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Dear Keeping it real, we've removed your post because it wasn't respectful. You are very welcome to post another comment with all the points you raised and I am sure locals would be very interested to hear your views. Key to Streetcorner's mission is to help facilitate constructive dialogue between locals, so that means we need to be respectful of others rights to hold views different to our own, even when we passionately disagree with them. Regards, Streetcorner

Sue it is really good to hear from a local who is passionate about what happens in our ocean. If you kill a cat it is on the news and the police investigate but if you kill a protected fish no one does anything. They are getting away with it every day. I don't know what will change unless more people are caught and charged. The signs in Clovelly and Gordon's Bay are dreadful. Sue, can you write to Council to ask them to do something about them and can they include the information you've given us about how to report people when they are ignoring the protection zone.

Sue, good on you for raising this issue. There should be zero fishing - line or spear - within the aquatic reserve. Signs must be clear and unambiguous but Waverley council is under funding pressure and I don't see this as a high priority for them as fish don't vote. There needs to be fisheries maps and brochures at local fishing tackle shops, bait shops and diving centres to explain the boundaries of the marine reserve. Four fisheries officers is not many but there are popular times when people fish and dive and they need to be there and educate people about what is/is not permitted.

Well I should have looked more closely at the poster. Obviously, Randwick council is also involved. I am not sure how amenable they are to requests from community for action.

Groper is very tasty!

but only when caught legally ;-) You can catch two per day by line only at bondi

I do a lot of Spearfishing and some line fishing and I am not very sure how much sense this whole thing makes. All Spearos also dive or snorkel and I can't imagine any of the many I know (from any club or individuals) that would shoot a Gropper or go spearing in Gordons Bay or in Clovelly (outside or inside of it). Same as shooting or catching any ilegal or threaten specie or smaller than the legal limit. Some comments imply that We do it purposefully and get away with it which doesn't make sense because we are the ones who care the most. I have seen people line fishing inside of Clovelly which I think is both dangerous for the swimmers and unfair to the fish and I agree that some more regulation would be good for everything, but please don't treat ( and think of ) spearos as this article (or Sue Doran if she is the author) does because feels quite unfair.

Hi TomEd, I just want to clarify that my concern (representing others' worries) is focused only on those who are breaking the law. The aim was to help people to know what to do abput it rather than to approach illegal "spearos" themselves. Of course there is no intention here to comment on anyone operating within the law. Further, line fishing is not banned in the Aquatic Reserve and there is no suggestion in this article that it should be. Others may feel differently. I hope that clarifies things.

The tone of your article is way out of line, all the spearfishers I know are very reasonable people, not dangerous criminals who shouldn't be approached like you imply. If anyone sees a spearfisher in clovelly/gordons bay, yes they should have a friendly chat to them, not hide and take notes like they're people to be afraid of. I'm in the water all the time, i've never seen a spearfisher in clovelly or gordons bay. Spearfishers care about sea life as much or more than the next guy, and in general know the rules very, very well and treat them with respect. You should learn more about what the reality is before posting fearmongering articles like this.

Adam1, I appreciate your comment and I'm sure you're quite right when you say that the spearfishers you know are reasonable people. The ones I know are too. Unfortunately local people, fishers themselves, who are long term guardians of Gordons Bay environment in particular have come across spearfishers where they shouldn't be by law. It is their concerns that I have represented and in no way is it meant to be a reflection on the majority of people engaged in this pursuit. In fact my article was intended to focus on the poor infrastructure and staffing provided by Dept of Fisheries that results in locals, including the fishing clubs as I mentioned, having to do the enforcement themselves. To conclude, I am only too aware from personal knowledge, of the affinity that many long term local fishers have with the marine environment here and with their intrinsic understanding of the need for its preservation. There was no intention to fearmonger, simply to ensure that local fishers didn't have to be the enforcers of the law in our local Reserve. I actually to talk with them and they feel it's a hopeless cause. I promised to speak up on their behalf. Finally, it is good that the issue is open for discussion and clarification so that people can understand that only rare spearfishers operated illegally. The Beast's articles have helped this to happen. Thanks to James.

I have seen spearfishers at Bottle & Glass rocks and that is near Nielsen park. I am pretty sure no spearfishing, however lack of signage means they may have not known...

sue, you say your not targeting speros but that hole artical when read, really makes you feel like you are aiming for the head of the all spearos so maybe you should re read the statement before posting it. if there is a place where a spearo shouldn't be spearing then better signage should be put up so there is no excuse for spearing there. also do not advise people to be taking photos and righting number plates down, as this could cause alot of trouble, i my self would not react very well to someone taking photos of me, there are other ways around it. which i see you are addresing with more fisheries staff, just long as they do not let the power go to their heads like a lot do and treat people like crap like i have been and many other members of the puplic have.

Hi spero, Yes, I understand your position. The signage etc around the prohibited area is lousy, that is Gordons Bay and Clovelly. There's no way of knowing where the ban area starts and finishes. Advice listed above about what to do comes from Fisheries staff - I suppose that's what they must advise when they are so short-staffed. But, as I said, most spearfishers seem to get it. It's just a few who choose to ignore the bans or use their guns close to swimmers. But it's those few that worry people. No different, I s'pose to drivers on the road. Almost everyone gets the need to look out for everyone else but a tiny proportion live dangerously and cause danger to others. It's a shame if everyone has to suffer for the acts of a few. Thanks for your views. These are conversations worth having.

There should be an end to spearfishing. It's barbaric and unnecessary. We should be protecting our marine life, snokelling not slaughtering. I have no sympathy for the spearfishing argument, which is what again, that they should be able to kill stuff because they enjoy it?

"end to spearfishing" you have no clue it is not bar barbaric it is controlled barbaric is sweeping through the ocean and netting everything and killing big and small fish, spearos target fish they are going to eat and they comply with all fisheries standards of course there are the odd ones that do the wrong thing and take a slightly undersized fish normally not intentional, like in the comment above some drivers make mistakes who ruin it for others but iam sorry your statment is very wrong..

I think that getting food from the Sea, within reason is far less barbaric and environmentally damaging as all this animal farming and what not.....it is a bit hypocritical to jump on spearfisherman and then go eat a hamburger. (Hamburger has probably done more environmental damage through pastures to raise cattle etc etc....) It is easy to jump on the bandwagon but what i have found is spearfisherman tend to be some of the most environmentally AWARE let alone concious people i have met. Much more so than the couch potatoes that whine on about "Bluey" who seem to have no idea about the vulnerability or lack of, in regards to this species...

Furthermore I would like to add. WHEN HAS SWIMMERS OR ANYONE BEEN HARMED BY AN EXPERIENCED FISHERMAN IN THE EASTERN SUBURBS???? Or even by anyone with a speargun for that matter???

I love the water and spend a lot of time in it doing activities like swiming snorkelling, bodyboarding, spearfishing, freediving and wakeboarding. It's a resource that I would like my children and their children to enjoy for years to come. Conservation of this precious resource is in ALL our interests but some of your proposals just don't seem like you have that interest at heart. >>• this community is alarmed by the continuation of spearfishing within the aquatic reserve and the inadequacy of the Government’s response This is purely speculation. At what point do you class a group of people "this community" and can be sure that it's not a "minority" with an agenda? To me your agenda seems to target spearfishing in general. A bad move, you want the community to be behind you then talk to the spearfishing groups and get them on board. You will find that "Spearos" as they call themselves look after and protect the sea a lot more than you know. Every true Spearo loves the sea and people will always protect what they love. >>• all of the Fisheries signage must be updated without delay What will this achieve? The people who are diving here are not law abiding citizens, they're more than likely poachers. Signs will not stop poachers. >>• a website is needed to provide the community with a record of notifications and prosecutions Once again, I don't quite understand the need for this website. It will consume human, electrical and technological resources for no net benefit. Why does the public need to know who has been prosecuted? >>• the ban on spearfishing needs to be extended to all of the Aquatic Reserve to remove ambiguity This particular extention serves no purpose other than to take more areas out of reach for people who want to spearfish legally. Don't try and disguise it as "removing ambiguity". Learn to share the resource not monopolise it. >>• Fisheries staffing levels need to be increased in order to have effective enforcement Phone (02) 9228 3800?Fax (02) 92283804 ?office@whan.minister.nsw.gov.au In principal this is a good idea, but remember that governments have a limited budget. Money you spend in one place means you will not have those funds to spend in another... >>4. Unless the signs are updated soon, perhaps we’ll need to have a community working bee to paint our own unmistakeable banner about spearfishing! Taking things into your own hands? We have government and laws for a reason. To me it seem clear that you're targetting spearfishing in general and not the ILLEGAL ACTIVITY going on in the reserve. Let me share with you what I know about spearfishing organisations and 'Spearos' in NSW based on FACTS and also personal observations in the past decade. Spearfishing is by far THE MOST sustainable method of fishing. There is no environmental damage like commercial netting. There are no sinkers and lines to be left behind in the ocean due to tangles. It is selective so undersize fish are not caught and dragged to the surface like line fishing. The spearfishing community in NSW is quite proactive in educating it's members to look after our oceans. You want the spearfishing community behind you. it's in their best interest to keep the oceans clean, poachers out and sustaining it for future generations.

Sue, Can you also write an article on the statistics of how many swimmers or beach goers have been injured by a spear-fisherman? I know you wont as there are no statistics to write about, no one has ever been injured by a spear-fisherman. Instead of instantly banning the sport, why don't you bombard council for more signage? This would not bring the sport into disrepute and maybe, just maybe, work for all. Many spearfisherman are part of the USFA (Underwater Skindivers and Fisherman Assoc.) This provides a framework for all to follow regarding rules and regulations and how to behave, we are sensible and we do follow a code of practice, we are not murders and "Slaughters" of the ocean. with reference to another post made above. At the end of your article you state that it is a "huge environmental problem..." I fail to see how spearfishing is - we only take what we need and when we need (usually on 2 or 3 fish for the family), we do it for the love and tranquility of the ocean, and we look after it i cant keep track of how many bags I've dove down and got off the bottom and put on my float to take back to shore and dump it in the bin, its well over 100 time by now! Hope you take time to read this, come to your senses and see that spearfishing isn't at all bad as you make it out to be, please contact our representative body before you make any more accusations. Thanks!

Once again a Green candidate has illustrated why the general public views them as a fringe group. During my idealistic youth I voted Green (or Democrats), but no longer. As a tax paying parent I need my representatives to work for me. Launching a senseless attack on a minority group to garner votes for the upcoming state election is not the voters of this state should have to put up with. Until the Greens can demonstrate a sensible, sustainable policy platform that illustrates a desire to govern for the benefit of all people I will continue to donkey vote.

I am a scientist with extensive experience in research and management of fish populations in marine and freshwater environments. I am currently a Research Fellow at UNSW and have worked previously as a Fish Biologist at NSW Fisheries. In my opinion, we need evidence-based, considered discussion, rather than alarmist arm-waving. David Hempton's push for a marine park extending from Clovelly to Camp Cove falls over as soon as it is viewed within a conservation planning framework (i.e., the doorstep of Australia's biggest city is a low priority for conservation). The use of the eastern blue groper as a flagship species is also flawed - the protection this species was stimulated by the spearfishing community in the 1960s and has been highly effective. Now, it appears the focus has turned to enforcement of the NSW Fisheries Management Act with particular respect to the Clovelly reserve and an alleged safety issue regarding interactions between spearfishers and swimmers. I encourage anyone interested in this issue to look at the facts and ask, 'What is the evidence?'. According to Waverly Council's own reports, there hasn't been a spearfishing-induced injury of a swimmer for at least 14 years. Meanwhile, people are injured all the time at Bondi by surfboards or drowned in rips. If we are so concerned for the safety of swimmers, why not ban surfing or, alternatively, ban swimming at Bondi? The ocean is a multi-use resource that can be enjoyed by all. Spearfishing is the most environmentally-friendly form of fishing. It is highly selective and sustainable. Experienced spearfishers know the regulations inside-out, but young grommets with handspears fishing close to swimmers during summer may need to be reminded of the rules. Improved signage would help, but so would a greater public appreciation and understanding of spearfishing. Get informed. Go snorkelling. Be cool.

Spearfishing is the MOST sustainable and selective form of fishing know to man kind. There is zero by catch, each species is carefully assessed to be suitable for the table or not, then it is harvested. 99.9% of spearfisherman are highly ethical and responsible people, who know very well not to dive in reserves. I find the publics 'concerns' to be unfounded and most likely an attempted demonisation of a fishing method which the green's should consider appropriate, and low impact on the ocean.

There is suddenly a lot of interest in this issue. That's good. My article of course has nothing to do with spearfishing as a sport. My article is about the Aquatic Reserve and, in particular, the specific zone within it that includes a spearfishing ban- a ban that has been in place for a long time. It is about enforcing the existing law and nothing about whether or not spearfishing in itself as a sport is sustainable or not. The argument we all need to have is with the current Labor Minister in charge of fisheries, Steve Whan. All interests in this debate will be protected if either sufficient staff are employed by Fisheries or Council employees are empowered and trained to deal with enforcement. And if the signage is well-placed and clear. No intent to demonise here. It's good to see engagement with the discussion, however.

as has been covered quite clearly and articulately by other spearfisher people above we are in general a conservative bunch (spearfishers) that follow regulation and often self impose stricter personal guidelines for take number and size than regulation dictates. one concern in many areas where there is either a partial or total exclusion is inappropriate signage, as has been mentioned already. it can be particularly confusing for those unfamiliar and or new to the sport in reference to regulations/regulated areas. the only way to resolve this is (a); large visual signs with clear images! not necessarily massive signs with lots of writing. a sign as big as a stop sign with a speargun in a circle with a cross through it in red and white in a accessible walkway into the beach speaks quite clearly with the words NO SPEARFISHING. a map of the exclusion zone underneath. and (b); if a local does see someone spearfishing inside the exclusion zone to politely and calmly approach them and simply say " excuse me, how did you go ? ok did you realise that you were spearfishing in an area designated as no spearfishing? i know the signs are obscure so you may not have been aware" very simple, although community is drastically thinning and modern times are about the 'individual' more and more its important we educate as a community, it take s a village to raise a child and in things like this some one new to the sport is similar to an infant and may need guidance in this regard. there are many clubs around australia that do support and provide this type of education but unfortunately those new to the sport are often not aquatinted with a formal spearfishing club. give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish and he will eat forever ;) sincerely banana pants

Sue, please stop your facade that the above article isn't targeting spearfishing. You state the issue of spearfishing in the reserve is a "significant environmental, social and legal problem. There are MORE issues, but for now, there are a number of actions we can take, and given there’s an ELECTION coming up something might be done". Here it is, clear as day....Just so you do not forget again. If this matter is such a significant environmental, social and legal concern then I can't help but feel that you are letting down the wider community. There are much more important issues. I feel that you have chosen a small group of people, with whom you have assumed would not find this article and tried to muster up 'easy' votes from the 'generally' un/mis-informed public. There is no need for me to regurgitate what has already been said regarding the ACTUAL data on spearfishing related issues. New signage is a start. Education is the key. Anyone who is found to be in the reserve spearfishing (I have seen none in my 30 years in the area) is would almost certainly be a young kid who doesn't know any better, someone very new to the sport (USFA is educating many, please see their website for more info) or someone from out of the area. Thank you for your time, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you need clarification on anything I have said, you now have my email...

Spearfishing is the most selective type of fishing available. The added advantage is there is no catch and release (which results in a large percentage of the fish caught ending up dying a slow death). Realistically if you cared about the fish and protecting the fish in a certain area, you would be promoting spearfishing for it's personal safety, Fish selectivity, exercise benefits and economic reasons. Your advice on how to deal with breaches in fishing laws is sound, unfortunately you may find that the people reporting these breaches most likely do not know what they are seeing as it is likely that they do not understand fish or fishing methods. I am going to take a quick guess that people are not going to like having photographs taken of them and their vehicles, this would most likely result in more trouble then it was worth. Please base fishing related policies on fishing research not 'What the uneducated public will think' Why not do the bigger thing and work on educating the public so they understand the reality of spearfishing not just the public hype.

I used to vote Green. The Sue Doran made me realise that they really dont care about the environment.....they only care about populist sensationalist topics that will invoke ignorant proteters into jumping on a topic like this one. it just goes to show that it's not the real issues the greens worry about......it's the topics that can incite the ignorant masses that they are interested in.... CONGFRATULATIONS SUE YOU LOST MY VOTE BUT YOU PROBABLY GOT A FEW MORE OUT OF THE BONEHEADS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY

Well said Bongoman Instead of trying to fix real problems they just puck us over...typical politicians i suppose Win votes for life by tackling the real, unpopular problems. NOT fearmongering!

Sue I am disappointed by how your reasonable comments above directly conflict with your more sensationalist phraseing in your article- the nature of which is consistent with some of hte other things you have unfortunately written. As Dr Rayner points out your article and desires have no factual basis. If you want to keep me as a Greens voter please keep your comments real! I am a bondi resident and i am nauseated by the populist and sensationalist behavour of a fringe group who have shown how little they actually understand the marine environment but are highly capable at making a big noise. Green mobilisation should be so much more than that ... dont you think? Else how do we mobilise the masses to take real action about real issues. Green thinking is not yet mainstream - and never will be whilst high profile people like you make idiotic uninformed statements. YOu can do so much better!

Dear All, We have removed a couple of the comments submitted to this article. Streetcorner supports constructive and open dialogue on the issues that matter to locals. But we also people that constructive debate requires respect for others views, even when they are the complete opposite of our own. Please do not engage in personal attacks. Thanks, Streetcorner, YOUR voice in the community.

how can you possibly say that street corner? all sue's article seems to be is a personal attack towards spearfisherman???? your nothing but a hypocrit.

and all her article is trying to achieve is getting her party more votes come next election, and why not, the spearfishing community is continually defending themselves against people like sue who can cause a stir in the community by abusing her position, the only time a spearfishermans voice really gets heard is in the comments sections everytime an article is written degrading us and our sport even further. what makes the situation worse is the fact sue clearly has no knowledge whatsoever of the marine environment, fact is she probably couldnt care less about swimmers or the blue groper population, but the more she pretends to care the more support she will gain come election time.

Spearfisherman i have met are some of the keenest environmentalists/conservationists/naturalists i know.... Way to marginalise a group who would probably be Green leaning Sue..... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA very comical person this one....I will have to follow her statements purely for entertainment value when i am in need of a good laugh!!! To think of all the environmental degradation going down all over the place.....forget about it all "Bluey the Groper" is the real issue!!!!!

agreed somepeoplesilly, it seems spearfisherman are the reason for the so called depletion of blue gropers, even though it is ILLEGAL for blue gropers to be speared. 99.5% of the people involved in the sport are well aware of this law aswell,yet are still subjected to sue doran and "uninformed" peoples rubbish ranting. Go whinge to the government or fisheries about line fisherman sue, afterall there still allowed to take 2 BLUE GROPERS during each fishing session.

also regarding hannah whites post, answer me this, what happens to a horse when noone wants it? its slaughtered and made into glue, what happens to a cow when its ready to be sold as steak? its killed and cut to pieces, how can you sit there pass judgements like you did in your comment when spearfishing is nowhere near as brutal as the acts iv mentioned above.

And for all you milk drinkers out there! Are you aware that most male calves are killed at birth because it would cost more in feed than they would sell for at market. I love all the vegetarians who drink milk....if they knew about all the worthless male calves that were slaughtered because they are condisered worthless i wonder if they would still rink milk???? Spearfishing is not degrading the environment!!! it is all the commercial fishers fishing offshore out of our sight that is degrading our oceans......and it is not cruel, i think i have clearly demonstrated that drinking milk is moreso....and it is not dangerous....as someone pointed out rips are far more dangerous ......and even shark attacks seem more prevalent of late when compared to spearfishing accidents...... So i think it is time for all those whingers to hop down off their high horses, have a big glass of milk followed by some humble-pie and give up their hypocritical views...... A bad case of Foot in mouth disease if u ask me...

Dear Pissed Off Spearo, Re Personal Attacks, what we are saying is we don't support attacks against an "individual", Sue's article is not an attack against an individually named spearfisherman. Actually, I'm not sure she's against spearfishing, rather just people breaking the law but we'll leave that for her to clarify. Thought I would drop you a note to suggest you publish an article about your views on Spearfishing. We send out all published articles on our Twitter feeds & they appear in Goggle alerts etc and we encourage all sides of the debate to have their voice heard. If you do want to publish your own article on Streetcorner about Spearfishing in the Eastern Suburbs just register, then Click on the SUBMIT A STORY button and follow the prompts. Once approved, the article will appear on the home page . Just a suggestion if you'd like your voice heard. Regards Streetcorner, YOUR voice in the community

dear street corner, while sue's article may not be a personal attack towards one particular spearo, shes clearly reffering to the spearfishing community as a whole. In every sport/hobby/leasure activities there will always be those who will break the law(not just spearfishing), so why target spearfishing specifically? maybe YOU could chase up the phone numbers of a few spearfisherman who are highly respected within the spearfishing community and ask them about there views on conservation and find out some actual facts about the marine environment around the eastern suburbs, if you do i think you and the others who bad mouth spearfishing will be pleasently surprised. One individual by the name of simon trippe im sure would be more then happy to give you his opinion on this article and what he thinks of the marine environment around the eastern suburbs as he has been involved in the sport for many many years and will be able to provide some interesting (truthful facts) about the marine environment around the area being debated.

in reply to end spearfishing's post most of us chose to humanly take and kill our fish to eat ;). it is more sustainable and humane than any fish that is net caught, not to mention better for the environment and the ecosystem. it tastes better is fresher and stores for longer. it amazes me the people that criticise spearfishing. the first question i ask them is "do you eat fish or sea food?" if they reply yes they simply do not have a leg to stand on.

Dear Pissed Off Spearo, We were just letting everyone know that we ask people not to make a debate about a "particular person". We didn't write Sue's article. We are community initiative aimed a giving a people the ability to be part of the news making process by writing and sharing their own news and not a big media company. Cheers, Streetcorner

Dear Pissed off Spearo, can I recommend you take up Streetcorner's offer? You and others clearly have a message to give about sustainability of spearfishing. That's a great message. You obviously also condemn illegality because it gives your sport a bad reputation. Also a great message. Misinterpretation of the intent of my piece here and the sense of victimisation expressed is unwarranted as this article is purely about illegal spearfishing in one local Aquatic Reserve. At no stage have i indicated that I am against spearfishing or angling per se. Use the medium and speak to others through it rather than simply reacting to my views which are focused on a very narrow area and situation.

I saw a guy spearfishing outside the zone today he took a bag of stuff when I asked him if he knew he was in the Aquatic Reserve at Cloey he told me to f**k off & mind my own business. The laws are a joke, what are we supposed to do when people don't give a s**t. I could have decked the guy but then I'd get in trouble and who wants to start a fight with a guy with a speargun on his shoulder.

Hi Cloey Frank. Please do as my article suggests which is the advice from Fisheries. And write to the Primary Industries Minister Steve Whan and ask him why he has not adequately staffed the Fisheries Dept so that they can undertake enforcement of the law rather than you. While you're at it ask him why the signage to advise spearfishers is so badly maintained. I'm sure most spearfishers would be happy for you to do so as they also don't appear to like their reputations being damaged by those few that break the law.

cloey, please define what you mean by spearfishing outside the zone.. if he was outside the zone marked out as no-go then he was well within his rights to be there, and you basically had no right to approach him if that was the case as he wasnt breaking any laws, hes probably sick of getting hassled, no doubt your not the first to approach him.

Frank, where was the guy spearfishing? You state that he was outside the zone, then in it? Out of curiosity do you know where the zone extends to? A general description will suffice, ie: Near the Bombi? If he was inside the zone then throw the (lightweight) book at him!

Frank, out side the zone is perfectly legal, if i was you i would leave speros alone if they are out side the zone not breaking the law, because you will be spoken to them same way everytime. like common sense posted throw the book at him if he is in the wrong, but you said he was out side the zone....

Guys as a fellow spearo i can only suggest that when a member of the public comes up to you you are always polite and respectful no matter what is said to you. Always be prepared to inform members of the public about where you were what you were doing and why you were doing it. No matter what the agenda of that person or how you think they may want to provoke you.... by and large most members of our community are uninformed about spearfishing -so lets take each interaction as an opportunity to spread a bit of info out there. IF you are diving illegally - and i dont know of anyone i have ever dived wtih who does - you deserve to get your head kicked in.

David Hotz, Your last sentence is over-board. Physical violence against someone making a mistake is unnecessary. Discipline sure, having their 'head kicked in' wont facilitate anything but more violence. Especially if their just young kids learning the ropes, and becoming familiar with the ocean environment. Perhaps people concerned with spearo's in a protected zone could enquire whether they are actually in a reserve or sanctuary with fisheries, just to make 100% sure they haven't misinterpreted the rules. And spearo's approached by members of the public could clarify that where they were diving is actually open to public access. Just remembered that most spearfisherman are also active members of the community, who value good morals and safety for their children too. It is highly unlikely that persistent disregard for the rules has occurred as Sue's article suggests. Proof supersedes any hearsay a million times over.

Hello, i from Philippine I catch fish with my bomb. Big bomb lotrs fish. i sydney for holiday. where can i bomb for fish? and also where can i get bomb here sydney for fish? Thank you

TROLL ^^^^^^^^ not funny, not clever, idiot at his/her best.

Actually I think that troll was making a Statement about how much other countries have degraded there coastal onshore reefs through unsustainable fishing practices. Slightly immature I agree but I do see some intelligence, wit and a sarcastic wit behind it..... It makes me question who is the Idiot???? The one who is called this or the person who is so quick to Judge???

The comment is not in any way relative to our fishing practices or in conjunction with Australian law. How the third world choose to fish is not a accurate comparison to Marine Parks and spearfisherman in or out of protected zones. The comment is very much an abrupt method of mocking filipino's which is racist and catastrophizing what people can do if left to their own devices. If this comment has wit and sarcasm why not broaden their entire debate to Japanese killing whales and dolphins, Thailand smacking YFT and focusing on the Marlin population in Mexico...why? because we are meant to be on topic regarding Marine Parks and the interaction of Spearo's with them in Sydney. And by the way sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.

Dear oh Dear....I think someone needs to relax a little.....perhaps the guy was filipino???? I have Filo friends that have made jokes about fishing practices there and Japanese mates that have poked fun at there own fishing practices, I think it would be going a bit far to call these people inherently racist.... Actually it just shows that you like jumping to conclusions to make yourself feel superior.....In fact it just makes you look like a big douche..... People that protest Japanese whaling are NOT racist and implying they are is just really showing your naivity, ignorance and lack of understanding on a whole..... Don't you think it's about time you hopped of your high horse???? I think as Sue said there are some hot heads in here that really need to relax and actually go and re read her comments.... But as for off topic posts I think that sensible people would just ignore them..... Only fools like you would feel the need to respond to feed your obvious superiority complex..... So I wopulkd have to say Jackster....you certainy are an Idiot at his/her best!!!! Please keep up the entertainment!!!!!

Your insecurities are phenomenal, and your ability to rant is off the scale. Thank goodness you don't represent the spearfisherman or their issue or we'd be all listening to lame jokes, turd observations and how people are on their high horse when they call a spade a spade or a sh!t dribbler a sh!t dribbler.

Geewhiz.....You are so sanctimonious!!!! I find it hilarious but I think others just find you irritating... This is a personal trait you obviously deny and are also oblivious that people see you in this way.....but if you thought about it for a while.....it would explain your lack of friends..... Didn't think you'd take the bait with the last rant.....but surely enough you proved yourself dumber than you look and gave me the pleasure of a perfect example of one of your lame self-righteous responses! Comedy at it's best! Call people what you like....all i wanted was a response and you sure were quick to oblige!!! Why would I represent spearfisherman I don't even spearfish???? However it seems you are still on your horse and feel the need to try to be condescending to others. I emphasise try because you have far from been succesful at doing anything but showing everyone how easily it is to compel you into a response....and these response however much you try, just seem to reflect on the dull moron that you are..... I have no doubt that not only do your responses not have your desired effect, but your life as a whole has probably suffered from a similar attitutde and therefore I am sure a similar result.......comlete and utter failure...... As to your other dimwitted statement, ofcourse I do not represent spearfisherman but by this statement are you trying to imply that you do??? I doubt it but it would explain all this negative attitude to spearfishing amongst the community.... As I am sure Spearfisherman would be best served by an understanding, intelligent well rounded human being who can articulate his argument clearly, build rapport with all stakeholders and also liase with a large cross section of spearfisherman and be unbias in representing the diversity of opinions within the spearfishing community. This clearly isn't you Jackster as much as your delusions of grandeur tell you it is. PLEASE PROVE TO ME THAT YOU ARE LONELY AND BORED ENOUGH TO WASTE YOUR TIME RESPONDING TO THIS RANT!!! Because i sure was bored enough to write it!

I read the first few lines and the last line which was more than enough of your childish 'observations'. Saying I have no friends is a riot, you honestly must be 6 years old!? The dribble you have posted undeniably illustrates how one person always finds a way to bring down the whole discussion. Sad to see a good topic go from a spirited debate to school yard - 'you have no friends' lines. Grow up, get some maturity and then return to the conservation - on topic. Responding to an online forum wouldnt be considered a defining attribute of some who lonely and bored, but thanks for your concern, you seem really aggressive, very personal, and most of all someone who has seems unstable. Saying you get a laugh out of my responses may be true, but i suspect i hit a nerve in you and you have a compelling urge to get revenge - good luck with that. im sure you have more verbal diarrhea to share with the street corner because no one else listens to you.

with a name like bongoman its quite clear cut what your all about, lay off the glassy mate, weeds no good for you... as for the so called "troll" i dont think phillipinos use "bombs" as a means of catching fish, so therefor you CLEARLY are the real idiot here BONGOMAN. why not stick to growing marajuana, or smoking it if thats what your into,and if your out to get a attacking response from someone i suggest you stick to the opinion sections of the daily telegraph where people are continually argueing about pointless crap(as your last 2 posts have nothing to do with the situation being discussed) as the topic being discussed here is of a rather important matter.

I would happily support any efforts to completely ban "sports" such as spearfishing and instead provide marine parks. We do need better policing of our existing reserves.What can be done to enforce these existing laws Sue?

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I am an avid spearfisher myself but have seen the stupid things amateur speros have done. I think its estimated that approximately 1/3 of a % of fish mortality is attributed to spearfishing. Im not going to emulate what other spearos have said and do the whole innocent act and arguing about marine parks. I think that certain areas should be designated marine sanctuary zones. I live on the central coast and alone here we have about 20 different rock hopping spots that are legal for spearfishing. Boo-ho if we cant go out your front door. Drive 10 mins around the corner and jump in. SPEAROZ KNOW ... that were always gunna catch more fish than the average fisherman , there both jealous and uncertain about spearfishing. Ive got 2 sets of stitches were people of the rocks ( who came there after i was in the water) have deliberately casted lures and sinkers at me ... but overall i still come out with 10 times the fish in half the time. Fisheries have to implement more restrictions on bag limits and normal fishing. Really do u need 5 kingfish per person or 25 bream or whatever it is. Personally, good on the marine parks, keep up the criticism , because when we all get back to the boat ramp , im fitter and a boat load of big kings and jews and ure eating mack tuna fisherman . So to summarise- 1. Fishing and spearfishing both deserve to be restricted in certain environments , areas etc. 2.I truely believe in the rule that the last 20m of any ocean beach you should be able to spear. But also understand the annoyance of the people if u were swimming around their kids in the wave zone. 3.I think you should have to have liscence to spearfish and be over 18 to buy a speargun. 4.More education on spearfishing and fishing. 5.Less vindication of spearfishers Thankyou

Coxyspearo, it is amazingly obvious you are misinformed or just pulling numbers and percentages from thin air. fisheries research has shown that spearfisherman account for less than 5% of the overall recreational catch in Australia. mainly due to the small percentage of people who choose to harvest their fish underwater with a speargun. marine park have been proven to be in ineffective in increasing bio-mass and bio-diversity in Victoria. And the marine parks that are currently in place in NSW now should be based on solid scientific research rather than political pressure from the greens at achieve a country where people have no rights to harvest their own food from the land and ocean. what premise do you base being 18 to own or operate a speargun? are you suggesting only when you reach the age of 18 people have the capacity to make safe and logical choices? it is also insanely inaccurate to suggest that 'spearoz' will catch more than fisherman, as with sports their are high achievers who do exceptionally well and have their fish show cased in magazines etc. however, for that one diver who takes excellent fish regular there will be 8-9 others who struggle to shoot anything other and luderick, salmon, trevally, black druumer, morwong etc. if the fish are in 40m of water who will regualr take them line fisherman or spearos? it should also be noted that have you ever seen a diver with 25 bream??? in all my years i have not, i have seen line fisherman take their absolute limit though. if you have an issue with bag limits speak with DPI rather than pointing at marines parks and saying that will help fish stocks.

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