An eminent marine scientist says a report by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) supporting extensive fishing bans, was authored by a group with a collective conflict of interest.
According to Dr Walter Starck, the report, published in PNAS, the journal of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, claims remarkably rapid, large, widespread and diverse environmental and economic benefits from the expanded protected areas introduced on the Great Barrier Reef in 2004.
According to Starck his examination of the report had found that its authors had declared no conflict of interest, yet all 21 are employed by or recipients of generous funding from GBRMPA and are reviewing outcomes of their own findings and recommendations.
In information Fisho received today the report’s lead author Laurence McCook, who has supported the proposed no-fishing bans was supported financially by Pew, a group well known for its anti-fishing stance.
Fisho is currently seeking comment from the GBRMPA. Stay tuned for updates.
