The multiple-use Moreton Bay Marine Park in eastern Australia was rezoned in 2009, increasing the total no-take marine national park (MNP) from 0.5 to 16%. We measured trends in the human use of no-take areas using observed vessel position and categorisation during on-water and aerial surveys before and after rezoning. Measured changes in spatial patterns of fishing showed that the effects of rezoning on most fishing activity was minimal. After rezoning, the proportion of recreational fishing declined from 6.3 to 2.6% of the footprint of the new MNPs and adjacent areas of similar habitat. The proportion of commercial fishing declined from 25 to 1%, although the amount of commercial fishing was low.

Observations of 397 individual marine national parks were made using boat-based surveys conducted in paired MNP and control areas. The surveys were followed up by 200 interviews with Moreton Bay users.  The majority of the boaters interviewed (56%) didn’t believe their activities would be, or had been, affected by new MNP zones.  However, 40% of boaters interviewed said the MNP zones had affected their fishing activity, despite our research showing only 6% of recreational fishers had actually fished in MNP zones prior to the new zoning being declared.  A significant majority (65%) of interviewees felt the rezoning would be ‘positive for the biology’ of Moreton Bay.