit all forms of fishing other than ‘hand collection’ of abalone, rock lobster and octopus.
  3. You can check out Recfishwest’s preliminary views on the proposed no fishing zones here.
  4. Follow these points when making your submission to make sure it is valid and as effective as possible:
    • Be clear and concise;
    • Say whether you agree or disagree with the proposed zones – clearly state your reasons, particularly if you disagree:
    • Suggest alternative locations or solutions for those aspects of the plan with which you disagree; and
    • Be respectful – submissions with abusive or racist comments will not be tolerated.

How to make online submissions

Click on the link to begin the survey.

The first few pages (1 – 4) are background to the proposed marine parks and the public comment process.

Your required input begins on page 5. This page asks you to enter your contact details, indicate whether you are commenting as an organisation, and to indicate how often you visit the area and what activities you do. Enter your details and click all the boxes that apply.

Page 6 will ask you which area you wish to comment on –

  • Mamang Maambakoort – east of Bremer Bay (Point Hood) to Mason’s Bay. Includes areas such as the Doubtful Islands, Trigalow, Point Ann, Fitzgerald NP, and Hopetoun.
  • Wudjari – Mason’s Bay to Point Malcolm. Includes areas such as Starvation Bay, Munglinup, Stokes NP, Warrenup, Esperance and the Recherche Archipelago, Cape Le Grand, The Duke of Orleans, Kennedys, Cape Arid, and Poison Creek / Cape Pasley.
  • Western Bight – Point Malcolm to Point Dover (Baxter Cliffs). Includes areas such as Israelite Bay, Eastern Group Islands, Wattle Camp, and Bilbunya Dunes / Point Culver.
  • Mirning – Point Dover (Baxter Cliffs) to the South Australian border. Includes areas such as Twilight Cove, Eyre Bird (Kanidal Beach), Red Rocks, and Eucla.

Select the area you wish to start with. At the end of each section, you will have the option to comment on other areas – so feel free to start with whichever you choose. You do not need to comment on every area.

The following page will ask whether you have any overall comments on the management plan. This is where to comment on the area you have selected as a whole – you will have the chance to comment on individual zones or all four marine parks in the following sections. Consider including information such as your connection to the area, what type of fishing or other activities you do, and why it is important to you.

Once you have entered your comments on the overall management plan and balance of the zoning scheme, you can select to comment on individual zones, skip to another area, or skip to the end of the survey. We highly recommend that you choose to comment on individual zones. This is where you can have the greatest impact by saying whether you agree or disagree with individual zones and suggest how the zones should change.

On selecting ‘comment on the individual zone questions’ and clicking ‘next’, the next page will allow you to provide feedback on the sanctuary zones (green zones). These zones do not allow any type of fishing. It will step through each of the sanctuary zones, from east to west, up to three at a time. For each sanctuary zone, select whether you support or don’t support the zone, and enter your comments in the box. When there are multiple sanctuary zones to comment on, make sure you use the name of the zone when making your comments.

Remember – include details around why each area is important to you, what fishing or other activities you do there, and provide constructive solutions on how the zone(s) could change. Clicking ‘next’ will move on to the next set of sanctuary zones.

Once you have commented on the sanctuary zones, you will be asked to comment on the special purpose zones. The special purpose (whale conservation) zones, which are coloured pink, do not have any restrictions on fishing. In the Wudjari Marine Park, the special purpose (wildlife conservation) zone, which is purple, does not allow any type of fishing other than ‘hand collection’ of abalone, crayfish and octopus. As with the sanctuary zones, select whether you agree or disagree with these zones, and where you disagree, provide comments.

Once you have commented on all the zones for a specific marine park or area, you will be asked whether you would like to comment on the other marine parks or skip to the end of the survey. If you have any connection to these areas, no matter how small (it could be plans to fish there or have friends and family whose favourite fishing spots are in those locations), consider commenting on as much as you can. Repeat the steps outlined above for the other marine parks/areas sections.

Once you have commented on all the marine park areas, you will be directed to the final say and end of the survey.If you don’t want to comment on a particular area or marine park, you can select the option to skip to the end of the survey.

In the final part, you are given the option to provide any other comments on the indicative management plans. This is your opportunity to provide any comments which you did not make in the previous areas of the survey. It is also a good place to reiterate your connection and value to areas within the proposed marine parks, and to highlight how the draft plans would impact your fishing activities, quality of life, and future fishing plans.

Before clicking ‘done’, make sure you have covered everything you wish to provide as feedback. Clicking the button will end the survey and officially provide your feedback as a submission.

If you have missed anything during the survey, or wish to provide further information, you can follow up by sending an email to pscmp@dbca.wa.gov.au

Recfishwest is happy to help guide your online submission. If you have any questions with the submission process, please email info@recfishwest.org.au or call Matt or Sam on 9246 3366

How to do a written submission (Email/letter)

Start your letter with the following details:

Planning Unit
Aboriginal Engagement, Planning and Lands Branch
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
Locked Bag 104
BENTLEY DELIVERY CENTRE WA 6893

To Whom it May Concern,

Begin with an introduction. Provide some background on who you are, your connection to the area and why you’re making a submission.

Set your submission out point by point in a way that flows logically. Headings can be helpful for this – eg “General comments”  “The proposed sanctuary zones off the Duke of Orleans” etc. We recommend starting with general comments on the marine park management and zoning (if any), before moving on to commenting on specific zones.

Refer to specific zones (you can find the name of the zones in the management plans, or by clicking on the zone in the interactive map tool). When referring to places within the zones, use their official names where possible, and where a place is un-named, provide a reference such as a GPS point or proximity to a known location. Consider including images if it helps.

Describe how particular zones would impact your fishing and/or other activities. Consider including:

  • How often you visit the location
  • What type of fishing you do and what fish you catch (e.g. beach fishing for mulloway)
  • What other activities you do here (e.g. camping with friends and family)
  • Why this area is important to you (e.g. why you fish here rather than other locations, and other connections to the area such as family heritage).

Where possible, make sure to provide feedback on how the zones could change to fix your concerns. This can include:

  • For shore-based fishing and other activities such as abalone collecting and fishing from a kayak or tinny, you can request to have the sanctuary zone(s) set back 200m from the shore.
  • Moving the boundaries of a zone in a certain direction (e.g. if you fish the western end of the zone, you can recommend the boundary or entire zone to move to the east).
  • If you do a specific type of fishing in a zone (such as abalone diving), you can recommend that that activity be allowed.

If you can’t think of a recommendation, simply state what activities you do and request that the zone move or change to allow you to keep doing them.

Remember – it is perfectly valid to comment on a proposed zone if you believe it will impact on areas where you have always wanted to go fishing, are planning a fishing/camping trip, or have friends and family that regularly fish there.

Where you agree with the zoning or management of an area, make this clear as well. Submissions should not just include areas of contention, but also areas of agreement.

Finish your letter with a sign off:

Yours sincerely,

 

Your Name

Your position and organisation (if writing on behalf of a club, organisation or business)

 

Date of submission

Recfishwest is happy to provide advice on your written submission. Should you wish to seek feedback from Recfishwest, please email a draft of your written submission to info@recfishwest.org.au at least 1 week prior to the submission deadline.

EXAMPLE:

I disagree with the proposed Cape Pasley Sanctuary Zone. I have been fishing Poison Creek with my friends and family for over 20 years. It is my favourite beach for camping, catching salmon and mulloway. The eastern end of the beach is protected from the easterly winds, has the best holes and gutters, and is where I usually fish when I come here. I would like to see the sanctuary zone set back 200m from shore on the eastern end of Poison Creek, so I can continue to fish here.

ONCE YOU’VE MADE YOUR SUBMISSION

Thank you for putting in your submission.

Recfishwest are here to represent you. To help us put in a strong submission that reflects your views and values, we ask that you share your submission with us. Electronic submissions can be sent to or you can send us a copy of your letter to the following address:

Recfishwest
Suite 3, 45 Northside Drive,
HILLARYS WA 6025

If you want to continue to help get a better outcome for fishing, consider helping your friends and family members make their own submissions as well.