Sea Shepherd offers to protect Australian marine parks
What will you do when the Sea Shepherd decides you are fishing in a sanctuary zone and bears down on you?
Anglers out, Sea Shepherd in...looks like we are about to be on a par with illegal fishers and Japanese whalers...
FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. — June 17, 2012 — Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the world’s leading marine conservation organization, has announced it is offering its expertise, vessels, and resources to help patrol and protect Australia’s newly established and world’s largest marine reserve, the Coral Sea, in an effort to help safeguard this magnificent ocean resource and its marine life.
After a lengthy public comment period, The Australian Government announced Thursday it had taken a bold step to establish the ocean preserve. In a statement on the Government’s website, they said: “This action represents a turning point in the conservation and management of our oceans.” It further explained: “Just like national parks on land, marine sanctuaries are now an accepted and mainstream part of the national agenda to address the unprecedented threats facing our unique marine life.”
In making its announcement, the Government stated enforcement will be key to the success of the newly established network of marine parks. Without it, foreign fishing vessels will continue to exploit the region’s fragile ecosystems through poaching, over-fishing, shark-finning and other illegal activities.
Former Herbert MP Mr. Lindsay said the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority should be in charge of monitoring the world's largest protected marine park. "There's no point in having a marine park unless you can patrol it and police it," he said.” He added: “They would have to receive adequate funding, they can't do it in their existing budget. Even if it does take another $10 million, it's money well spent.”
In response to the Australian Government’s remarks, Sea Shepherd is offering its assistance to collaborate and employ its resources and expertise to protect the waters from foreign fishing vessels illegally operating inside the new Coral Sea marine sanctuary, providing an enforcement solution that would be at no cost to the Australian taxpayer.
Sea Shepherd would also provide vessels and welcome members of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, or other appropriate Australian authorities, to be represented onboard ship on patrol in the Coral Sea.
The organization would work alongside the appropriate Australian authorities to design strategies, implement appropriate programs and facilitate prosecution of illegal fishing activities.
“Sea Shepherd has a long legacy of successfully defending and preserving marine ecosystems and animals worldwide and we have a very strong base of support in Australia. Our program in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, is a model example of how our organization can support a local government in protecting its shark population and marine ecosystems. We have contributed more than $4 million dollars toward the acquisition of a patrol boat, the installation of vessel identification systems, training, enforcement, a team of fin-sniffing patrol dogs, and legal support for prosecution. We have been commended by the Galapagos government, Navy, and Marine Reserve officials. Together, we are protecting their rich waters from poachers and illegal international fishing fleets who aim to plunder local economies and ecosystems.”
“Sea Shepherd is prepared to work with any government or local agency to protect their waters,” says founder Captain Paul Watson. “We have resources and experience unlike those of other conservation organizations including world-wide awareness and support, ongoing program implementation, media relations expertise, training, shark fin-sniffing dogs, and vessel identification systems. We stand ready to put our enforcement expertise to work for Australia’s Coral Sea for the long term."
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
Environmental terrorists
If they shoot that water cannon at my boat it would probably blow me out of the water
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
SSCS are only about stopping
SSCS are only about stopping law breakers Scotty so if your breaking the law they may very well hose you off.
I think most people would be amazed at how many illegal fishing vessels there are in Aussie waters. Our government is too busy picking up boat people so why wouldn't we want help to STOP ILLEGAL POACHING?
I don't think you should try and start a fight were there isn't one though Scott. This has nothing to do with Marine Parks. SSCS already help in Illegal poaching all over the world and have been proven to be very successful.
snappermiles
Posts: 2100
Date Joined: 05/11/10
yeh that would be right
stop us from fishing in our own waters but the dont worry about all the illegal fishermen from other countries raping our waters up north!! its all political B*ULLSH*T
ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS EXCEPT YOU AND ME! AND IM NOT SO SURE ABOUT YOU!
Garry Lilley
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 27/09/06
sscs has no right to be out
sscs has no right to be out policing australian marine parks..
face it rod, your hero paul watson is nothing but a lying crook .
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Your right they have right
Your right they have right to. But have still offered to help stop Illegal fishing. Or should we just let foreign illegal fishing vessels go for broke as our government seems complacent on the facts.
Talk about cut your nose of despite your face..
Good to see your still as red necked as ever i see Garry!
Rob H
Posts: 5798
Date Joined: 18/01/12
I think Rod is winding you guys up!
Having Sea Shepherd policing our waters? I cant see what could possibly go wrong in that scenario
Would you like to have private citizens acting as Police Officers? Theyre called vigilantes
Private soldiers? They are called mercenaries
Private (SSCS and foreign!) Border Patrol/Fisheries-its just so laughable....
Rod-seriously-would you advocate law enforcement that ISNT impartial
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Garry Lilley
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 27/09/06
rod, you support a bunch of
rod, you support a bunch of lying crackpots that would love nothing more than to stop me fishing. in my book,that makes you as bad as them.
its time to draw a line in the sand and decide what side your on .
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Garry Ive never bothered what
Garry Ive never bothered what you think of me. So you just go ahead and call me a Lying crackpot, and I'll refer to you as a red neck poacher who is scared of getting caught.
Rob we aren't talking a group of people who are unskilled. They simply patrol around and report poachers. Honestly what can be wrong with that? I'm deadly serous. What's another alternative? We turn a blind eye to them like we currently do.
We are talking poaches, not local fisherman.
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
I think the real question
I think the real question that needs answering is why isn't the goverment doing anything about poachers themselves (Marine park or no Marine park) and why are they goverment introducing Marine parks they are unable to, or unwilling to spend a sufficient amount of money to police them themselves. But then again most of those on this site allready know this was always going to be the case ........
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
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Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Just to clarify this is a
Just to clarify this is a link to an article that helps explain the SSCS offer.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/sea-shepherd-offers-to-police-coral-sea-20120618-20jxc.html
Paragraph two reads.
"In a statement, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society made the offer, after former federal Liberal MP Peter Lindsay said it would not be possible to properly police the proposed park.
Sea Shepherd says it will provide vessels and welcome representatives of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority aboard their ships."
Also i should say other groups including Local dive and fish charters have extended the same offer as SSCS.
My point is the original post was made to look like SSCS are trying to take over our waters when in fact there were simply responding to a statemnt about our governments short comings and there ability to police.
Rob H
Posts: 5798
Date Joined: 18/01/12
its just too creepy to contemplate
"welcome representatives of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority aboard their ships."
as long as they are VEGANS.
Rod, honestly I do have a grudging respect for the dedication of Paul Watson and some of the others, having watched Whale Wars.
But many of the others onboard-it must have seemed like a good idea to sign up on the Bob Barker/Steve Irwin while sitting around in Fremantle eating $2 Hari Krishna meals and suckin on a scoob or 2.
But look at them once they see some real ocean and action, whining to go home after a few weeks.
I thought more of Peter Bethune before seeing him on that show-he has seriously got a screw loose, the lift doesnt make it to the penthouse.
The organisation itself has shown that its prepared to "bend" the law to achieve its objectives, it is tainted.
It would be no different to Jack Van Tongeren saying to the government "right now we have gotten rid of the Asians, we'll go straight and help you keep everyone else out."
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
That seems like the TV
That seems like the TV version i agree. But will disagree about the breaking law side and the actual running of the ships. There record bear's the truth and yes they walk the line but don't cross it. they can't or they get the book thrown at them. Even the recent boarding of Bunbury was not illegal hence why they were never charged.
Pete Bethuine is a tool. He and some of his crew are the only ones ever sent south that were not hand picked. As part of the sponsorship deal and the hiring of his vessel he was sent and in turn showed his true worth.
People always toss all green groups into one big banner but there are many differences.
Oh and Paul Watson isn't even a Vegan for the record.
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Couldn't agree more Paul.
Couldn't agree more Paul.
scottywiper
Posts: 247
Date Joined: 09/03/08
Yeah, well one Labor Senator
Yeah, well one Labor Senator did put out a press release saying he wants anglers to be stewards of the sea when the new marine parks come in.
Kick anglers out, but expect them to keep any eye on it because there is no way to enforce it!
How stupid would we need to be?
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Actually Scotty do anglers
Actually Scotty do anglers really report each other? Lately at the ramps (especially after weekends) i often see many decent fish just discarded in the water. So i can only think anglers are coming in with over there limit and upon seeing fisheries are dumping fish over the side? If you saw that would you alert the officers?
scottywiper
Posts: 247
Date Joined: 09/03/08
Let's be honest, most
Let's be honest, most fisheries compliance is voluntary compliance. How often do you see a Fisheries officer? I would say most (not all) people willingly do the right thing.
Some, unfortunately, do not.
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Come on
What have we become. Puppets in a Green war.
If we need protection in our own waters, it should be up to us and not some foreign group to do the protection.
The question is then why dont we. If the government cant do this, why declare these parks in the first place.
I certainly would feel very irrate if foreign patrol vessel protect our coast. Its not up to the US, UK etc to patrol Australian waters, its up to our Government.
All this appears like if this is not possible is a stunt to appease inner city never fished green voters. A vote buy from a desperate government??
JMO
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Crasny - better start sewing
Crasny - better start sewing the buttons on your socks
Yep your right its all a feel good stunt with no actual substance, if they wanted substance they would be doing something about introduced species and urban and rural runoff - the real threats to the marine world not just banning fishing (which fisheries in SA states is little threat to the eco system given management policies in place).
- I don't know why the hell Julia caved into the greens so easily to get them on side to form goverment - the greens would never have sided with the libs anyway. She should have just said to Bob Brown "no these are labours policies- you either side with us or abbott and you know what his policies are and who you'll have the better deal with'. But no the greens are having to much input and the country is suffering.
Cheers Paul
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
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Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Paul it's my belief that this
Paul it's my belief that this is not even the Greens choice. I believe you will find she has jumped the gun on this issue as the current model she has offered protects mining and offshore gas areas. SO by moving first and early she seems to be motivated by conservation but its conservation of the Bank account not our fish stocks. Most green groups like the idea of Marine parks / conservation as i do but based on reputable science not political maneuvering.
Then some groups are just hell bent on spoiling everyone's full like PEW and i don't support that at all.
But what happens now is Fisherman argue against greens groups, Greens groups argue for a lock up and think they are having a win when really its the Ranga and big Oil and Gas that are the winning smiling piggies.
We the local consumer/fisherman get screwed because we played the decoy. JMHO
Paul H
Posts: 2104
Date Joined: 18/01/07
Most anglers a. stick to the
Most anglers a. stick to the rules and b. would not have a problem reporting another who was flouting the rules i.e. size or bag limits etc. And so we should as these rules serve a purpose (preservation of fish stocks).
That being said I have heard quite a few anglers here in SA saying they would not report anyone fishing in a sanctuary zone (talking about the SA state zones here) given they are totally against them and they have no basis in sustainability and in fact may just be putting more pressure on other areas (this may not bee the case if they were also flouting bag limits etc).
Fisheries officers - have made a couple of calls to fisheries SA over the years and even saw them attend and speak to the offenders in one case (on other occassions they may have attended after i left). Have had my boat checked for saftey equip once and had been asked a few questions about my catch by a 'volunteer' doing a survey once. Seen fisheries at the ramp when coming in on two other occassions (but not checked) and that would be the extent of my experience with fisheries in at least 20 years of fishing.....
I actually wouldn't mind working in fisheries and have plenty of related experience which would put any application in good stead but I haven't bothered given positions are few and far between at least in SA (natural attrition only). And I don't see the introduction of marine parks changing this fact either....
Youtube Channel - FishOnLine Productions
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scottywiper
Posts: 247
Date Joined: 09/03/08
And look! Jessica Meeuwig's
And look! Jessica Meeuwig's life partner has just raised $50 million for oil and gas exploration in the Kimberley!!
Eric Streitberg's Buru Energy has completed a $50 million institutional placement - the biggest in the Perth market darling's short history - to help fund a massive oil and gas exploration program in the Kimberley.
"It (the size of the raising) is about the right amount to be sure of our funding to at least the first six months of next year and not enough to provide any substantial dilution to shareholders," Mr Streitberg said.
"We just want to put ourselves in a strong position going forward."
Mr Streitberg's family is one of the biggest investors in the $752 million valued Buru with a stake of about 10 per cent.
The institutional placement is priced at $3 and will expand Buru's issued capital base by 7 per cent. Buru's shares were off 6.5 cents, or 2.03 per cent, to $3.145 at 10.30am.
It is Buru's second raising since the company was formed following AWE's $400 million takeover of Mr Streitberg's Arc Energy in 2008. The first, in September, was also arranged by JPMorgan and raised $17.8 million at 65¢ a share.
Since then Buru has made the Ungani discovery, which helped propel the company's shares as high as $3.85 in March.
Investor interest from Australia and overseas in the raising was strong, buoyed by Ungani and the shale gas potential of Buru's Canning Basin acreage that earlier attracted Mitsubishi Corp. Mitsubishi is funding 80 per cent of a $100 million exploration program for Buru, which had $17.3 million cash at March 31.
The Ungani oil field is tipped to contain up to 20 million barrels, which many analysts say is sufficient to underpin Buru's current market value, while the company says its Canning Basin acreage also had the potential to contain 20 trillion cubic feet of gas.
The second well of the Buru- Mitsubishi alliance, Paradise-1, has struck gas amid expectation it had intersected the same accumulation as the earlier successful well, Valhalla.
Buru has said the Valhalla accumulation could contain 6.5tcf and 187 million barrels of liquids.
Buru expects to use some of the freshly raised cash to advance development of Valhalla as well as the Yullerroo field, which contains an estimated 332 billion cubic feet of gas and 13.4 million barrels of liquids.
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15644
Date Joined: 29/11/05
oh
Oh and I decided to buy elsewhere when they were 80c last October, hindsight sucks ass.
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scottywiper
Posts: 247
Date Joined: 09/03/08
Pays to keep environment
Pays to keep environment groups on side when you are in oil and gas...
sea-kem
Posts: 14984
Date Joined: 30/11/09
I know what you mean Scotty
I know what you mean Scotty I've seen a safety case that goes to NOPSEMA and they are huge and can take months to pass. So yeah keeping in line with the federal enviromental body is good business.
Love the West!