I am now 70 years old and I recall that in my 30s the doomsayers were telling us that oil would be in such short supply and so expensive by the year 2000 that the internal combustion engine would no longer be in general use. Now we are being told that peak oil extraction is approaching. Is it any wonder that I question the doomsayers?

B C Imrie, B Sc Agr PhD, Moruya

Labor’s political parks

Ecofishers, the voice of NSW recreational fishers, continues to question the environmental value of current government marine parks.

In Labor’s marine parks, all forms of fishing are totally and needlessly prohibited in so-called “sanctuary zones”.

This is despite the fact there is no science whatsoever to show which, if any, recreational fishing practice actually represents a problem. No science at all! That’s why they are known as “Labor’s political parks!”.

Ken Thurlow, CEO ECOfishers NSW, Byron Bay

Nothing fishy about marine park science

I would like to respond to the letter published in the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner (13/11/09), entitled “No hard facts” concerning Batemans Marine Park.

The view that there is no science behind NSW marine parks is irrefutably incorrect.

Among other key research projects, there is currently best practice ecological monitoring of the Batemans Marine Park that began prior to the park’s establishment in 2007.

This research has involved leading Australian marine biologists with excellent publication records, citation rates and ARC grant success. This ongoing work has already demonstrated higher abundances of snapper and abalone in sanctuary zones, as well as other important findings.

In a broader context, a global analysis encompassing 149 individual peer reviewed scientific studies from 1977 to 2006 demonstrated that marine species (fish, lobsters, etc) in sanctuaries were on average 166 per cent more abundant and 21 per cent bigger than in other areas.

Most importantly, this research also demonstrated that there were 21 per cent more species in sanctuaries on average. This outstanding research was published by some of the world’s best marine scientists, including Dr Jane Lubchenco, who was recently named by President Obama to head the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The above information only represents the tip of the massive iceberg that is marine protected area research. This year alone there have already been more than 100 scientific papers published on marine sanctuaries, reserves and protected areas.

This overwhelming research effort has led thousands of marine scientists to support consensus statements supporting the establishment of marine protected areas.

In contrast, there aren’t any scientific consensus statements stating that there is no science behind marine parks nor will there ever be one. Quite simply, this is because the notion that there is no science behind marine parks is completely untrue.

Dr Brendan Kelaher (PhD Marine Biology) Batemans Marine Park manager

Thumbs up, Eric!

Well done, Eric Wiseman (Bay Post/Moruya Examiner 18/11/09).

Do I believe in climate change? Yes, it changes every day.

Interesting the way people can highlight things to appeal to the ignorant, you just rephrase them.

Sea level prediction for this 100 years is the same as the last 100 years, yes.

It’s just about summer again and it will not be long before we start hearing those add: “The ice is melting”, it does every summer.

The polar bears are dying - yes they are, the same as everything that lives on this little rock we call Earth, it’s called nature.

But here is one for the sceptics. Get a glass, don’t care what size, fill it with ice, then top it up with water right to the top, put it on a flat surface and watch what happens.

Jack Tait, Batemans Bay