FICTION: The Greens want to ban fishing in 30% of Australian waters.
FACT: The Greens want to establish "no-take" zones in 30% of Australia's marine parks.
The Greens Marine Reserves policy calls for a minimum of 30% “no-take” zones within the areas to be declared marine reserves under the Government’s current bio-regional planning process.
It is not 30% of the marine environment (as some parts of the fishing lobby is erroneously claiming) but 30% of the marine reserve areas. Already, for example, 33% of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is now zoned “no take”.
Under the Greens policy the designated “no-take” areas will be based on the best and latest scientific assessment.
We see marine planning as an ongoing process which involves all community stakeholders in the discussion together with scientists and policy makers about how best to ensure marine reserves and sanctuary zones are practical and sustainable.
The Australian Greens are committed to protecting our marine environment. To save our marine biodiversity and fish stocks into the future, and ensure the longer term sustainability of our fishing and tourism industries (including recreational fishing) some sanctuary areas of the marine environment must be protected from all extractive uses.
We don’t want to bring an end to commercial or recreational fishing – we want to put them on a sustainable basis where they can continue indefinitely alongside our growing tourism industries in a healthy and resilient marine environment.