Submissions are now closed
You don’t have to live on the South Coast to comment on the plans. Whether you and your friends and family visit regularly or occasionally or haven’t yet had the chance to fish these areas, we strongly encourage you to have your say.
You can have your say by:
Completing the online survey here; or
📨 Emailing pscmp@dbca.wa.gov.au You can CC the relevant ministers too. Minister.Whitby@dpc.wa.gov.au, Minister.Michael@dpc.wa.gov.au, Minister.Punch@dpc.wa.gov.au
or
📮 Posting a letter to:
Planning Unit
Aboriginal Engagement, Planning and Lands Branch
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
Locked Bag 104
BENTLEY DELIVERY CENTRE WA 6893
Submissions carry the same weighting regardless of what method you choose.
To get ideas for what to write, read these submissions by others:
Bremer Bay & Hopetoun submission
Submission by Admiral of Middle Island Fishing Crew
Submission by an Esperance Resident
Send the link of the submission page to all your friends and family – and tell them it closes 16th of June. If they would prefer to send a simple email, address it to pscmp@dbca.wa.gov.au
They dont have to be locals – everyone can oppose this anywhere in the world 🌎Ask your overseas friends! DBCA are accepting USA based PEW Trusts submissions FOR the marine park.
Some people find the process stressful, they don’t feel confident in their knowledge….You dont have to be a scientist to oppose – simple statements are better than none. We have to let them know we say NO. If you need help with your submission please contact Sam from RecFishWest on 0400 477 647 or sam@recfishwest.org.au They also have a page on How to Give Your Views to the Government.
You might find this email submission template helpful
Help a friend – some people don’t have the time or are not sure how to do it. Help out people who are time poor, who have young kids, work full time and won’t get around to it.
Get your husband or wife to do a submission – if they are time poor help them to do their submission. You know we already do so much for our loved ones so this is just like all the other things we do.
Post on other pages and groups in social media and online forums
Give people suggestions on what to write, but it must be in their own words. A copy pasted submission wont be counted. Some quick and easy ideas:
1. Already 48% Australian Waters are Commonwealth Marine Park
2.DPIRD already manages sustainability of fisheries and habitats
3. Indigenous people can continue their culture without needing a marine park.
4. Senior representative from DBCA, Peter Sharp, at the initial marine park meeting, at the shire, said that it was his job to get the targeted 5 million ha of park, and that is what he will do, and if he can’t put it here he’ll put it somewhere else. Essentially there was never the need for a park or the science to back it up. But the “promise” of an area by a date. The slogan is on the front page of the management plans “5 million hectares in 5 years”.
5. The majority of people living in the affected areas do not want this new marine park.
6. Our commercial fisheries are actually a model for sustainability and such small scale that it is illogical to limit them further
7. Professional Fishermen will go out of business.
8. Placement of this park is based on limited scientific evidence and reasoning. It needs to be evidence based.
9. Recreational Fishermen will be locked out of their favourite fishing locations unfairly
10. Beach access could be closed off at the first review of the park within 10 years of implementation.
11. ‘Sanctuary zones’ can be expanded at the first review of the park, within 10 years of
implementation.
12. People use fishing on beaches to maintain their mental health
13. Sealions are already protected my exclusion zones
14. Seabirds are already protected p. 30 Marine Protected Species Identification Guide
15. The weather and ocean conditions in the proposed area naturally prevent fishermen from going out anyway
16. Whales are already protected p. 5 Marine Protected Species Identification Guide
17. Leafy Seadragons are already a Protected Species p. 18 Marine Protected Species Identification Guide
18. Comment on specific aspects of the marine parks. If the marine parks do go ahead, DBCA will need people’s comments on specific zones so we can at least get some positive changes.
19. Any “freedoms” such as beach access, ability to take dogs on the beach etc must be maintained in perpetuity.
20. Sanctuary zones should only be allowed to be made smaller or stay the same size after a review, not increased in size.