Saturday’s Federal Election hides a threat to all anglers, with the potential to determine the future of recreational and commercial fishing in Australia.

The Australian Labor Party has agreed to a preference deal with The Greens, who have made it clear that they plan to turn a minimum of 30% of Australian commonwealth waters into ‘no-take’ marine parks, on top existing and proposed state-based marine parks. These proposed marine parks, which cover roughly 80% of the areas recreational anglers currently frequent, are not based on current science and do not protect these ecosystems from their main threat – pollution. They have the potential to lock recreational anglers out of a large number of Australia’s most popular coastal and inshore waters, putting many business and a traditional Australian way of life at risk.

Greens leader Bob Brown has been making irresponsible and misleading statements to sway voters and support his marine park proposal, claiming: “We have lost 90 per cent of the great fishes including marlin, tuna and snapper”. The figures that the Greens are basing their claims on come from a scientific paper called “Meyers and Worm 2003″. Apart from the fact that this paper is 7 years old, it has been attacked as seriously flawed by critics since it was originally published in the distinguished scientific journal, Nature.

Washington University Professor of Fisheries, Ray Hilborn, is one such critic: “This paper raised a furore among many scientists specialising in pelagic fisheries who knew the same data, knew it was being misinterpreted, and knew there was a large body of other data that contradicted Myers’ and Worm’s results.”

“What they criticised was Myers’ and Worm’s analysis, their highly selective use of data, and conclusions about the extent and timing of depletion of these stocks, not their concern about over-exploitation.”

Marine Biologist Walter Starck PHD, one of the pioneers in the scientific investigation of coral reefs, has devoted the past 6 years to a full time effort in trying to inject a rational perspective on human ecology into the eco-mania that has become epidemic in declining Western economies, criticising the poor science and blatantly false claims widely used to support various environmental agendas.

He says: “Marine Parks are a costly hypothetical solution to a problem which doesn’t exist. They have no effect on pollution or climate change and the possibility of overfishing is already more than adequately addressed by the most costly and restrictive fisheries management in the world. There is no threat to marine biodiversity. We have never lost even one marine species from any human cause and none are threatened with extinction.”

In his Press Release from late July, Coalition leader Tony Abbot said that his party, “supports a balanced approach to marine conservation and will immediately put on hold the Marine Bioregional Planning process. We will then restructure this process, in consultation with the community and industry, within the first year of government.” Unlike Labor, it appears that the Liberals are keen to actually consult the recreational and commercial angling community, taking feedback on board prior to implementing any Marine Parks rather than forcing them upon us.

In their Policy on Marine Protected Areas, The Coalition also promises that in implementing any Marine Parks, restrictions on fishing will only be made as an absolute last resort – “The Coalition’s displacement policy will be developed through the four Bioregional Advisory Panels, in consultation and negotiation with affected commercial and recreational industry representatives (including charter operators and onshore related businesses) … As a last resort, if such consultation and negotiation does not reduce impacts below levels that are reasonably compensable, then compensation, structural adjustment or other appropriate measures will be delivered before any constraints on fishing are implemented.”

Click here to read The Coalition’s Policy on Marine Protected Areas in full

In essence, the only parties that represent the interests of Australian anglers are; The Liberal Party, The Shooters and Fishers Party, The Nationals and The Australian Fishing and Lifestyle Party (QLD only). Any vote for The Australian Labor Party or other party offering preferences to The Greens will put our pastime of recreational fishing at risk.

The catch & release tendencies and responsible angling practices of many Australian anglers would generally classify us as conservationists of the marine environment; every recreational angler realises and appreciates that fish stocks need to be managed appropriately. If you want to be able to take your kids fishing at the local wharf in the future, or catch your own dinner rather than buy it from commercial long-liners and overseas fish farms, do not vote for any party that gives their preferences to The Greens this federal election.

Two days ago Tony Abbott summed it up best by saying: “Decent ordinary working Australians have a right to go down to the sea and fish. And I think that right should be protected, not attacked. Fishing is part of the Australian way of life.”