Paul Murray will be talking marine parks this morning...could be Ray Hilborn he is speaking to...he is about to launch a research paper.

Bit of background info...

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Greenwashing’ forces poor policy on Australian seafood consumption

Known internationally for myth-busting on fisheries and oceans management, Dr Ray Hilborn will launch a research paper on Australian fisheries that says marine parks do more harm than good in sustainable fisheries management.

Dr Hillborn, (Professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences from the University of Washington State)  maintains that Australia and the world’s seafood supply is threatened by unwarranted concern about the sustainability of fisheries as portrayed by environmental NGOs.

As Australia is set to get the world’s largest marine park in the Coral Sea, world-renowned marine scientist Dr  Hilborn has debunked the science behind the lock-up of Australia’s seafood resources as ‘faith based’ and not science.

He maintains Australian fisheries are sustainably managed, yet governments continue to lock up vast areas of our ocean’s natural resources, threatening consumer access to Australian seafood and impacting food security (noting Horvat’s hesitance re food security angle).

He says fisheries have low environmental impact compared to other sources of food production.

As part of a week-long visit hosted by The Sydney Fish Market, Dr Hilborn will launch a paper which dispels the ‘faith based’ science being touted internationally by enviro NGOs.

The truth is:

•    World fisheries stocks will not collapse by the year 2048, as is often claimed, or any other time soon;

•    The majority of the world’s fish stocks are not over-fished;

•    Commercial fisheries are not “fishing down the food web” (starting with large species and gradually fishing their way to a point where nothing will be left but jellyfish); and

•    Large marine protected areas are not required to restore fish numbers.

Dr Hillborn has called upon the fisheries community to question the strong movement of faith-based acceptance of ideas, and a search for data that support these ideas, rather than critical and skeptical analysis of the evidence.

Context:

•    Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke’s proposal for a one million square kilometre marine park includes a complete ban on trawling, with additional restrictions on commercial fishing and a complete no take zone for amateur and professional fishermen in the green zone component.

•    Already Australia imports 70% of its fish – if we lock up Australia’s fishing resources in marine parks Aussies won’t have access to Australian fish

•    Australia’s fisheries are amongst the most conservatively managed in the world. Most of the world is aware of this, but Australia actively refuses to accept the credit!

About Hilborn

Professor Hilborn has extensive experience with Australian fisheries and has given numerous lecture courses in Australia since 1983. His written work is extensive and includes 4 books and 255 scientific papers and book chapters.

His contribution to environmental and fisheries science has been recognised by many awards including the Volvo Environmental Prize, the Ecological Society of Americas Sustainability Science Award, American Fisheries Society Award of Excellence and the American Institute of Fisheries Research Biologists Outstanding Achievement Award.