The review and amendment of existing Marine Parks Zoning Plans in Queensland (including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Representative Areas Program (GBRMPA RAP), complimentary state zoning of inshore areas has had significant social, economic (and environmental) impacts on industries that rely on marine resources for their existence. These plans have also often displaced fishing effort and increased pressure on other areas and have considerably impacted on the supply of seafood to the Queensland consumer.

The announcement that the Marine Parks (Moreton Bay) Zoning Plan 1997 would be reviewed in 2007, coupled with the track record of government decisions on Marine Park Plans within Queensland, indicates that there are potentially considerable implications for the three fishery sectors who operate within Moreton Bay, and for the supply of seafood to the Queensland consumer.

The various industry groups involved in the Moreton Bay Access Alliance (MBAA) have decided on a proactive strategy to address potential implications, on the understanding that the:
- EPA will commence review of the Marine Parks (Moreton Bay) Zoning Plan 1997 in February 2007 and will release a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) in September 2007 for public comment and stakeholder consultation; and
- EPA’s RIS proposals are negotiable.

The project aims to validate and quantify the impact of fishing activities on the Moreton bay environment and make a scientifically defensible case for boundary changes or alterations to the existing Marine Park Zoning Plan. The development of a defensible report will ensure that all parties have a common reference point in negotiations following the release of the RIS.

Given that the Marine Park or MPA in question is managed under state legislation, it is likely that the findings of this project may be relevant for other industry groups facing similar legislative reviews (or introduction of MPA’s) Australia-wide.