Hi All,
There is a petition going around organised ny Senator Ron Boswell in Queensland, it is relevant to the whole of the commonwealth's planned Marine Parks Process, and calls for any closures to be justified by science, below is a copied and pasted version of what it is asking for. If you would like to sign it, copies are on the counter at both Bluewater Melville and Bluewater Morley, maybe at the other two stores. We have to have all back to thier delivery adress by the 20th of this month ( states 10th on the form but this has been extended ), so they will need to go in the post probasbly by the 16th as there is a weekend involved. Also if anyone would like a copy of the sheet to get more signatures, just e-mail workshop@bluewater.net.au and i will forward a sheet. 10 signatures required per sheet, and you can return them filled out to me direct to the postal adress on the form. So far i have had only two people who did not want to sign, all who have signed have been ver enthusiastic to do so, of the two that didn't, one was in politics and agreed 100% but didn't want to commit his name to paper for career reasons, the other was a DEC employee who stated that he agreed with banning fishing within marine parks.
This is the agenda, written at the top of the petition .....
Marine Parks Petition:
TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
This petition of concerned citizens draws to the attention of the house of representatives the proposed network of marine parks throughout Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone. The current process of establishing marine park boundaries has failed to include genuine consultation, and has failed to recognise that Australian fisheries are already amonst the healthiest and best managed in the world, as highlighted in the latest Commonwealth Fish Status report released November 2011.
We ask the house of representatives to urge the government to halt the current process of establishing marine parks and to ensure that any future marine park boundaries are :
* Based on science, and that this science be made available to all stakeholders.
* Based on assesments of all risks to the enviroment by marine activities.
* Accompanied by socio-economic research to show impacts on commercial fisheries, charter buisinesses, recreational anglers, and accosiated communities and industries, including tourism.
* Considerate of Australia's future food security needs.