| 1 September 2008
Conservation Movement and Tourism Industry
unite to protect Moreton Bay
This
release available here in pdf (61kb)
In response to an attempt by three Labor backbenchers to
weaken protection measures in Moreton Bay Marine Park this
week, a coalition of groups has united to call for greater
protection of the Park.
Today, seven leading conservation organisations joined with
the Queensland Tourism Industry Council and Tangalooma Island
Resort to call on the state government to significantly increase
the number of Marine National Park zones, or ‘green
zones’ proposed for protection.
In a document released today titled ‘The 10
Missing Jewels of Moreton Bay’ the coalition
identified 10 special places in Moreton Bay
which should be included in Marine National Park Zones but
which had failed to make it into the draft Zoning Plan.
VIEW DOCUMENT
Craig Bohm, Campaigns Director at the Australian Marine Conservation
Society said, “Today we call on Minister McNamara to
secure these 10 Missing Jewels in Marine
National Parks zones.”
“The protection currently on offer (less than 15% green
zone protection) is simply not enough and in the majority
of submissions, the public called for at least 30% protection.
Protecting these ‘jewels’ would significantly
raise the protection of Moreton Bay Marine Park,” Bohm
said.
The 10 places identified by the coalition are: the Eastern
Banks, Manta Ray Bommies (off Point Lookout), the wider Flinders
Reef Complex, Peel Island (south), Myora Reef and Wanga Wallen
Banks (Stradbroke Island), Ormiston, Waterloo Bay –
south (Lota), Green Island – east, Bird and Goat Island
and China Wall (east of Moreton Island). These places represent
the precious seagrass meadows, rocky reefs, coral gardens
and sandy shoals which are critical to the survival of our
threatened wildlife such as turtles and dugongs.
Daniel Gschwind Chief Executive of the Queensland Tourism
Industry Council said, “Moreton Bay is a precious tourism
asset with immense economic potential. Greater protection
of Moreton Bay will only add to its value. We found this on
the Great Barrier Reef which generates over $5.2 billion for
the economy. This is why we support the protection of these
10 special places in Moreton Bay.”
Toby Hutcheon, Executive Director of the Queensland Conservation
Council concluded, “It is bizarre that a few Labor backbenchers
scramble to represent a few vocal fishing interests in Moreton
Bay when clearly the wider public, tourism groups and bayside
residents expect environmental protection. Let’s now
see if the Labor Government is up to the task.”
The conservation groups supporting the document include
the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), Australian Marine
Conservation Society (AMCS), National Parks Association of
Queensland (NPAQ), Queensland Conservation Council (QCC),
The Wilderness Society (TWS), Wildlife Preservation Society
of Queensland (WPSQ) and WWF Australia.
Contacts:
Craig Bohm – 0427 133 481,
Daniel Gschwind – 07 3236 1445
Toby Hutcheon – 0419 664 503
Facts
- Over 8000 submissions were received by the Queensland
Government in response to the Moreton Bay review.
- Over 6000 submissions indicated that Moreton Bay needed
a far greater level of protection
- Over half of all formal submissions called for at least
30% protection of Moreton Bay Marine Park in Marine National
Park Zones
- Every week, hundreds of additional submissions are sent
to the EPA in support of at least 30% protection of Moreton
Bay Marine Park, most of these from tourists who visit the
Park.
- A coalition of six prominent University of Queensland
marine scientists called for 30-50% protection in their
submissions on Moreton Bay to the Queensland Government.
- Each year 200 turtles die in Moreton Bay Marine Park
due to human impacts.
- The loggerhead turtle, a Moreton Bay resident, is listed
as ‘critically endangered’ and according to
the EPA faces extinction in Queensland in the next 40 years
unless significant steps are taken to protect them.
- Scientific surveys indicate that dolphins and dugongs
occur in the greatest numbers over the Eastern Banks.
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