Cod Grounds off Laurieton to become a protected grey nurse shark habitat.

Good news again for the grey nurse sharks with a total fishing ban in place by the end of May. Maybe it is possible to bring these sharks back from the brink of extinction like it seems possible in the case of the humpback whale.

Read the full release below:

A CRITICAL habitat for the endangered grey nurse shark off the mid-north coast of New South Wales has been been protected by the Federal Government.

All forms of fishing will be banned from the popular Cod Grounds off Laurieton at the end of this month when the 300 hectare area becomes an official marine reserve.

The area was recognised as a key habitat for the grey nurse shark in 2002.

There are less than 500 of the sharks remaining off the east coast of Australia after the population was decimated in the 1960s by spearfishers, anglers and commercial fishing.

The Humane Society International (HSI) declared the establishment of the sanctuary a long-awaited victory for the endangered shark.

"Without a doubt the greatest threat to grey nurse sharks is from fishing and accidental hooking," said Rebecca Keeble, HSI spokeswoman.

"Finally, this habitat of immense importance has received protection as a strict nature reserve."

The HSI said the reserve should be 50 per cent larger to properly protect the sharks.

The NSW Government will be responsible for enforcing the new restrictions but the commonwealth is buying out several commercial fishing operations which worked the area.

From news.com.au:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21717371-1702,00.html

Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe added 2007-05-12

Replies of 2

Tim Hochgrebe added 2007-05-28

The article below was in the news today ... strange that the jobs always become an argument. Fishermen were bought out ... imagine that having to happen in every industry that becomes unsustainable at current levels. What about the poor people selling slide film or running film processing labs ... should the government buy them out because film is no longer sustainable ... anyway .. stop rambling.

The news is here:

Cod Grounds reserve declaration sparks job fears

The new Commonwealth marine reserve at the Cod Grounds, off the coast of Laurieton, south of Port Macquarie, comes into effect today.

The reserve will provide one kilometre of sanctuary protection in a known habitat of the endangered grey nurse shark.

The two professional trawlers operating on the Cod Grounds have both accepted the Government buyout, leaving the Laurieton Fishermen's Co-op without a local supplier of ocean product.

See

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1934590.htm

Gillian Beakey from the co-op says the closing of the Cod Grounds could eventually impact on jobs.

"Firstly it will have an impact as far as the amount of product coming into the co-op and down the track it will affect our business because there will be less fish supplied to our local retail outlet, less product sent down to Sydney fish market and it may mean job cutting," she said.

Tim Hochgrebe

http://www.underwater.com.au

Dive in, Explore ... and Save!

PhillipB added 2007-05-30

"The article below was in the news today ... strange that the jobs always become an argument. Fishermen were bought out ... imagine that having to happen in every industry that becomes unsustainable at current levels. What about the poor people selling slide film or running film processing labs ... should the government buy them out because film is no longer sustainable ... anyway .. stop rambling".

A rather contemptuous attitide to a hard working profession who provide a important food source. Also for a start professional fishermen pay for their endorsements, it is only fair that they should be paid compensation. And you surely realise that in industry people are paid redundancies when their job is no longer 'sustainable'.

Replies of 2

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