Australian’s love their holidays and why shouldn’t they; Australia is full of so many beautiful place to see, visit and experience. But have you ever wondered what impact people visiting these places are having on our environment?

What is ecotourism?

Ecotourism attempts to reduce the destruction of our environment cause by tourism. It ensures that waterways stay pristine and protects fragile flora and fauna. Ecotourism helps to provide people with a greater understanding of the impact that humans have on the environment as well as giving a greater appreciation and gratitude of our natural habitats.

All these measures help to sustain a beautiful environment for the here and now as well as persevering it for future generations to enjoy.

What can I do to reduce my environmental impact?

When booking a holiday try and find accommodation and activities that are ecotourism certified. By simply being aware of your impact on our environment and making active choices to preserve it for generations to come you are help to do your bit to keep our country beautiful.

For further information see ask your local travel agent for a travel guide.

Spearfishing

Spearfishing is a method of fishing that involves spearing fish either while diving, off a boat or off the shore. Ancient spearfishers used sharpened sticks, however today they use elastic or pneumatic powered spearguns. Spearfishing can be done as free-diving (holding your breath), snorkeling or scuba diving.

Spearfishing is most commonly done while diving – whether shore diving, boat diving or blue water hunting. Shore diving involves hunting around reefs, rocks or sand, entering the water from beaches or headlands. Usually these dives produce reef fish. Boat diving involves using a boat to access an offshore location, such as a reef, to dive off. Blue water hunting involves fishing in very deep and clear water, where the boat driver drops divers and allows them to drift with the current to fish before collecting them.

Those who spearfish without diving usually wade into shallow water and use a hand spear. They have to take into consideration optical refraction though, which makes fish appear further away than they are. So water clarity is very important.

Spearfishing on the Reef

The Great Barrier Reefis the world’s largest coral reef system and listed as a World Heritage Site. Since it is a marine park there are some special guidelines to follow when spearfishing there. First, spear only what you need. Secondly, do not pursue a fish if you are unsure of its identity or size. This is because it is prohibited to take protected fish species in the Reef Park unless you have a Marine Parks permit. These include species such as seahorses, seadragons, barramundi cods, whale sharks, grey nurse sharks, great white sharks, potato cods and Queensland groupers.

Thirdly, do not take big fish merely as trophies since these are important breeding stock. Lastly, always track down injured fish – don’t let them swim off injured. Fishers should also be aware of the different restrictions for fishing zones on the Reef. For example, there is no fishing allowed in the Scientific Research, Marine National Park or Preservation Zones.

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is located off the northeastern coast of Australia bordering the Coral Sea. It is the world’s largest coral reef system and extends about 2010 km roughly parallel to Queensland’s coast. The reef is made up of nearly 3000 individual coral reefs and some 300 small coral islands, which include at least 350 species of coral. It is also a World Heritage Listed Site.

There are approximately 1500 species of fish to be found around the Reef, with many other marine animals including sharks, sea snakes, whales, dolphins, sea turtles and giant clams. You can explore the reef via snorkeling, scuba diving, passenger ferries, fishing charters, helicopter tours, whale watching and swimming with the whales, kayaking, bare-boats, taking a glass-bottomed boat or just going swimming.

Fishing on the Reef

The Great Barrier Reef offers many exciting and different fishing opportunities. Although one should always practise responsible fishing to protect the natural environment and maintain the ecological balance, there some extra guidelines when fishing in a marine park. These include not removing, interfering or killing protected fish species in the Great Barrier Reef Park. Fishers must also abide by the fishing zone requirements:

• General Use Zone (light blue) and Habitat Protection Zone (dark blue) : maximum 3 lines/rods per person to a total of 6 hooks.
• Conservation Park Zone (yellow): 1 line/rod with 1 hook per person.
• Buffer Zone (olive green): same as General Use, but trolling for pelagic species only.
• Scientific Research (orange), Marine National Park (dark green) and Preservation Zones (pink) : no fishing allowed.

Responsible reef practices include taking only what you need, not fishing where fish feeding takes place, return all unwanted or undersized fish quickly, not using pest or non-native fish for bait. If you’re unsure of the fish identity or size it should be returned to the water immediately. By fishing responsibly you can have fun without harming the marine environment and the life it supports.