THERE is no doubting the attraction of a seal resting or sunning itself on beaches around the bayside area. But the animals are unaware of the excitement and interest they cause and can suffer as a result. Wildlife activists are calling for fresh protocols to manage and protect the seals whenever they are spotted. They say laws aimed at protecting seals are clear but rarely enforced. Harming a seal can attract a $6000 fine or six months’ jail and there are limits to how close people, or dogs are allowed. It is illegal to touch or feed a seal. “Over…
Author: Keith Platt
A STROLL along the beach has often been credited with providing food for thought. The lapping of the water and a sunset can be inspiring. The beach is a place often sought out by Joel Mielle, but in his case beach walks provide thought for food. Mielle is a chef who offers his recipes to the world rather than on a particular restaurant’s menu. Cooking and preparing meals has been part of Mielle’s life for as long as he can remember. His parents owned the Douce France restaurants in Frankston followed by Provence in Mornington and it seemed more than…
LARGE numbers of baby King George whiting have been recorded in fisheries surveys of Port Phillip for the second consecutive year. Victorian Fisheries Authority ceo Travis Dowling said anglers could expect “sensational fishing” from 2019 to 2021 when the juvenile whiting detected in 2016 and 2017 will have grown to a catchable size. The large number of juvenile whiting in Port Phillip are also seen as a pointer to what anglers can expect in Western Port. “Scientists have conducted annual surveys of small juvenile whiting in the bay’s seagrass beds since 1998 to help forecast the abundance of stocks and…
ORGANISERS hope accessing the beach at Point Leo will be made easier for the next event being held by the Disabled Surfers Association Mornington Peninsula. Plans have been approved for a boardwalk providing wheelchair access from Point Leo Lifesaving Club. DSAMP secretary Bill Hallett hoped the boardwalk would be finished in time for the association’s next surf day, Saturday 3 March “but certainly before the end of March”. When completed, the boardwalk will have a 1.2 metre wide wheelchair ramp leading to the beach from a six metre by six metre viewing platform. Two metre wide steps will also provide…
IF you’re unhappy with decisions made by the state planning minister, try to get him sacked through the ballot box. At least that’s the thinking of Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor David Gill. Cr Gill has outlined a plan to seek public funding for an assault on Planning Minister Richard Wynne’s seat of Richmond at the November state election. “I’m not too familiar with crowdfunding, but I’ll find someone who knows the technical parts of setting up an online way of raising money to make sure he’s not re-elected,” Cr Gill told The Times. He said trying to influence the outcome…