Conservation groups have again gone toe-to-toe with the Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch over the establishment of the new Coral Sea Marine Reserve.

Mr Entsch has supported a bill that would require strict criteria to be met before the marine reserve can be created.

The amendment to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, known as the ‘Making Marine Parks Accountable’ Bill, was debated in the House on Monday.

Addressing Parliament, Mr Entsch described the process under which the Coral Sea marine reserve was declared last week as an “absolute disgrace”.

He commended the Bill put up by fellow Liberal MP George Christensen, which would see the Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke, required to obtain independent impact assessments and scientific advice, and establish advisory groups for marine reserve decision making.

Mr Entsch was critical of Mr Burke’s "sham" consultation process, saying the new requirement would ensure “no more backhanded swapping of areas … no more playing industry groups off each other…. and no more bowing to the pressure of ‘gan-greenous’ overseas lobby groups, like the PEW Foundation..."

But Xanthe Rivett, Cairns & Regional Outreach Manager for the Protect Our Coral Sea Campaign, said it was important for people to recognise the large number of local conservation groups who were involved in the campaigning for the Coral Sea Marine Reserve.

"...It would be good for people to understand that the Protect Our Coral Sea alliance includes 15 different organisations including Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Australian Conservation Foundation, North Queensland Conservation Council and Queensland Conservation Council (among others)." 



Pictured above: A group of Coral Sea Marine Reserve supporters gather at Cairns lagoon.

Ms Rivett said there had already been extensive consultation around the establishment of the marine reserve as required by legislation Mr Entsch had personally supported.

"To date there has been over five months of public consultation on the Coral Sea Marine Reserve, in two separate public consultation periods. By the end of the process this will have increased to seven months over four separate public consultation periods.  

"All of these public consultation periods are required under legislation passed by the Howard Government which Warren Entsch voted for.

"Huge numbers of submissions have been sent to the government including (those) from hundreds of scientists and thousands of supportive Far North Queenslanders," she said.  

Mr Entsch used the Northern Prawn Fishery, which has reportedly gained sustainable certification by the Marine Stewardship Council, as an example of the plight of fishers he says are impacted by the marine reserve.

“Gaining this certification is no mean feat,” Mr Entsch said. “It proves that the operators in this fishery are using world's best practice to harvest their catch sustainably.

“So what does this government do? It takes this certification and rubbishes it by declaring the Coral Sea as a marine reserve, shutting down 20 per cent of the Northern Prawn Fishery."

But Ms Rivett was quick to refute Mr Entsch's claims, and added commercial fishers in the Coral Sea do not want further delays on the issue.

"The Northern Prawn Fishery is in the Gulf of Carpentaria, while the Coral Sea Marine Reserve is east of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and has no impact at all on this fishery, in fact they are on opposite sides of Queensland," she said.

"The Coral Sea Marine Reserve is a multiple use marine park which allows for a variety of uses, including commercial and recreational fishing while also protecting some very significant habitats and reefs in the eastern half of the reserve.

"The Coral Sea Marine Reserve is an insurance policy for our oceans, protecting fragile habitat."