Marine Protected Area Policy
TARFish will support:
Science - a national representative system of multiple use MPAs in Australian waters based on biodiversity protection and sustainability of fisheries resources where the need has been identified through independent peer reviewed science;
Management - MPAs with simple, practical management plans based on decisions that are risk-based, transparent, informed and timely and with sufficient resources for implementation and future management;
Reviews -MPAs that are subject to review and monitoring to measure the effectiveness and appropriateness of management plans;
Reasonable use - MPAs that provide reasonable use and minimise impacts on existing users.
Unity - a unified approach (national, state and local) and will assist recreational fishers to present well researched, credible alternatives to Government that meet the objectives of MPAs but minimise the impacts on recreational fishers;
Socio-economic consideration - social and economic factors being given equal consideration to environmental factors in the evaluation of MPA proposals;
Compensation - initiatives to enhance recreational fishing where MPAs have a significant impact on recreational fishing;
Alliances - strategic alliances with other groups (commercial fishing, tourism, oil and gas, conservation) where common objectives have been established;
Guideline - the development of guidelines for effective engagement of stakeholders including adequate opportunity for consultation in the development phase in MPA establishment;
Monitoring- recreational fishers to get involved in the collection of baseline data in MPAs including catch and effort, value of fishing to local economies, values, attitudes, opinions, desires of recreational fishers;
Involvement - greater involvement by local communities in the development, implementation and management of the MPAs in their localities and a greater sense of ‘ownership’ of those MPAs;
Locals - using local community knowledge to develop a much better understanding of marine biodiversity within MPAs and the nature, extent and impact of activities within;
Partnerships - creation of partnerships with stakeholders of MPAs to forge a greater effectiveness in management, monitoring, reporting, education and extension of common interest objectives for sustaining biodiversity;
Advisory Groups - establishing a stakeholder advisory group or committee to provide opportunities for the community to engage with government and its agencies on the continuing MPA management processes and direction of research for increasing the knowledge base; and
TARFish will NOT support:
No take/no go zones - the establishment of any no take/no go reserves unless it is satisfied there is sound scientific justification;
Discrimination - discrimination against any forms of recreational fishing and exclusion from areas and species that are available to other fishers; or
Unreasonableness - any MPA which will impact on recreational fishing to protect species, elements of biodiversity or natural features that could be protected in areas where there would be less impact on recreational fishing.
