Food for thought

[frozenpod]

Out of interest.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... hub#ec0005

From the article the 6 questions asked as listed as being in the supplement material.

I have looked an unless I am blind cant find it.


"The second section asked for fishers’ attitudes about the NTRs in the MP. Fishers were presented with a map of the MP and reminded that the NTRs referred to the MP zones where all forms of fishing are prohibited. The potential benefits and costs of the NTRs were not described so as not to influence fishers’ attitudes. Fishers were asked to rate their support for the NTRs in the MP on a five-point scale—from strongly opposed to strongly supportive. Following previous research [31], fishers’ beliefs and perceptions about the NTRs were also measured. This was done across two dimensions: (i) fishers’ beliefs about the environmental benefits of the NTRs, and (ii) the perceived impacts of the NTRs on the fishing experience. Belief in environmental benefits were investigated using six questions based on [31] with responses recorded on a five-point scale from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). The wording of these questions can be found in the Supplementary material. "

[frozenpod]

I found the questions but cant attach them in pdf form as the site comes up with an error.

Questions below.

Off Topic

Appendix A. Survey questions
Example taken from Ningaloo Marine Park survey

Q1 Agreed to initial questions?
o Yes (1)
o No (2)

Q2 In 2004 the Ningaloo reef was rezoned to increase the protection of marine life. Are you aware that Ningaloo has zones where different activities are allowed?
o Yes (1)
o No (2)

Q3 Are you aware of the Sanctuary Zones in the Marine Park - where fishing is not allowed?
o Yes (1)
o No (2)

Q4 Thinking about the last 12 months, on how many separate days did you go fishing? Please include boat and shore fishing in Australia or overseas.
________________________________________________________________

This is a map of the Ningaloo Marine Park [show respondent prompt sheet]. The park extends from Red Bluff in the South to the Muiron Islands in the North.

Q5 Lets now focus on the Ningaloo Marine Park
You said that you went fishing on (Q4 response) days in the past 12 months. How many of these days were in the Ningaloo Marine Park?
________________________________________________________________
If respondent answers No to Q2 or Q3, or Q5 = 0 then screen out of survey.


Q6 These first questions are about how you use the Ningaloo Marine Park. First, for how many years have you been fishing in the Marine Park Area?
________________________________________________________________

Q7 What is your favourite species to catch in the Marine Park?
________________________________________________________________

Q8 People go fishing for different reasons. I am going to read out each of these reasons, and I would like you to tell me how important each is to you as a reason you go fishing.

You can just give me a number on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is not important and 5 is very important.

Not Important (1) Slightly Important (2) Moderately Important (3) Quite Important (4) Very Important (5)
to relax or unwind (1) o o o o o
to be outdoors, in the fresh air, to enjoy nature (2) o o o o o
to be on your own, to get away from people (3) o o o o o
to spend time with family and friends (4) o o o o o
to compete in fishing tournaments (5) o o o o o
for the enjoyment or sport of catching fish (6) o o o o o
to catch fresh fish for food (7) o o o o o


Q9 In the last 12 months,
Yes (1) No (2)
Have you been diving or snorkeling in the Marine Park? (1) o o
Have you been swimming or surfing in the Marine Park? (2) o o
In the last 12 months, have you done any leisure boating in the Marine Park? This is just cruising for fun without fishing. (3) o o
were you employed in the boating or fishing industry. (7) o o


Display This Question:
If In the last 12 months, = Have you been diving or snorkeling in the Marine Park? = Yes
Q10 In the last 12 months, on how many separate days did you go diving or snorkeling in the Ningaloo Marine Park?
________________________________________________________________

Display This Question:
If In the last 12 months, = Have you been swimming or surfing in the Marine Park? = Yes
Q11 In the last 12 months on how many separate days did you go swimming or surfing in the Ningaloo Marine Park?
________________________________________________________________

Display This Question:
If In the last 12 months, = In the last 12 months, have you done any leisure boating in the Marine Park? This is just cruising for fun without fishing. = Yes
Q12 In the last 12 months on how many separate days did you go leisure boating in the Ningaloo Marine Park?
________________________________________________________________







Display This Question:
If In the last 12 months, = were you employed in the boating or fishing industry. = Yes
Q13 How were you employed in the boating or fishing industry? What kind of role did you have?
o Captain of fishing vessel (1)
o Deckhand on fishing vessel (2)
o Catch processor (3)
o Employed in boat sales (4)
o Employed in a tackle shop (5)
o Other (make note) (6)

Display This Question:
If How were you employed in the boating or fishing industry? What kind of role did you have? = Other (make note)
Q14 Other...
________________________________________________________________

Q15 People have different views about whether the Ningaloo Marine Park is being threatened or not, and what activities are contributing to this.
I am going to read out some potential causes of environmental damage. I would like your opinion about whether you think these causes pose a threat to the Ningaloo Marine Park area or not. The options are No Threat, Minor threat or major threat.
No Threat (1) Minor Threat (2) Major Threat (3)
Pollution, marine debris, litter (1) o o o
Over-fishing by recreational fishers (2) o o o
Over-fishing by commercial fishers (3) o o o
Marine tourism (4) o o o
Invasive species (5) o o o
Climate change (6) o o o
Coastal development (7) o o o


Q16 Is there anything that I have not listed, that you think is a major threat to the Ningaloo Marine Park area?
________________________________________________________________

Q17 The next four questions are about your thoughts on the Ningaloo Marine Park and the Sanctuary Zones?

Q18 I would like to know how you feel about the Sanctuary zones in the Ningaloo Marine Park. These are the areas were fishing is not allowed.
Are you opposed, neutral or supportive of the sanctuary zones in the Ningaloo Marine Park?
[if opposed/supportive] are you somewhat or strongly [opposed/supportive]
o Strongly opposed (1)
o Somewhat opposed (2)
o Neutral (3)
o Somewhat supportive (4)
o Strongly supportive (5)

Q19 Thank you. This next section is about the Sanctuary Zones, and whether you think they have impacted your fishing. On a scale of 1 to 5, please indicate if the Sanctuary Zones have increased or decreased different aspects of your fishing activity. 1 is strongly decreased and 5 is strongly increased.
Strongly decreased (1) Slightly decreased (2) No change (3) Slightly increased (4) Strongly increased (5)
The first one is...your overall satisfaction with the fish you catch (consider species, numbers and size) (1) o o o o o
Your overall satisfaction with recreational fishing (2) o o o o o
The total amount of time you spend fishing (3) o o o o o
and finally... your ability to access quality fishing sites? (4) o o o o o





Q20 People have different opinions about the Sanctuary Zones and what they do or don’t achieve. I am going to read out several statements about the Sanctuary Zones.
Could you indicate if you agree or disagree with these statements on a scale from 1 to 5. 1 is strongly agree, and 5 is strongly disagree. Please pay close attention to the questions as they can be a little tricky to answer

Strongly Disagree (1) Somewhat Disagree (2) Neither Agree nor Disagree (3) Somewhat Agree (4) Strongly Agree (5)
The Sanctuary Zones help maintain the Ningaloo Marine Park in a healthy condition (1) o o o o o
The Sanctuary Zones won’t increase fish numbers (R) (2) o o o o o
The Sanctuary Zones won’t protect vulnerable species (R) (3) o o o o o
The Sanctuary Zones help ensure fishing in the Ningaloo Marine Park area is sustainable (4) o o o o o
The Sanctuary Zones are the best option for long-term protection of the Ningaloo Marine Park area (5) o o o o o
The Ningaloo Marine Park area would have been fine without the Sanctuary Zones (R) (6) o o o o o

Q21 Do you donate money to or volunteer for any environmental organisations?
o Yes (1)
o No (2)

Q22 Are you a member of a recreational fishing club?
o Yes (1)
o No (2)


Q23 The next question is about your overall opinions of nature. I am going to read some general statements about people’s attitudes to nature. Could you tell me on a scale from 1 to 5 if you agree or disagree with the statement. Like before, 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree.

Strongly Disagree (1) Somewhat Disagree (2) Neither Agree nor Disagree (3) Somewhat Agree (4) Strongly Agree (5)
I really like going on trips into nature, for example to forests or state parks (1) o o o o o
I don't think I would volunteer to raise funds for environmental protection (R) (2) o o o o o
Conservation is important, even if it lowers people's standard of living (3) o o o o o
When nature is uncomfortable and inconvenient for humans, we have every right to change it to suit our needs (R) (4) o o o o o
Humans were created, or evolved, to dominate the rest of nature (R) (5) o o o o o
Protecting people’s jobs is more important than protecting the environment (R) (6) o o o o o
Nature is valuable for its own sake (7) o o o o o
The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset (8) o o o o o

Q25 Now a few remaining questions for classification purposes. Could you please tell me your home postcode?
________________________________________________________________

Q26 In what year where you born?
________________________________________________________________

Q27 The sheet shows letters corresponding to different income categories. Both annual and the equivalent weekly incomes are shown.
Could you please tell me which letter best describes your combined household income before tax? Please consider all sources of income for all members of your household.
o A 0 - 20,799 (0 - 399) (1)
o B 20,800 - 51,999 (400 - 999) (2)
o C 52,000 - 77,999 (1,000 - 1,499) (3)
o D 78,000 - 129,999 (1,500 - 2,499) (4)
o E 130,000 - 181,999 (2,500 - 3,499) (5)
o F Greater than 182,000 (> 3,500) (6)

Q28 Before we finish, is there anything that I missed that has shaped your views on fishing in the marine park and about the Sanctuary Zones?
________________________________________________________________










Appendix B. Alternative model 1 results excluding proposed Sydney marine park
Table 10: Generalised ordered probit model showing the effects of MP age on support for no-take marine reserves. Excludes respondents in proposed Sydney MP.
model 1
Variable Coefficient z
MP characteristics:
MP age 0.043 2.90***
MP age^2 -0.003 -1.09***
World heritage: Opposed|Neutral 1.923 3.98***
World heritage: Neutral|Supportive 0.754 1.84***
Reserve area: Opposed|Neutral -0.071 -2.83***
Reserve area: Neutral|Supportive -0.018 -0.82***
Fisher characteristics:
Fishing avidity -0.001 -0.90***
Fishing years in MP -0.003 -0.71***
Threat level 0.262 2.15***
Relative rec. threat -0.062 -0.93***
Fishing club -0.065 -0.45***
Male -0.335 -1.02***
Local -0.149 -1.36***
Fisher age 0.013 3.42***

Cut points:
Opposed|Neutral 2.094 3.90***
Neutral|Supportive 2.580 4.82***

Scale coefficients (Log SD)
Fishing years in MP 0.015 3.01***
Random effects:
Marine Park (intercept) 9.333e-20

n 683
Log likelihood -480.64
*p<0.1; **p<0.05; ***p<0.01

[ango]

Yes, well we already have no take zones in Vic, E.g. Ricketts Point. This seems like a group with a green agenda looking to justify locking out rec fishers from more areas. Probably they will cherry pick the best fishing spots like happened in NSW. I would oppose such moves.
Cheers
Ango.

[hornet]

I would like to know how do they pick areas that fish breed in ?

Where is the data that shows the study results confirming actual area's that are breeding grounds ?

There was a group many years ago that had the government of the days ear, they pushed a lot of agenda driven policies back then.

The parks back then were steam rolled into legislation without consultation or impact statements from **credible** people.

It was all agenda driven, Geoff wilson told me what went on behind the scenes back in the day, Rex hunt was told incorrect information regarding the parks to get him on side, I was told Rex said if I'd known I would never have agreed to this.

My memory is lacking with age but I still remember the trailer boat protest through the city in a conga line.

[colnick]

I was interested to read Ango's suggestion that sanctuary zones in NSW Marine Parks had cherry picked the best fishing spots for sanctuary zones. I don't claim to have intimate knowledge about all six NSW parks but I live, and fish, in the middle of the Port Stephens Great Lakes Marine Park and I have a reasonable knowledge of the Solitary Island Marine Park near my old home town, Coffs Harbour.
While there is no doubt that some good fishing spots are now in sanctuary zones, and this can be aggravating if your favourite spot has been quarantined, there are ample excellent fishing spots outside the protected zones and I have numerous options when I am planning an outing. I can honestly say that I don't believe my catch has been adversely affected at all by the Marine Parks.
I like the idea of sanctuary zones and it is logical that they include areas with varied habitats, healthy fish populations and vulnerable species like grey nurse sharks in NSW. There is reasonable evidence to suggest that these zones protect populations of fish which then spread out into unprotected areas, which benefits us all.
And don't forget, its not just us that can't fish in sanctuary zones. The pros aren't allowed in either.

[rb85]

Don't think we need these in Victoria the fishing seems to be improving every year.

But , , , , from what I understand the VFA is managing your Fishery as an overall picture, which includes factoring in the Professional Fishing component. With "buy back" schemes, tighter fishing rules for all components of the Fishery, restocking programmes etc etc. You Victorians may not realise that you guys have the best fishing in Australia. In the "best fishing", I mean a diverse range of species (including freshwater), well numbered, easily accessible to most fishers and a higher productive outcome for attempts than any other state.

Here in South Australia, we have had a variety of fishing closures, no take zones, closed seasons, exclusion zones and Marine Sanctuaries. BUT some of our Fisheries are still near collapse and some just getting worse, even with forever tightening rules for the recreational fishers. So we are not opposed to Marine Sanctuaries as part of an overall fisheries management program. But here they pamper/accommodate the Pros who do 10 times more damage than all the recreational fishers.

Shed light on what the Pros REALLY do, and not the same spin and rhetoric of praising the professional fishers and condemning the recreational fisher.

So, yes Marine Sanctuaries are good, but not an answer to bad Fisheries Management, especially when the professional fishers are immune.

Regards, Bugatti

Bugatti I don't know anything about the management of your states fishery so won't comment on that but in Victoria at this stage there is absolutely no reason to lock rec anglers out of any more areas.
The fishing in Victoria has improved over the last 10 years in our bays and offshore in WPB and PPB Snapper, Whiting and Gummy Shark captures are going strong offshore Tuna and Kingfish captures are increasing season by season in Western Victoria I hear tuna are now almost a year round prospect and east of the Prom is reportedly fishing better year after year. It's about management not lockouts.

[frozenpod]

BTW science has proven no take reserves don't make a difference.

For NSW the lock out zones were largely influenced by groups with a conflict of interest one who almost certainly provided false data.

Batemans bay marine park is a perfect example. It is not worth going there from a fishing point of view.
The push for the entire reef to off limits was due to dive groups claiming it was key sight for Grey Nurse Sharks.

[Bugatti]

I would say most sensible recreational fishers realise that Marine Sanctuaries are a positive part of managing a Fishery , , , , but not an answer to bad Fisheries Management..

Regards, Bugatti

While there is no doubt that some good fishing spots are now in sanctuary zones, and this can be aggravating if your favourite spot has been quarantined, there are ample excellent fishing spots outside the protected zones and I have numerous options when I am planning an outing. I can honestly say that I don't believe my catch has been adversely affected at all by the Marine Parks.

And don't forget, its not just us that can't fish in sanctuary zones. The pros aren't allowed in either.

Don't think we need these in Victoria the fishing seems to be improving every year.

It's about management not lockouts.

It does seem to be all about balance. Here in SA, it doesn't seem to be balance (to be better explained in a future post).

Sanctuary Marine Parks etc are without a doubt a positive but as long as they are part of an overall balanced Fisheries Management strategy. If the Recreational Fishing benefited year after year, then great. But if it is mostly to accommodate Green Groups or pseudo strategies of no substance other than public opinion and at no real benefit to the Fishery as a whole then pppfffttt.

It depends on how the survey question was worded as to how skewed the data is.

Yes exactly.

When fishing groups ran a poll to an honest question the result was 99% no.

I would agree with that, mostly because the Rec Fisho knows it is the Rec Fishing Demographic that is detriment-ed the most.

Cheers, Bugatti

[Bugatti]

Don't think we need these in Victoria the fishing seems to be improving every year.

Bugatti I don't know anything about the management of your states fishery so won't comment on that but in Victoria at this stage there is absolutely no reason to lock rec anglers out of any more areas.

From what I can tell (limited as it is though), your Fishery is getting better and better, no doubt. It seems there, that the areas already protected are doing the Fishery well.

I don't advocate that I have intimate or even a great understanding of our Fisheries Management by PIRSA (our Fish Gods) but, with a big BUT for as long as I can remember (I'm 53 and have been fishing since I was a tadpole) that our Recreational Rules have been getting tighter and tighter, even with recent radical broad scoped changes to a multitude of fish specie, to mostly the Recreational Sector and only minor changes to "some" of the Professional Rules. That is even with the ever increasing no go zones, marine parks, sanctuary zones, closed seasons , , , , hence they don't work as a stand alone solution, as it seems to be used here.

Food for thought. Every specie of fish here in SA is held to tighter recreational rules than in Vic.
ie:
Snapper have to be min 38 cm here in-lieu of 28 cm for Vic.
Whiting have to be 31 cm here and a catch limit of 10 compared to 20 in Vic
etc etc etc
the only specie I can see we are better off on than Vic is Squid. We are allowed 15 in-lieu of your 10

Most here don't fish that often anymore or have given up entirely due to it not being worth the effort to have a good catch (small that the catch may be) amongst the 3 donut trips.


Also food for thought, Rec Fishos here account for on average 10% of the total fishery catch but pay the biggest burden.

Credit to some of the Pros. Our Blue Swimmer Crabs seem to be slowly rebounding, not because of Government Policy, but by periodic self imposed closed seasons or having areas as "rest" zones that the Pros have been doing of their own initiative to save their lively-hoods.

Cheers, Bugatti

[rb85]

Don't think we need these in Victoria the fishing seems to be improving every year.

Bugatti I don't know anything about the management of your states fishery so won't comment on that but in Victoria at this stage there is absolutely no reason to lock rec anglers out of any more areas.

From what I can tell (limited as it is though), your Fishery is getting better and better, no doubt. It seems there, that the areas already protected are doing the Fishery well.

I don't advocate that I have intimate or even a great understanding of our Fisheries Management by PIRSA (our Fish Gods) but, with a big BUT for as long as I can remember (I'm 53 and have been fishing since I was a tadpole) that our Recreational Rules have been getting tighter and tighter, even with recent radical broad scoped changes to a multitude of fish specie, to mostly the Recreational Sector and only minor changes to "some" of the Professional Rules. That is even with the ever increasing no go zones, marine parks, sanctuary zones, closed seasons , , , , hence they don't work as a stand alone solution, as it seems to be used here.

Food for thought. Every specie of fish here in SA is held to tighter recreational rules than in Vic.
ie:
Snapper have to be min 38 cm here in-lieu of 28 cm for Vic.
Whiting have to be 31 cm here and a catch limit of 10 compared to 20 in Vic
etc etc etc
the only specie I can see we are better off on than Vic is Squid. We are allowed 15 in-lieu of your 10

Most here don't fish that often anymore or have given up entirely due to it not being worth the effort to have a good catch (small that the catch may be) amongst the 3 donut trips.


Also food for thought, Rec Fishos here account for on average 10% of the total fishery catch but pay the biggest burden.

Credit to some of the Pros. Our Blue Swimmer Crabs seem to be slowly rebounding, not because of Government Policy, but by periodic self imposed closed seasons or having areas as "rest" zones that the Pros have been doing of their own initiative to save their lively-hoods.

Cheers, Bugatti

Bugatti interesting post mate. What was the fishing like in the years prior when you were a tadpole?
Not sure what the answer is to your fishery maybe rec angling doesn't generate the same revenue in S.A. or theres no one pushing the rec cause like there has been here it could be just the way the fishery is. When I think of S.A, I think theres big Kings,Snapper and Whiting.