There's something very fishy about this story.

As boating and recreational fisherman I enjoy Moreton Bay very regularly with my family and friends. As most of us aware that ‘at least’ 15% of the Moreton Bay Marine Park will soon be set aside as green zones or no tack zones. Surely since the areas that are truly worth fishing represent only a tiny fraction of the bay’s surface area, and that the stated intention of this review is to protect areas where fish congregate and breed, one might logically conclude that the labour government only intend to set aside areas where people with boats actually want to fish. I have listened to the Government Minister cheerfully say that ‘things will not be that bad, as the proposed 15% green zone is not as much as the 30% ban on the barrier reef’. Virtually 100% of the Great Barrier Reef is actually fish habitat; therefore some 70% is still available for recreational fishing etc. However most of Moreton bay consists of open areas of water which some fish may use to travel from one area to another (as do those of us with boats) but is not particularly useful for most types of fishing, yet is still included in its total surface area. Ms Bligh is quoted as saying “The proposed zones have been designed to minimise impacts on all Moreton Bay users as much as possible, I think this draft strikes the right balance between the protection of jobs and recreational activities with the protection of Moreton Bay for the future and for the wildlife that depend upon it,” . That’s fine to say that but what about the urban run off and all the pollutants that go into the bay when it rains and the millions of tonnes of sand that the EPA has approved to be taken from middle banks of Moreton Bay for the airport extension. My point is that to say up to 85% of the bay will be left untouched is deliberately misleading. After seeing the draft plan 15% of the total surface area of the bay encompass nearly all of the favourite haunts of most responsible recreational fishos. We have seen a (expensive) full-page newspaper advertisement for the proposed closures, as well as hearing many radio advertisements featuring actors pretending to be fisherman discussing how good the proposed closures will be for them. Yes you may still be able to “drown a worm “from the Redcliffe Jetty, or fish from the beach at Straddie but what about everything else. If it is all supposed to be that worthwhile, then why do the labour government have to spend our tax dollar on the propaganda that includes the petition from the three labour MPs? I am convinced that the labour government is using the local Members to circulate this dummy petition so they look like community heroes at the end of this ordeal and Shaw up votes for the up coming state election when in fact they will have to tow the party line at the end of the day. Maybe it is the unstated intention of the EPA to discourage us from fishing by making the legal areas so crowded that we just wont bother. People are nervous because governments of all persuasions have a terrible reputation for stuffing things up in the name of helping out, and this, frankly is beginning to sound like one of those things. I wonder if the Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation, Andrew McNamara, is a boat owner. Does he regularly enjoy the orange clouds before the sun rises over Moreton Island? Does he share my joy at watching with pride as one of the kid’s single- handed land their first little snapper? I believe that the proposed Conservation Zones for Moreton Bay are unnecessary in many parts, and there are other options available that will provide protection for sensitive areas of Moreton Bay that will allow for continued enjoyment of Moreton Bay as a recreational marine park, and still provide sustainability protection for the fishery and environment. It is my considered opinion that a collaborative approach by Fisheries and the EPA would be far more productive than the apparent EPA approach, which we have been subjected to over recent times. The public consultation process has been at best a farce and has left many fishermen and boat owners with a large degree of disillusionment as to the value of the process. If the same number of fisherman has far fewer places to fish, then those places will quickly become overcrowded and overfished. Yours sincerely, Shane Boese

Gee Shane when is the book coming out. Buddy when you open up you open up.

i have a feeling all these people who oppose fishing or fun in boats suffer from sea sickness and as they cannot enjoy a day out in a boat, they are keen to change the rules so neither can anybody else.