Although the public comment period on the proposed South Coast Marine Parks may have closed, Recfishwest is continuing to work on the issue on behalf of 700,000 fishers.
“We continue to make a strong case to both Ministers for the Environment and Fisheries and senior representatives of their respective Government departments for rolling back on their proposed illogical and unjustifiable no-fishing zones,” said Recfishwest Research and Development Lead Sam Bock, who is from Esperance and grew up fishing there with his family.
Fishing access on the line
In Recfishwest’s submission to DBCA, we emphasised the need for 200-metre setbacks to ensure beach fishing can continue in all currently accessible areas. Out of the 32 proposed no-fishing sanctuary zones, 14 would effectively render crucial land-based fishing areas off-limits for fishing.
These locations include places areas around Cape Le Grand, such as Hellfire Bay and Thistle Cove, as well as the beaches of Warrenup, Poison Creek, Twilight Cove, Gordon Inlet (Trigelow Beach) and Kennedys.
In addition, Recfishwest is seeking changes to 12 proposed zones that will prohibit boat fishing in key offshore areas.
This includes areas such as Orleans Bay, Point Hood and Cape Le Grand as well as around several islands including the Doubtfuls, Woody, Thomas, Gunton, Termination and Figure of Eight.
The table below details the crucial fishing locations threatened by the illogical proposed no-fishing zones outlined in our submission.
“These are the areas where our fishing access simply must be maintained by the Government,” said Sam.
| Area | What we’ve asked for |
|---|---|
| Proposed Point Hood Sanctuary Zone | Remove this zone to maintain shore-based and boat-based fishing around Point Hood. |
| Proposed Doubtful Islands (East) Sanctuary Zone | Reduce this zone to maintain boat-based fishing around the Doubtful Islands. |
| Proposed Gordon Inlet Nearshore Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing in front of Gordon Inlet on Trigelow Beach. |
| Proposed Point Charles to Red Island Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback within this zone to maintain shore-based fishing at Fitzgerald Beach. Improve access throughout Fitzgerald National Park. |
| Proposed Hopetoun (East) Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing along 12 Mile and 13 Mile. |
| Proposed Mason Bay and West Island Offshore Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing at Mason Bay. |
| Reduce or remove the inshore portion of this zone to maintain nearshore fishing (e.g. kayak fishing, tinnys) out from Mason Bay. | |
| Reduce the offshore portion of this zone to maintain boat-based fishing around West Island and Black Rock. | |
| Proposed Munglinup Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing along Lake Shaster Beach. |
| Proposed Benwenerup Wardan Sanctuary Zone | Reduce this zone to maintain boat-fishing west of Fanny Cove (offshore from Shoal Cape and Stokes Inlet). |
| Proposed Barker Inlet to Munroe Point Beach Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback within this zone to maintain shore-based fishing at Warrenup and near Barkers Inlet. |
| Proposed West Group Islands Sanctuary Zone | Reduce this zone to maintain boat-based fishing around the northern side of Figure of Eight and nearby islets/rocks. |
| Proposed Kepa Kurl Sanctuary Zone | Reduce or remove this zone to maintain fishing on the northern side of Woody Island (including Shearwater Bay and Skinny Dip Bay), and boat-based fishing around Thomas Island and Gunton Island. |
| Proposed Termination Island Sanctuary Zone | Reduce this zone to maintain boat-based fishing to the north of Termination Island. |
| Proposed Cape Le Grand Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback within this zone to maintain shore-based fishing around Hellfire Bay and Thistle Cove. |
| Reduce this zone to maintain boat-based fishing around inshore areas of Cape Le Grand, particularly Ram Island, New Island Bay and Hope Island. | |
| Proposed Victoria Harbour Beach to Hammer Head Offshore Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing at Dunns Rock Beach and Hammer Head. |
| Reduce this zone to maintain nearshore and boat-based fishing around the Duke of Orleans, particularly around Hammer Head, near Wharton Bay (including Station Island and Cornwall Island) and out from Victoria Harbour. | |
| Proposed Membinup Offshore Sanctuary Zone. | Reduce or relocate this zone to maintain boat-based fishing near the Duke of Orleans boat ramp. |
| Proposed Kennedy Beach and Offshore Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing at Kennedys Beach. |
| Reduce the offshore portion of this zone to maintain boat-based fishing to the east of Twin Peaks Islands. | |
| Proposed Cape Pasley Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback within this zone to maintain shore-based fishing at Poison Creek Beach. |
| Proposed Israelite Bay South Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing along Israelite Bay ‘Back Beach’. |
| Proposed Bilbunya Beach (Central) Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing around Wattle Camp on Bilbunya Beach. |
| Proposed Bilbunya Dunes Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback throughout this zone to maintain shore-based fishing in front of the Bilbunya Dunes near Point Culver. |
| Proposed Twilight Cove Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback within this zone to maintain shore-based fishing along the beach at Twilight Cove. |
| Proposed Madura Beach to Red Rocks Point Sanctuary Zone | Implement a 200m setback within this zone to maintain shore-based fishing at Red Rocks ‘Back Beach’. |
| Proposed Eucla Sanctuary Zone | Relocate this zone to maintain shore-based and nearshore (small boats and tinnys) fishing near Eucla. Relocation to the east between Eucla and Mundrabilla with a 200m setback. |
“It is now up to the Government to listen to fishers’ views, as it has promised to do, and take these changes into account change the proposed illogical zoning to better incorporate fishers’ feedback,” said Sam, “After all, the Minister for the Environment has repeatedly said he has heard the fishing community’s concerns and ‘is very keen to get the right balance,’ when it comes to the final marine parks design.
“The changes we have proposed will not impact the conservation objectives that the Government is looking to achieve, and they represent a better, more balanced outcome across the 1,000km of coastline contained within these marine parks.
Click here to read our final submission to DBCA In full
Recfishwest will continue to keep you updated with any developments as they happen and track the progress made in protecting our access to those fishing spots that are so important to all of us.
