Every person with an ounce of business or economic sense keeps saying we need to have a diversified economy in FNQ. If we continue to rely totally on tourism we will come undone. Tourism is a vital part of our economy, but it is not the sole part.
Which brings me to why the hell are we putting up with this stupid proposal to cut our available uses caused by the proposed Coral Sea Marine Park. There are no if's, buts or maybes that fishing jobs will be lost as a result. That's jobs we can't afford to lose up here.The stupid government is offering compensation for the fisho's that own the licences as if that fixes everything and this is what demonstrates how stupid this government is.
The job losses are compounded. The deckhands then don't have jobs, which means less people spending money in our economy. The suppliers, chandlers, food and fuel suppliers, ice suppliers, tackle shops all lose business which means guess what? More job losses.
What about the local seafood suppliers? Are they getting compo as part of the govt's solution to lock up our backyard? What happens to those families?What about the compounded job losses when they can no longer make a living?
It further reduces our options and places greater pressure on other stocks. Either that or we get flooded with overseas seafood handled with questionable hygiene practices, caught in waters of predominantly human excrement, by someone on 50cents a month.
I think we need our local seafood, maintaining local jobs and helping us to maintain a diversified economy. We're supposed to have had all these experts and departments eating up huge amounts of taxpayer money to tell us what are sustainable practices. If they were wrong all this time, why hasn't someone from government been sacked and held accountable? If they weren't wrong, why aren't we listening to what they said?
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