THE Marine Estate Management Authority is yet to provide advice on whether to permanently allow shoreline fishing in Batemans Marine Park sanctuary zones.
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The NSW Government announced an amnesty in March to allow line fishing from ocean beaches and headlands in sanctuary zones, with the exception of identified sites for the protection of threatened species.
Sanctuary zones include the Murramarang Sanctuary Zone north of Pebbly Beach, as well as parts of Durras Lake, North Head, Tollgate and Broulee Islands, the Clyde River, Guerilla Bay and Malabar Creek.
The amnesty was to be for six months, with an Expert Knowledge Panel to undertake an assessment following the amnesty.
Authority chairwoman Wendy Craik said the Expert Panel had now given the results of its assessment and the Authority was finalising its advice to give to the government.
Dr Craik said the Panel’s recommendations would not yet be made public.
“When the government’s decision is made public then that will all be made public but not until that point,” she said.
Friends of Durras’s John Perkins said the decision to allow recreational fishing in Marine Park sanctuary zones was supposed to be a trial.
“It seems that the NSW Government could make a permanent decision there to allow that recreational fishing from the shoreline in Marine Park sanctuary zones,” he said.
“These zones are not really marine sanctuary zones any more.
“It may seem like what’s the harm, throwing a line in to catch the odd fish, but… scientific evaluation work was conducted over a period of about seven years in those Marine Park sanctuary zones.”
Mr Perkins is also concerned that if shoreline recreational fishing in sanctuary zones is allowed permanently, it could serve as a “foot in the door”.
“We could see that expand to allowing fishing in Marine Parks sanctuary zones from boats,” he said.
“We could even eventually lose a lot of the sanctuary zones here in the Batemans Marine Park.
“That’s certainly what some of those (against the establishment of the Marine Park) would like - a complete removal of sanctuary zones.”
Mr Perkins said he was by no means against fishing, and the establishment of the Marine Parks was a huge win for recreational fishing.
