Give Fish a Chance in the Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park
The Give Fish a Chance campaign is designed to promote the need for a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of marine sanctuaries in the Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park. This will require up to half of all key marine habitats and all Grey Nurse Shark key habitats to be protected in marine sanctuaries. You can support this campaign by making a submission to the Port Stephens – Great Lakes Marine Park draft zoning plan.
The Marine Park Authority is asking for comments on the draft zoning plan before 23rd September 2006. We encourage you to ask the NSW Government to Give Fish a Chance by supporting additional sanctuary zones by filling in the submission form attached.
A key requirement of marine parks is to protect marine wildlife yet some of the areas with the highest biodiversity have only been partly protected. For example, large areas of seagrass meadows, vital to protect juvenile fish, in the Myall River remain inadequately protected. For the marine park to protect fish so they can breed, feed and recover in numbers, it needs to provide marine sanctuaries for up to half of each habitat type, including rocky reefs, islands, seagrass and sand. Snapper Island and Boondaba Island in Port Stephens, for example, are areas that deserve to be fully protected. Perhaps most importantly, many of the critically endangered Grey Nurse Shark key habitat areas receive only partial protection. Latitude Rock near Forster, Edith Breakers at Seal Rocks and Little Broughton Island near Port Stephens will receive insufficient protection if the current zoning plan goes ahead.
For more information visit the websites of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW www.nccnsw.org.au or The Wilderness Society Newcastle www.wilderness.org.au/newcastle
Return your form to: Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park, Reply Paid 83199, Nelson Bay NSW 2315
Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park Submission Writing Guide EXAMPLE ONLY
Confidential Submission: Yes No
Mr / Mrs / Ms Surname ______First Name ______
Address______Suburb______State______Postcode______
Phone______Fax______Email ______
Organisation / affiliation / business name (if applicable) ______
What are your main interests in the park? (please tick the most accurate description of your primary interest) Recreational Fishing Spear fishing Scuba diving PWC/Motorised water sport ; Conservation Charter fishing Aquaculture Commercial Operator Commercial fishing Other (please specify) ______
Comments on the Zones- Please comment on the proposed zoning that you support. The sites below are additional areas that conservation groups believe deserve protection in sanctuary, or no-take, zones.
I believe that up to half of the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park should be protected in sanctuary zones. This is the only way to ensure we protect our marine life now and in the future. I support the current sanctuary zones outlined in the Marine Parks Authority draft zoning plan and believe the following areas should be added.
Location Name Agree with additional Suggested Comments Sanctuary Zoning 1. The Branch River ; Important breeding area for Australian Bass 2. Wurrung/Snapper Island ; Needed to protect saltmarsh, mangroves and seagrass 3. Soldiers Point/Taylors Beach ; Important for seagrasses 4. Middle Island ; Includes some of the deepest water in the Port, important fish habitat 5. Salamander Bay ; The wetland in the bay is an important fish nursery area 6. Bagnalls Beach ; Would protect an area of soft corals and sponge gardens 7. East Port Stephens ; Important for saltmarsh, mangrove sand islands and seagrass 8. Myall River ; Considered irreplaceable, contains large stands of seagrass, mangrove 9. East of Fingal Island ; Areas of deep ocean are not protected under the current zoning plan 10. Boondelbah Is/Yacaba Head ; Important for little penguin nesting and Gould’s Petrel feeding area 11. Little Broughton Island ; Key habitat area for the Grey Nurse Shark 12. Boolambayte Lake ; Listed under RAMSAR for its internationally important wetlands 13. Edith Breakers ; An important aggregation area for female Grey Nurse Sharks 14. Sawtooth Rocks ; A key habitat area for the Grey Nurse Shark 15. Deep Ocean near Seal Rocks ; The deep ocean is home to unique species and needs protection 16. Smiths Lake ; The largest intermittently closing and opening lake in NSW 17. Bald Point ; It contains all the different types of intertidal rocky shore 18. Latitude Rock and deep ocean ; Key habitat for the grey nurse shark and part of The Pinnacles system
Additional Sites of Interest: Please list any other sites you believe deserve increased protection.
Return your form to: Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park, Reply Paid 83199, Nelson Bay NSW 2315
Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park Draft Zoning Plan Submission
Confidential Submission: Yes No
Mr / Mrs / Ms Surname ______First Name ______
Address______Suburb______State______Postcode______
Phone______Fax______Email ______
Organisation / affiliation / business name (if applicable) ______
What are your main interests in the park? (please tick the most accurate description of your primary interest) Recreational Fishing Spear fishing Scuba diving PWC/Motorised water sport Conservation Charter fishing Aquaculture Commercial Operator Commercial fishing Other (please specify) ______
Comments on the Zones-
Location Name Agree with additional Comments Sanctuary Zoning 19. The Branch River 20. Wurrung/Snapper Island 21. Soldiers Point/Taylors Beach 22. Middle Island 23. Salamander Bay 24. Bagnalls Beach 25. East Port Stephens 26. Myall River 27. Fingal Island 28. Boondelbah Is/Yacaba Head 29. Little Broughton Island 30. Boolambayte Lake 31. Edith Breakers 32. Sawtooth Rocks 33. Deep Ocean near Seal Rocks 34. Smiths Lake 35. Bald Point 36. Latitude Rock 37. Deep Ocean near the Pinnacles
Additional Sites of Interest: Please list any other sites you believe deserve increased protection.
Return to Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park, Reply Paid 83199, Nelson Bay NSW 2315