ALBAA Response to Deep Sea Dump Article

Date: 3 August 2009

Australian Land Based Anglers Association Inc. (ALBAA) recognises a need for cultural change among both anglers and the wider community, it was for this reason that the ALBAA Ledge Care initiative was established in March 2008.

'Ledge Care' teams Lower Hunter and Central Coast

Jervis Bay is widely recognised as the birth place of Land Based Game fishing and the areas historical significance to the evolution of sportfishing in Australia cannot be overlooked. For this reason Beecroft Peninsula was chosen as the pilot site when ALBAA built the 'Ledge Care' model alongside Clean Up Australia and Shoalhaven City Council in early 2008. Since this time major events have been held within the Jervis Bay Marine Park all of which have featured the Outer Tubes prominently. Clean up events have been held at seven separate coastal sites from Jervis Bay's Target Beach to Catherine Hill Bay in the Lower Hunter area.

ALBAA recognises that the job is not done and clean up events are just the beginning. Australians need to make a cultural change and embrace a more sustainable attitude toward not only their pastimes but their own way of living. What we need to be aware of is the very same people who are responsible for this mess are the same ones who litter sporting fields and sidewalks. To date the 'Ledge Care' initiative has seen a personal investment of over 250 hours by ALBAA members removing more than 750 kilograms of debris from not only rock platforms but surrounding bush land, track fringes and car parks.

Since Jervis Bay was established as a marine park in 1998, Land Based Anglers have seen an 80% reduction in accessible areas. With an original density of less than one per 1.6 km of the parks coastline being suitable for this style of fishing, Land Based Game Anglers have since seen further reductions totalling a 95% lock out of rock platforms where these unique opportunities exist. In fact, out of 59 ledges available to LBG fishers pre 1998 only three recognised platforms remain open. Unfortunately this has lead to crowd funneling and has seen an exponential effect on litter and angling pressure concentrated in very small areas such as the Outer Torpedo Tubes.

The Australian Land Based Anglers Association has made submissions to both the Jervis Bay Marine Park (JBMP) and The Booderree National Park (BNP) management as part of their respective management plan review processes. ALBAA has called on both stakeholders to recognise fishers heritage within the Jervis Bay area and work together with user groups to see a beneficial outcome for both the environments they strive to protect and the general public. ALBAA has actively promoted 'education over exclusion' as an effective management tool in both its submissions to the JBMP, BNP and as a key stone of its 'Ledge Care' initiative.

'Ledge Care' teams Jervis Bay and Central Coast

As part of these submissions ALBAA has called on those management bodies to recognise contributions by groups such as Clean Up Australia, Dive Jervis Bay, ALBAA and a host of others and encourage the co-ordination of such efforts by embracing co-management principles.

For more information please email ledgecare@albaa.com.au or visit the Ledge Care home page.

ALBAA Membership.