Get trawling out of NSW marine parks
Greens MP and environment spokesperson Cate Faehrmann says that the NSW Government should take the advice of the five trawler operators from Nelson Bay who have declared their practice environmentally damaging, and move to ban trawling in the state’s marine parks.
“Trawling is nothing less than land clearing with bulldozers and chains at the bottom of the ocean. It kills fish and destroys habitat indiscriminately. It has no place in a marine park,” said Ms Faehrmann.
“If trawling is allowed to continue in key sensitive areas we are going to see a rapid decline of marine life. Both the commercial and recreational industries will suffer.
“While the federal government and the rest of the world is moving ahead on marine protection, this government is taking NSW backwards. Winding back measures at Solitary Islands and Jervis Bay Marine Parks that reduced the areas available for trawling is just one example of this.
“Now even trawlers are seeing the writing on the wall, but the NSW Government is more interested in appeasing extremists in the fishing lobby. The NSW Government is dragging its heels and trying to avoid taking action. Their much trumpeted but unnecessary scientific review into marine parks is now late.
“Meanwhile, trawling continues to destroy vital habitat for marine life.
“The NSW Government must heed this warning from within the industry and ban trawling in all marine parks,” said Ms Faehrmann.
