A pod of killer whales has been spotted by Batemans Marine Park staff in the Sanctuary Zone south east of Montague Island in the last few days.
Senior Marine Park officer Julian Brown said killer whales were seen in the same waters this time last year.
He said there was clearly one male in this year’s visitors with his extra large dorsal fin quite visible.
“In recent times killer whales have become infrequent visitors to the NSW coast, due in part to a reduction in their prey from historic whale and seal harvesting,” he said.
“It is the first time I have seen killer whales in the wild and I feel exceptionally privileged. The killer whales looked fully grown. They can grow up to ten metres in length - weigh as much as six tonnes and live as long as 80 years – they are truly remarkable creatures.
“There were a few seals in the water the day we saw the whales and I bet they were not quite as happy as us to see these magnificent creatures.”
Mr Brown said killer whales are protected in NSW and like all other whales there are regulations governing the public’s approach to the whales. For more information call the Batemans Marine Park office on 4476 4800.
Port committee welcomes review
STATE Environment Minister Verity Firth last month announced there would be an independent and expert-based science panel to review the scientific monitoring and research in NSW Marine Parks.
The Narooma Port Committee applauds the setting up of this panel, and especially that it will be expert-based and independent of the Department of Climate Change and the Environment.
The Narooma Port Committee also appreciates the invitation to Professor Kearney, one of Australia’s leading Marine Science and Marine Biodiversity experts, to address the panel.
Spokesman Philip Creagh said he hoped that the “eminent experts” selected for the panel would truly be experts and independent of the Department of Climate Change and Environment.
The Narooma Port Committee has been disappointed in the advice that Minister Firth has been receiving from her senior bureaucrats within the Department of Climate Change and Environment as much of it appears to be based on “faith based scientific beliefs” rather than science which is based on observation, logic, objectivity and reasoning, he said.
Much of the “scientific” statements emanating from this Department appear to be consistent with an environmental fundamentalism that relies on “consensus statements”, rather than a cumulative build-up of corroborative evidence.
“The Narooma Port Committee looks forward to notification of the members of the scientific panel, and the time frame for its actions,” Mr Creagh said. “We expect, as part of the transparent process of Government, that all submissions to the panel will be made public.”
The Member for Bega Andrew Constance has called on Ms Firth to formally announce an ‘independent’ review into the science behind NSW Marine Parks and to consult broadly on its terms of reference.
“The least the Minister should have done is write to organisations such as the Narooma Ports Committee given their involvement in the marine park,” he said.
“Scientific peer reviews should have been undertaken in the first place before closing 16000 ha in our region to commercial and recreational fishers,” Mr Constance said.
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