I believe these issues need to be focused on a lot more. Too much emphasis is placed on no take zones within Marine Parks. No take zones are obvoiusly an important part of fisheries management, but they tend more to anger the fishing community ( as I am sure FD you are well aware) due to the areas that are "taken" from rec fishers.
Issues such as spearfishing at night or on tanks are good examples of limiting catch numbers, more areas limited to catch and release fishing, or having strict bag limits rather than no fishing at all, most recfishers would be more receptive to limiting their catch, than eliminating it.
Politicians use MPA's as vote grabbing tools, relying on the green preferences. Maybe they should try to target the people who actualy use these areas, many of whom are passionate about sustainable fishing practises.
Maybe if there was less emphasis on "no take", and recfishers were more in support of MPA's, a more accurate picture of their affect on fish numbers would be obtainable. With the current attitude of many recfishers due to the "us vs them" attitide held by both governing bodies and fishers, too much information is being with held or distorted, just look at the GNS game of mis-information, listen to the stories told by researchers at boat ramps asking fishermen about their days catch only too be told to f*ck off.

Do you want to know who are the biggest culprits of non commercial overfishing???

I fish often, and ive never seen them throw away a single fish, even if it was tiny and illegal to keep. The thing that really bugs me and i have gone off at a few about it the fish they catch they do not always keep, they leave them on the rocks/sand/pier to rot.

freediver wrote on Oct 28^th, 2007 at 1:13pm:


Here in Sydney they do. If you are ever in Sydney Harbour and you find some Asians fishing, watch them for a while and you'll see them catch things and not a single fish will be spared.

On a side note ive seen them fishing in the Georges River (not far from where i live) which besides the Cooks River is the most polluted in Sydney! Industry destroyed these rivers.

freediver wrote on Oct 28^th, 2007 at 1:28pm:


But they were FD.

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I wouldnt say that. I saw what i saw.

freediver wrote on Oct 28^th, 2007 at 2:12pm:


I was upset because they were doing the wrong thing. AND i noticed they were all ASIAN. No Whites, no Blacks. Asians.
Blinded by racism? you are a fool FD.  

freediver wrote on Oct 28^th, 2007 at 2:28pm:


Do you wear or need glasses?

freediver wrote on Oct 28^th, 2007 at 2:53pm:


Yes they were. undersized Flatheads, Brim, Yellowtail, Snapper and Tailor. 

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Ive never heard of them before. Not sure if they exist in Sydney.