Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition has a proud record of establishing and caring for Australia's marine parks—the true wonders of nature. Today I rise to congratulate a fellow THECA committee member in my electorate, Sameer Punde, who was recently awarded a doctorate by the University of Queensland. Mr Punde's thesis, Decision modelling and the management of Australian marine parks, details two distinct challenges to managing fish numbers in marine parks in Queensland and Victoria. Through Sameer's research, he established—without surprise—that illegal recreational fishing does indeed deplete fish stocks in marine parks, where fishing is excluded. Recreational fishing may often be thought of as a 'quick cast' from the jetty, but, through Sameer's work, it is evident that the effect on fish stocks is anything but small.

The second challenge in our expansive marine parks are the decisions by rangers as to where and when they patrol. As members will know, the length and breadth of Australia's marine parks are often larger than some European countries. With size being a challenge, Sameer developed a tool which can be used as a predictive system. By predicting where fish can and will be found, Sameer hopes that this tool will assist rangers in their efforts. Congratulations, Dr Sameer Punde, and the very best for your future.

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