Green Zones Will Continue To Be Enforced

Global positioning systems (GPS) will continue to be used as a tool to assist with enforcing zoning in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The confirmation follows a court decision about the reliability of a GPS device used in a case against two fishermen.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) Executive Director John Tanzer said the agency took great care to ensure any decisions to prosecute fishermen were based on sound evidence collection.

"The court decision related to the circumstances of a specific case, and we understand the Director of Public Prosecutions is considering an appeal," he said.

"We will be examining the decision closely and if there are ways we can tighten out precedures based on the outcomes, we will."

"However we are disappointed by the mischievous claims that the decision calls into question the policing of the zones."

"These unhelpful statements are just confusing recreational anglers."

"Thousands of people fish on the reef each year and they manage to successfully avoid fishing in the Green Zones."

"It is misleading to suggest that fishermen who have beeen fined for illegal fishing on the reef in the past were all convicted on the basis of navigational errors, particularly when very few pleaded not guilty."

"GPS is used by shipping and aviation industries throughout the world as a reliable device for navigation and enforcement."

John said the court decision did not relate to the accuracy of Green Zone boundaries.