False statement to be rectified in the Hawkesbury Shelf Bioregion Assessment

Following an official complaint made to the Department of Primary Industries about a false statement made in the Hawkesbury Shelf Bioregion Assessment concerning spearfishing, Mel Brown has gotten an apology on behalf of spearfishing.

The two pieces of correspondence mentioned are published here:

14 March 2016: To Peter Gallagher: Official Complaint regarding content in Hawkesbury Bioregions accompanying documents

15 April 2016: To Niall Blair: Letter to Minister for Primary Industries re: Complaints Handling Protocols by DPI

To: Geoff Allen @dpi.nsw.gov.au,

Attached are copies of correspondence to Peter Gallagher and Minister Niall Blair concerning a false statement that appears in a document of the Hawkesbury shelf Bioregion.

Peter Gallagher has neither acknowledged receipt of this document or responded to it.

Previously the reasoning for excluding spearfishing from the North Harbour Aquatic reserve whilst continuing to allow other forms of recreational fishing was only made in correspondence to the USFA. To now see this claim, which was utterly false, appearing in print necessitates the strongest possible response.

There was, and never has been, a legitimate reason to exclude spearfishers from this reserve where other forms of fishing are allowed.

Yours sincerely
Mel Brown AM