Post by LSDeep on Jun 29, 2005 7:59:10 GMT -5
SOUTH WEST ROCKS, Australia (27 June 2005) -- A $20 per day, per diver fee proposed by the State Government for scuba divers has angered members of the local diving industry.
Divers and dive shop have rejected the justification the Government is giving for the fee to dive at any of 10 grey nurse critical habitats along the east coast, including South West Rocks.
Primary Industries Minister Ian McDonald said the money raised from the $20 fee would be used for further protection measures, primarily an artificial breeding program.
However local dive centres have rejected claims about the artificial breeding program, designed to remove live embryos from the female in the wild and raise them in captivity.
The divers believe interfering with a natural reproduction system that is working fine is not the way to save the critically endangered species.
Mr McDonald said the dive industry may be having a negative effect on the grey nurse shark population, and continued to support the plans for the artificial reproduction system.
"We are in the process of consulting with dive centre operators and other stakeholders over a possible fee structure to raise money for research and protective measures for the grey nurse shark," Mr McDonald said.
"Conservation efforts such as our world-first artificial breeding program do have a certain cost to them, and we believe that groups benefiting from the protection of the grey nurse shark, like scuba divers, should be asked to make a small contribution to these ongoing costs.
"Most other recreational users of the States' waterways pay some sort of fee for access to key resources, why not divers?"
The proposed $20 fee will apply for people wishing to dive in grey nurse shark critical habitat areas.
Divers would also be required to dive with specially licensed commercial charter dive operators and to adhere to certain diving practices in place at the sites.
Peter Hitchins from South West Rocks Dive Centre said the fee would squeeze the air out of the popular tourist industry at South West Rocks, and do nothing to help the future of the grey nurse shark.
"The $20 per diver-per day fee our Government wishes to burden divers with will do nothing to aid the future of the grey nurse shark," Mr Hitchins said.
"Don't get me wrong, divers would be more than happy to pay an annual fee, like fishermen, for the right to dive, as long as the money could be proven to be used effectively for the conservation of threatened species and marine parks.
"However, the artificial breeding program the Government is so proud of interferes with a perfectly successful natural breeding system, and will take at least 10 years to be realised after all the research has been conducted.
"At the current rate of female nurses dying, at least one per month, the species will be extinct within the next 10 years.
"Do the maths and note that this 'world-first' artificial breeding system will not be ready or effective in time to save the grey nurse shark in Australia.
"My family has been diving at Fish Rock for the last 30 years, and each year we see the same sharks, and more sharks coming back to breed.
"Where is the negative impact in that?
"Obviously the fee will also have a detrimental economic impact on the diving industry, as the industry has taken a 30 per cent dive in the past two years, but we are more concerned about the Government's justifications for the fee increase.
"It's the principle, and charging divers who take nothing from the environment except photographs, and leave nothing behind except awe at the creatures they see, is not an effective way to save the critically endangered grey nurse shark."
Rod Burston from NSW Fishing Clubs Association said the proposal was completely un- Australian.
"Are swimmers expected to keep their eyes shut when they are underwater lest they catch a glimpse of this Government's Green Empire?" Mr Burston said.
"This Government has consistently maintained a position where people have no place in their vision of the natural world.
"Decent outdoor Australians will just laugh at these restrictions. They fail all the tests of reasonableness."
SOURCE - The Macleay Argus
Divers and dive shop have rejected the justification the Government is giving for the fee to dive at any of 10 grey nurse critical habitats along the east coast, including South West Rocks.
Primary Industries Minister Ian McDonald said the money raised from the $20 fee would be used for further protection measures, primarily an artificial breeding program.
However local dive centres have rejected claims about the artificial breeding program, designed to remove live embryos from the female in the wild and raise them in captivity.
The divers believe interfering with a natural reproduction system that is working fine is not the way to save the critically endangered species.
Mr McDonald said the dive industry may be having a negative effect on the grey nurse shark population, and continued to support the plans for the artificial reproduction system.
"We are in the process of consulting with dive centre operators and other stakeholders over a possible fee structure to raise money for research and protective measures for the grey nurse shark," Mr McDonald said.
"Conservation efforts such as our world-first artificial breeding program do have a certain cost to them, and we believe that groups benefiting from the protection of the grey nurse shark, like scuba divers, should be asked to make a small contribution to these ongoing costs.
"Most other recreational users of the States' waterways pay some sort of fee for access to key resources, why not divers?"
The proposed $20 fee will apply for people wishing to dive in grey nurse shark critical habitat areas.
Divers would also be required to dive with specially licensed commercial charter dive operators and to adhere to certain diving practices in place at the sites.
Peter Hitchins from South West Rocks Dive Centre said the fee would squeeze the air out of the popular tourist industry at South West Rocks, and do nothing to help the future of the grey nurse shark.
"The $20 per diver-per day fee our Government wishes to burden divers with will do nothing to aid the future of the grey nurse shark," Mr Hitchins said.
"Don't get me wrong, divers would be more than happy to pay an annual fee, like fishermen, for the right to dive, as long as the money could be proven to be used effectively for the conservation of threatened species and marine parks.
"However, the artificial breeding program the Government is so proud of interferes with a perfectly successful natural breeding system, and will take at least 10 years to be realised after all the research has been conducted.
"At the current rate of female nurses dying, at least one per month, the species will be extinct within the next 10 years.
"Do the maths and note that this 'world-first' artificial breeding system will not be ready or effective in time to save the grey nurse shark in Australia.
"My family has been diving at Fish Rock for the last 30 years, and each year we see the same sharks, and more sharks coming back to breed.
"Where is the negative impact in that?
"Obviously the fee will also have a detrimental economic impact on the diving industry, as the industry has taken a 30 per cent dive in the past two years, but we are more concerned about the Government's justifications for the fee increase.
"It's the principle, and charging divers who take nothing from the environment except photographs, and leave nothing behind except awe at the creatures they see, is not an effective way to save the critically endangered grey nurse shark."
Rod Burston from NSW Fishing Clubs Association said the proposal was completely un- Australian.
"Are swimmers expected to keep their eyes shut when they are underwater lest they catch a glimpse of this Government's Green Empire?" Mr Burston said.
"This Government has consistently maintained a position where people have no place in their vision of the natural world.
"Decent outdoor Australians will just laugh at these restrictions. They fail all the tests of reasonableness."
SOURCE - The Macleay Argus