❓ Shadow Minister Ford questions Minister Moore on the application of the precautionary principle in fisheries management, specifically regarding at-risk demersal species. Minister Moore defends his approach, citing alternative advice and ongoing review.
AnsweredQoN 11Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT — PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLES
(1) Does the minister understand the precautionary principles applied to fisheries management? (2) If yes to (1), why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal species while the government delays the implementation of an effective management plan? Hon NORMAN MOORE
(1) Does the minister understand the precautionary principles applied to fisheries management? (2) If yes to (1), why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal species while the government delays the implementation of an effective management plan? Hon NORMAN MOORE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) Yes, I do understand the precautionary principle, but as I said in the house when the member asked the same question on opening day—it is serious repetition, but anyway I had better give him the same answer again—as the former Minister for Fisheries, the member made the decision that there would be a ban on the catching of five vulnerable species, but he could not tell anybody how he was going to save those fish. The member seemed not to understand that hooks and bait do not differentiate between different sorts of fish, so when people go fishing for demersal fish and they catch one of the vulnerable five and bring them to the surface, in most cases they have to be thrown back because they are dead—barotrauma; the member knows about that. Had the former minister taken the advice of his department and not made his own decision on what to do, he would have banned demersal fishing, full stop, for a period of time. That, in itself, might have solved the problem. Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
(2) If yes to (1), why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal species while the government delays the implementation of an effective management plan? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Yes, I do understand the precautionary principle, but as I said in the house when the member asked the same question on opening day—it is serious repetition, but anyway I had better give him the same answer again—as the former Minister for Fisheries, the member made the decision that there would be a ban on the catching of five vulnerable species, but he could not tell anybody how he was going to save those fish. The member seemed not to understand that hooks and bait do not differentiate between different sorts of fish, so when people go fishing for demersal fish and they catch one of the vulnerable five and bring them to the surface, in most cases they have to be thrown back because they are dead—barotrauma; the member knows about that. Had the former minister taken the advice of his department and not made his own decision on what to do, he would have banned demersal fishing, full stop, for a period of time. That, in itself, might have solved the problem. Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Yes, I do understand the precautionary principle, but as I said in the house when the member asked the same question on opening day—it is serious repetition, but anyway I had better give him the same answer again—as the former Minister for Fisheries, the member made the decision that there would be a ban on the catching of five vulnerable species, but he could not tell anybody how he was going to save those fish. The member seemed not to understand that hooks and bait do not differentiate between different sorts of fish, so when people go fishing for demersal fish and they catch one of the vulnerable five and bring them to the surface, in most cases they have to be thrown back because they are dead—barotrauma; the member knows about that. Had the former minister taken the advice of his department and not made his own decision on what to do, he would have banned demersal fishing, full stop, for a period of time. That, in itself, might have solved the problem. Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
(1)-(2) Yes, I do understand the precautionary principle, but as I said in the house when the member asked the same question on opening day—it is serious repetition, but anyway I had better give him the same answer again—as the former Minister for Fisheries, the member made the decision that there would be a ban on the catching of five vulnerable species, but he could not tell anybody how he was going to save those fish. The member seemed not to understand that hooks and bait do not differentiate between different sorts of fish, so when people go fishing for demersal fish and they catch one of the vulnerable five and bring them to the surface, in most cases they have to be thrown back because they are dead—barotrauma; the member knows about that. Had the former minister taken the advice of his department and not made his own decision on what to do, he would have banned demersal fishing, full stop, for a period of time. That, in itself, might have solved the problem. Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
(2) If yes to (1), why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal species while the government delays the implementation of an effective management plan? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Yes, I do understand the precautionary principle, but as I said in the house when the member asked the same question on opening day—it is serious repetition, but anyway I had better give him the same answer again—as the former Minister for Fisheries, the member made the decision that there would be a ban on the catching of five vulnerable species, but he could not tell anybody how he was going to save those fish. The member seemed not to understand that hooks and bait do not differentiate between different sorts of fish, so when people go fishing for demersal fish and they catch one of the vulnerable five and bring them to the surface, in most cases they have to be thrown back because they are dead—barotrauma; the member knows about that. Had the former minister taken the advice of his department and not made his own decision on what to do, he would have banned demersal fishing, full stop, for a period of time. That, in itself, might have solved the problem. Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Yes, I do understand the precautionary principle, but as I said in the house when the member asked the same question on opening day—it is serious repetition, but anyway I had better give him the same answer again—as the former Minister for Fisheries, the member made the decision that there would be a ban on the catching of five vulnerable species, but he could not tell anybody how he was going to save those fish. The member seemed not to understand that hooks and bait do not differentiate between different sorts of fish, so when people go fishing for demersal fish and they catch one of the vulnerable five and bring them to the surface, in most cases they have to be thrown back because they are dead—barotrauma; the member knows about that. Had the former minister taken the advice of his department and not made his own decision on what to do, he would have banned demersal fishing, full stop, for a period of time. That, in itself, might have solved the problem. Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
(1)-(2) Yes, I do understand the precautionary principle, but as I said in the house when the member asked the same question on opening day—it is serious repetition, but anyway I had better give him the same answer again—as the former Minister for Fisheries, the member made the decision that there would be a ban on the catching of five vulnerable species, but he could not tell anybody how he was going to save those fish. The member seemed not to understand that hooks and bait do not differentiate between different sorts of fish, so when people go fishing for demersal fish and they catch one of the vulnerable five and bring them to the surface, in most cases they have to be thrown back because they are dead—barotrauma; the member knows about that. Had the former minister taken the advice of his department and not made his own decision on what to do, he would have banned demersal fishing, full stop, for a period of time. That, in itself, might have solved the problem. Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
Hon Jon Ford : Is that what you are going to do? Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
Hon NORMAN MOORE : No, because I have also received other advice that there are other and better ways of doing it, including advice from Dr Jim Penn, a well-known fisheries research officer for many, many years. I have implemented virtually all of the recommendations that the member brought in, with the exception of the closure for that period, and I have a very in-depth review and analysis being undertaken on the other alternatives that might be available, other than banning the catching of those fish for that particular period. I hope that review will result in some course of action that can be taken to ensure that those demersal fish species are preserved.
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