There is a petition running to save Ricketts Point. If you have a moment to sign, it would be gratefully appreciated. The object is to petition the Minister for the Environment to demand better regulation of illegal fishing. The park is currently inundated with infringments and it threatens its values.
Good Friday Snorkel at Quiet Corner
But meanwhile, we had a nice snorkel at Quiet Corner this morning. The water is cooling down. It’s only about 20 degrees now. Over the coming weeks it will drop about one degree every week but that also means clearer water. Between now and the end of May is my favourite time. There are lots of fish about … the biggest Drummer I’ve ever seen today in a swim-through at Quiet Corner.
For the most part the water wasn’t too clear for photos today though. Towards the end of the swim though, we came across a headshield slug on the open sand. A Painted Dragonet too. These seem to be able to camouflage themselves amazingly.
Save Ricketts Point
Almost every morning, afternoon, evening and night time (multiple times every day) there are people illegally fishing in Ricketts Point Marine Park. The pressure on other marine parks in the west is even greater (Pers comm, VFA Fisheries Office).
There is abject failure by VFA to inform licenced fishers of their obligations.
the Victorian Fisheries Authority is:
- Failing to meet four of its six objectives under the act; and
- Does not have anywhere near the resources to fulfil its enforcement role (by its own admission).
Failure to protect Ricketts Point Marine National Park shows that additional measures are needed. The significant values of our marine parks are at stake and this has serious economic consequences for Victorians but it also jeopardises the state government’s commitments under the Port Phillip Bay Environmental Management Plan 2017-2027 and both goals of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – BiodiversityWhat is the definition of biodiversity? When we ask, what is the definition of biodiversity? It depends on what we want to do with it. The term is widely and commonly misused, leading to significant misinterpretation of the importance of how animals function on Earth and why they matter a great deal, to human survival. Here I will try to More 2037.
A regulatory overhaul is needed where strict protection of reserves is coupled with an expansion of buffer zones and higher penalties. This is the only way to protect the park’s values.
This petition is calling for an Inquiry to recognise:
- The role reef fish play in rebuilding living systems and how critical that is to the future integrity of Victoria’s coastline;
- The significant livelihood and economic impact that the loss of these fish is currently having on the people of Melbourne and Victoria; and
- The need to implement measures to firmly protect those values, which can never recovery under current threats.
