Archived page, Submission Proposed Dampier Archipelago/Cape Preston Marine Conservation Reserve (Ongoing)

Submitted to the Department of Conservation and Land Management 26th April 2002

Draft Zoning Scheme

Recfishwest is recognised by government as representing the views and interests of the estimated 645,000 recreational fishers in Western Australia. Recfishwest nominated for a position on the review committee but was not supported, even though the recreational fishing sector will be impacted upon by the proposals to the greatest extent. While Recfishwest recognises the need for a significant local community involvement, the Marine Park will be a resource for the entire community and the need for a strategic, statewide outlook is essential and lacking in this process.

The apparent inability to give appropriate weighting to the needs of the recreational fishing community and the disproportionate impact on this key stakeholder is a matter of concern to the community. The proposals have been developed by a committee that was constituted on the understanding that the Dampier Port Authority area would be included for consideration as part of the Dampier Marine Park. When this area was excised from the proposed Marine Park, the committee should rightly have been reconstituted to reflect the key stakeholders in the new proposal.

Recfishwest views with considerable concern the apparent inability to apply marine protected areas to commercial fisheries or aquaculture. The excision of the Nickol Bay prawn fishery in its entirety from the plan highlights the extent of this inconsistency. There is again only one small recreational zone proposed for the Dampier Park to supposedly benefit recreational fishers while up to 15% of the area will be lost to recreational fishing. Recfishwest strongly believes that there should be a large recreational fishing zone in the southern islands encompassing the area inside West Lewis Island, Enderby Island, Goodwyn Island, Rosemary Island and the southern end of Malus Island.

Recfishwest is concerned at the degree of community engagement in the development of these proposals. During a recent visit by Recfishwest to the area, the vast majority of anglers and community members felt that they were being dictated to. They were not being asked their opinion but rather being told what was best for them. Given that the new proposed park is effectively a recreational fishing management zone, this lack of engagement is a serious and ongoing concern with the marine park implementation process.

During our discussions with the community, significant concerns were raised at the apparent lack of vision in the selection of the Sanctuary Zones, the selection of boundaries and several inconsistencies in the permitted activities in the various zones. For example, there is no mention that anchoring in delicate soft corals will be prohibited in sanctuary zones, yet fishing for highly transitory pelagic fish species will be banned. Similarly, jet skis will be permitted where there are high turtle and even dugong populations, yet fishing will be prohibited.

In spite of these sometimes serious concerns, Recfishwest supports the need for a marine park in the Dampier Archipelago. We believe that the boundaries need considerable work. The rationale behind the proposals needs far more transparent exposure to assure recreational fishers that CALM is able to equitably implement a parks proposal that is able to meet clearly defined objectives. The recreational fishing community in the Pilbara is able to meet the challenge if it is treated in a manner that its importance to the proposal deserves.

Recfishwest has offered to convene a meeting with recreational fishing representative groups to see if sanctuary zones and other zones can be developed that meet the biodiversity objectives but with greater community stewardship and lesser overall impact on recreational fishing activities. We believe that this will result in a win-win and allay many of the fears in the Pilbara and throughout Western Australia to the effect that CALM is more interested in impacting on recreational fishing activities



This page last updated on 30 December 2003.