JULY 27, 2010
GREENS candidate for Moreton says you don’t have to live by the ocean to care about marine parks and the future of Australia’s beautiful marine flora and fauna.
According to Greens Candidate for Moreton, Elissa Jenkins, Abbott’s announcement in Mackay that a Coalition Government would freeze the gazetting of new marine parks around the country is appalling, populist politics that shows he has no real understanding of the issues at stake with marine sanctuaries.
“I cannot believe Abbott made this announcement while campaigning in the central Queensland coastal city of Mackay,” said Ms Jenkins.
“It insults the voters of Mackay and the voters of Moreton in one fell swoop.
“This initiative – or lack thereof – takes marine protection and conservation back decades.
“Ironically, Abbott’s rationale that marine parks threaten the livelihood of fishing industries and the tourism industries is flawed beyond belief.
“Anyone’s who’s seen the animated children’s film Happy Feet would know that overfishing is the biggest threat facing our fishing and tourism industries – not sanctuaries.
“If Tony Abbott had the best interests of the fishing industry and recreational fishers at heart he’d realise that Australia’s oceans are under protected and under threat.
“Action is needed now to put these industries on a sustainable footing.
“I love fishing as much as the next person and enjoy recreational fishing with my Dad, but marine sanctuaries play a key role in ensuring our fish stocks can replenish.
“Recent research on the Great Barrier Reef has shown that fish populations have doubled in sanctuary zones, playing a key role in replenishing adjoining populations on the reef.
“If Abbott keeps bowing down to special interest groups rather than the Australian people and announcing backward thinking, out-of-touch policies like this, he will see unhappy Liberal feet Voting 1 Greens this election
– wherever they live,” said Ms Jenkins.
For comment:
Elissa Jenkins
Greens federal candidate for Moreton
0418 786 986
www.greens.org.au/moreton
moreton@qld.greens.org.au