NO INCREASE PLANNED TO VICTORIA’S MARINE PARKS

From the Minister for Environment & Climate Change

Friday, 16 July 2010

The Victorian Government has no plans to create more marine national parks along our coastline, Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings said today. 

Mr Jennings said the Government recognised how important the fishing industry and recreational fishing was to our state and had no plans to change the current arrangements.

“Recreational fishing is very important to our state and we have no plans to alter our marine park arrangements,” Mr Jennings said.

“The recent proposal for an increase in marine parks was put forward by the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA). In their role as an interest group, they are entitled to make those submissions to Government.

“And as a Government we listen to all points of view that are put to us. However, expanding the number of marine national parks is not on the Government's agenda and we would need to be convinced of the worth of doing so. 

“We are supportive of the fishing industry and the hundreds of thousands of Victorians who participate in recreational fishing every week along both coastal and inland waterways.

“The Government has made a commitment to increase fish stocks by 30 per cent by 2010 and we are on track to reach that number and could in fact, surpass it.”

The Victorian Government has committed:

•    $13.5 million for an Enhanced Recreational Fishing Program which includes the target to increase fish stocks by 30 per cent;

•    $1.3 million to build a new native fish hatchery at Snobs Creek;

•    $5 million to buy back licences in the Western Zone Rock Lobster industry to ensure that particular fishery remained sustainable; and

•    $3.2 million to the Go Fishing in Victoria initiative to improve fishing infrastructure around the state and encourage Victorian families to go fishing.

Mr Jennings said the proposal by the VNPA had only been made public recently and would take some time to analyse by the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Parks Victoria before any further comment could be made.