Friday 20 August 2010

Professor Carter backs Fishing Party's desire to fish Great Barrier Reef

Professor Bob Carter says he's an environmentalist, but in the real "old-fashioned" way.

He is strongly against further restriction to prevent fishing in the Great Barrier Reef, and has thrown his support being the Fishing and Lifestyle Party, in their bid for a Senate seat for Queensland.

"I am a scientist, not a politician, so standards apply," Bob Carter says. "I am an environmentalist in the real - old-fashioned - meaning of the term."

Professor Carter says this is probably the most important election in our lifetime, and we should separate spin versus substance, when it comes to both major parties.

Bob Carter says that the argument is about post-modern science vs enlightenment science.

" Why? Because, dissembling as if they were real environmentalists," Carter says. "The Greens are set to capture the Senate and introduce an ETS, compared with this, a Labor/Coalition choice is a side issue."

"No matter if the science is all phony, there are collateral benefits. [The debate on] climate change provides the greatest chance to bring about justice and equality in
the world, " Bod Carter said in referring to Christine Stewart, Canadian Environment Minister.

"With the full support of the media and vested interests, the biggest lies are:
- CO2 is a dangerous pollutant and doubling it will cause dangerous warming;
- GCM’s are predictive tools;
- Late 20th warming was unusual and caused by CO2."

Bob Carter delivered a quote, at the launch of the Fishing Party, that he said has relevance to the battle over the climate and fishing debate.

"The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never again escape from it," Bob Carter said. "And who said that? It was Joseph Goebbels, 3rd Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, in the early 1940's."

However the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre has slammed the Fishing and Lifestyle Party and demanded they acknowledge "major inaccuracies in information" used to frighten anglers to their cause.

"We ask they publicly acknowledge these serious misrepresentations," Steve Ryan, campaigner for CAFNEC says. "These serious and fundamental errors are of concern. The AFLP are a political party with ambitions for Senate balance of power and claim to be an authority on marine parks and other fishing related issues. The misleading information they have provided raises serious questions regarding their credibility," Steve Ryan says.

“Put simply, the AFLP are running an outrageous scare campaign, the result has been a fishing public with the incorrect impression there are further marine park closures imminent for the Great Barrier Reef Marine park, beaches, bays and inlets of the Queensland coast.”

CAFNEC claims include conservationists propose the...“denial of fishing access to 56% of our coastal waters.” They also say that maps have seriously misrepresented areas proposed for protection, and 100% of all proposed marine parks assessment areas are proposed as no-fishing zones.

CAFNEC also say the Fishing Party say the Coral Sea... has the potential to support a billion-dollar industry without hurting the ecosystem, and that there will be devastating economic impacts on the boating and tackle industry.

LNP candidate for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch has slammed CAFNEC’s comments as a blatant support for Labor.
“Of course CAFNEC support Labor, they have done a preference deal with Labor – why would they say anything else," Warren Entsch says. "People need to know that a vote for the Greens is a vote for Labor and all Labor will do for the environment is establish a Citizens Assembly to have a talkfest about it."

“The Coalition is about Real Action for the environment, not just talk and if CAFNEC and the Greens had any environmental conscience they would not have done a preference deal with the Labor party. Also CAFNEC have failed to declare the fact that they have received a substantial funding arrangement from PEW and in my view this compromises their position,” Warren Entsch said.

“They are disciples to the American-based organisation that is funded by US oil money. PEW have provided the flawed science that Labor in its haste to stitch up Green votes has used as a basis for its decision to lock up the Coral Sea and destroy our recreational, sporting and commercial fishing industry," Warren Entsch says.

“The ‘lock up’ mentality has to be rejected and conservation has to be based on sustainability and credible science,” Entsch said.
  • Professor Carter lectures at the Marine Geophysical Laboratory, James Cook University. He's also an Emeritus Fellow with the Institute for Public Affairs, Melbourne, and author of Climate: the Counter Consensus.

Here's Fishing and Lifestyle senate candidate for Queensland, Dr Mike Mansfield, chatting with CairnsBlog author Michael Moore.

6 comments:

Steve said...

See the CAFNEC claims of Fishing Party misrepresentations for yourself and see if you are convinced this mob is a credible voice. http://www.cafnec.org.au/pdf/100818_Media_Release_AFLP_Brief.pdf

Also see our analysis of the candidates responses to our environment policy questionnaire at http://www.cafnec.org.au/pdf/election_2010_Environment_Survey.pdf

Bob Carter claims there is no problem with climate change and Michael Mansfield relies on the advice of scientist Walter Starck, who also claims there is no problem with overfishing.

Bob is "strongly against further restriction to prevent fishing in the Great Barrier Reef". That's fine as no one is proposing any significant further restrictions for recreational fishing in the Great Barrier Reef.

Net fisheries in and around the reef are certainly coming under stronger scrutiny though.

Re Warren's claims:
Come and have a look at our annual report for disclosure of our funding sources. We are proud of our independence and do not sell it off. CAFNEC funded by oil money! What do you think?


Re: Michael Mansfield video rave:
The "message he is selling" is that there is no problem with our oceans that require restrictions on anglers. Classic denialist stance. Of course its appealing to think there's no problem than have to deal with tricky balance of public policy and sustainability issues.

Syd Walker said...

"There IS a problem with global warming... it stopped in 1998" screamed the headline of Professor Carter's 2006 article in the British Daily Telegraph.

See this link

Carter is a specialist in getting it wrong - see Global warming pushes 2010 temperatures to record highs

Following Carter's advice on the future of our unique and globally-significant marine environment is like putting Joh Bjelke Petersen in charge of police reform.

Bring on the next Tory fruitloop Michael.

By the end of the day, you may well have convinced hundreds of swinging voters to give their preference to Labor - enough to get Jim across the line, despite his own best efforts to render himself unelectable.

Steve said...

Warren claims .....“Of course CAFNEC support Labor, they have done a preference deal with Labor – why would they say anything else,".

I would have thought Warren has been in politics long enough to know the difference between an community environment group (CAFNEC) and a political party (The Greens).

Not sure what he thinks CAFNEC would do with preferences? CAFNEC are not up for election, last time I looked. We do however reserve the right to comment on candidates and hold them accountable for what they say.

Syd Walker said...

As far as I can see the 'Fishing and Lifestyle Party' is serving as a funnel at this election to channel preference votes to the Coalition.

Importantly, it also provides a platform for reactionary voices to vilify and mis-represent the Greens.

But on the issue of preferences... I understand the Fishing Party direct them to the Coalition, in both the Senate and House of Reps.

There has been a near obsession about 'Greens' preferences in this campaign - nationally and at a local level - but very little comment about this small but significant party and its likely influence on the outcome.

The leadership of the Fishers party - people like Mansfield - appear to be well to do. But they pitch their appeals to the crude prejudicies of much less sophisticated people.

If this Party is to linger beyond the current election, more scruitiny of its workings and bona fides would be welcome.

The Senate candidate is a man called Keith Douglas, a Gold Coast businessman and real estate developer. You can get some idea of his 'lifestyle' aspirations here.

Cynics might askn whether this is just the white shoe brigade rebranded.

Skyd "Greens" Talker said...

Vote for Jim! He's cute as a guppy.

Morgan James Davies said...

CAFNEC sent a representative to the Yorkey's Knob boat and tackle show a few months ago. They should have picked someone who knew what they were actually talking about. He went home early on Saturday...and didn't front up at all on Sunday!