A group of Port Stephens recreational anglers are calling for expanded fishing zones in the Port Stephens Marine Park.
The management plan for the park, established in 2007, is currently under review.
Angler and owner of Tackleworld, Port Stephens Brent Hancock said recreational fishers were as passionate about protecting fish stocks as any conservation group.
"The days when people kept fishing until their bucket was full are gone; everyone is governed by strict bag limits" he said.
"Despite that, we had a situation recently where a man who returned after not catching anything had his boat raided like he was a member of the Mafia."
In addition, recreational fishing was a major tourism drawcard for the region.
"People travel from all over Australia to come to Port Stephens. Recreational fishing is a significant part of our tourism economy, particularly as we recover from COVID-19," he said.
"If people are fined for throwing a line in the water they are not going to come back."
The state government promised the marine park review during last year's state election campaign.
Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park Advisory Committee is made up of a representatives from a range of key industry groups including Aboriginal, commercial fishing, local government, marine conservation, maritime industry, recreational boating, recreational fishing, recreational water use, tourism, spear fishing and aquaculture.
A review of the Bateman's Marine Park on the south coast conducted late last year resulted in the opening of four sanctuary zones to recreational fishing.
Conservationists fear that 13 years of conservation work would be lost if a similar scenario unfolds in Port Stephens.
The Port Stephens review, which is due to be completed by the end of the year, is yet to move to the public consultation phase.
"They need to get this right and to do that they need to understand the impact of the marine park on the whole community; there's a lot more to it than drawing a few lines on a map" Mr Hancock said.
"Everyone wants to protect the environment but recreational fishers should have the right to do what they love."
A Department of Primary Industries spokeswoman said a draft management plan was due for consultation later this year with draft management rules (regulations) to implement the plan in early 2021.
The new management plan would identify the full suite of values the park provides, the threats to those values, and outline management objectives and actions/programs to improve the management of the park.
