Great Barrier Reef fish benefit from restrictions

by Rich Bowden - Jun 23 2008, 20:23

A 2004 decision by the Australian government to end fishing across large areas of Queensland's iconic Great Barrier Reef, appears to have paid dividends with the return in numbers of the coral trout.

Image: Coral trout. Credit: Leonard Low/flickr

The creation of "no-take" zones, banning commercial and recreational fishing across a third of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, was aimed at the protection of the reef and its trout. The ban covered a third of the park, more than 100,000 km2 and, though popular among Australians in general, was a controversial decision among the fishing industry who saw the move as unnecessarily restricting their take.Admitting to being a "little surprised" at the outcome, Garry Russ, a marine biologist at Townsville's James Cook University said, "We've seen a consistent pattern of recovery of coral trout from just north of Cairns to as far south as Heron Island," he said to the New Scientist. "It's an extraordinarily large area."Checks of fish stocks run by Russ's team have found increases of around sixty percent in some areas, less than two years after the areas were rezoned."In the long term, the hope is that as numbers build up in protected areas, more fish will spawn successfully, enhancing numbers in fished areas," says Russ."Although preliminary, our results provide an encouraging message that bold political steps to protect biodiversity can produce rapid, positive results for exploited species at ecosystem scales," Russ said. "The people of Australia got what they wanted: more protection for an Australian icon. And it will help to boost tourism even more. It is an important lesson for the entire world."One of Australia's most favoured tourist destinations, the Great Barrier Reef generates AU$5.8 billion (US$5.52 billion) annually from tourism and fisheries.

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Great Barrier Reef fish benefit from restrictions

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