Queensland fin fish management plans under review
Queensland fin fish management plans under review
Posted Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:11am AEST
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200809/r293488_1258334.jpg The WWF says targeted shark fishing is not sustainable. (Eco Divers, file photo)
Conservationists have welcomed an independent review of proposed new management plans for fin fishing off Queensland's coast.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett says a three-member panel will examine the impact of the east coast in-shore operation on shark stocks and protected species.
The review is due to be completed by the end of next month.
WWF spokesman Nick Heath says he hopes it recommends a ban on shark fishing in Queensland's world heritage waters.
"If the review is based on the best available science and that science flows straight through into policy ... I think we will be reassured because what we're finding all over the world is that sharks are becoming more and more endangered," he said.
Mr Heath says targeted shark fishing is not sustainable.
"They perform a very important role in that ecosystem but they're actually very vulnerable to overfishing," he said.
"If the best available science goes into that review, it can only find that fishing is unsustainable of this magnificent species."
Mr Garrett says he will not speculate about what the review may recommend.
"I'm certainly not going to rush out and start talking about bans or any other matters at this stage," he said.
"We don't know as much as we ought to at this stage about the long-term health of shark stocks and the kind of data sets that we have in the past and the impact of fishing on them."
Mr Garrett says he wants to ensure appropriate conditions govern the fishery.
"I want to make sure that we have arrangements in place that do comply with federal environment law," he said.
"There have been quite a few expressions of concern.
"I thought it was important to really make sure that we knew what kind of impact the fishery would be likely to have on shark stocks and the potential for interactions with protected species like whales, swordfish and the like."
