Legislative Council Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Motions Marine Parks MARINE PARKS Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: That this council calls on the Minister for Environment and Conservation to place an immediate moratorium on the imposition of the draft sanctuary zones contained with the Marine Parks' outer boundaries for South Australia. (Continued from 23 February 2011.) The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD Legislative Council The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (17:19): I have spoken earlier today regarding a marine parks motion of my own calling for a select committee which called for a full inquiry into the issue, but I also want to place on record Family First's support for this sensible motion moved by the Hon. Ms Lensink which calls for a moratorium on the imposition of the draft sanctuary zones. Family First supports the call for a moratorium. Indeed, the motion I spoke to earlier today asked in part for a select committee to look at the widespread moves both interstate and internationally to implement moratoriums on the unproven rollouts of marine parks. In New South Wales, the Liberal and National parties last month released a policy, entitled 'Restoring the balance', which promises a moratorium on the creation of marine parks. I think everybody is predicting that they will win government on Saturday, so that presumably will be the government's position in that state. Further, in July 2010, the Victorian government ruled out any more marine parks in Victoria, capping marine parks at the current 5.3 per cent of their coastal waters with no-take zones being an even smaller percentage than that. Meanwhile, South Australia continues to ban recreational fishing in wide swathes of our waters. Marine parks have now been declared in over 46 per cent of our territorial waters. I contrast that to 5.3 per cent in Victoria—a much smaller coastline than South Australia, I should point out as well. Sanctuary zones in which no recreational fishing can occur will cover 20 to 25 per cent of those marine parks according to the department in South Australia. That is 20 to 25 per cent of the 46 per cent—roughly 10 per cent of coastline will be 'no go'. The point I am making is that we are vastly out of step with our counterparts interstate, and this in itself is a good enough reason to support this motion of the Hon. Ms Lensink. Marine parks and these no-take zones which ban recreational rod and line fishing across the coast of South Australia tremendously and adversely affect the 240,000 recreational fishers in South Australia. They deserve better. I indicate Family First's support for the motion. Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.M. Gazzola.