Thanks Premier Baird, but the job's not done yet!
Just before Christmas, the Baird Government finally announced they would restore full protection to 20 out of 30 marine sanctuaries in NSW.
THANK YOU! This was entirely thanks to the huge groundswell of support for sanctuaries. For nearly two years while fishing from the shore was allowed in our sanctuaries, thousands of us emailed, called and visited MPs, made banners, signed petitions and attended protests all across the state to demand our sanctuaries back.
This is a fantastic first step, and it’s important that we all congratulate Premier Baird and the Government for taking this much needed action, and let them know the job’s not done yet.
Will you send a message to Premier Baird today to say thanks and ask him to finish the job to restore our remaining sanctuaries? http://www.nsw.gov.au/your-government/contact-premier-new-south-wales
The remaining 10 sanctuaries will be reviewed in mid-2015 with the intention to rezone them to allow fishing permanently. As sanctuary zones make up less than 7% of the state’s waters, we cannot afford to lose the protection these areas give our marine life.
The action is simple. Leave a message for premier Baird on his contact page thanking the Government for stopping shore fishing in those 20 sanctuaries AND asking them to restore our remaining sanctuaries.
It would be great if you could include a personal story about why you support our marine sanctuaries, especially if you fish recreationally.
If you want some other things to say, you might include the following points:
• I would like to thank the Baird Government for restoring protection to 20 of our marine sanctuaries.
• We need to protect our marine life and our coastal lifestyle, and ensure we have fish for the future, and I think that marine sanctuaries play a vital role in doing this.
• I would urge the government not to stop when they are so close, and to restore our other sanctuaries full protection as soon as possible.
We look forward to working with you in 2015 to save our remaining sanctuaries.