❓ The Minister addresses concerns about demersal fish stocks, highlighting government initiatives like FADs and a $10 million support package. He criticises the opposition's stance on the issue.
AnsweredQoN 735Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WEST COAST DEMERSAL SCALEFISH
RESOURCE
735. Ms E.L. HAMILTON to the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to rebuilding the state's
stocks of demersal fish for generations to come.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how this government is creating new high-quality
fishing opportunities for charter operators and recreational fishers whilst
ensuring the sustainability of the resource?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of any alternative policies to
preserve demersal fish stocks for future generations whilst also maintaining a balanced
fishing allocation between sectors?
RESOURCE
735. Ms E.L. HAMILTON to the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to rebuilding the state's
stocks of demersal fish for generations to come.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how this government is creating new high-quality
fishing opportunities for charter operators and recreational fishers whilst
ensuring the sustainability of the resource?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether he is aware of any alternative policies to
preserve demersal fish stocks for future generations whilst also maintaining a balanced
fishing allocation between sectors?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Some
18 months ago, the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council, Recfishwest,
the Marine Tourism Association of WA and the Department of Primary Industries
and Regional Development came to me with a serious problem—our prized
demersal species were under significant threat and we had to halve the
benchmark recovery target for the species to 375 tonnes. That is a serious issue
because it is about the sustainability and
future of a species that is highly prized by fishers on the west coast of Western
Australia . It meant that some hard decisions had to be made, and we made
them; we did not resile from them. They were tough decisions and they were not
popular. They were decisions that were very hard to explain in terms of the science, but the issue is there and the
science is there. In making those decisions, we recognised the need to
support rec fishing, commercial fishing and the charter boat sector into the
future. We put together a $10 million package—a package that is
unprecedented in Australia. We were able to do that thanks to our careful
budget management.
I
was very pleased to be on the water down in Fremantle today with Dr Andrew
Rowland from Recfishwest to confirm
that our $1.5 million package for fish aggregating devices, or FADs, is
underway. That initiative will
provide new recreational opportunities, targeting surface-dwelling fish like
tuna, mahi mahi and marlin . These are really interesting and exciting
fish to fish for, and they provide a good feed as well. We are providing
alternatives and encouraging people, as part of our campaign, to switch their
fish. I am really grateful to Recfishwest, which has undertaken the pilot to
prove this technology up. We have had it in place in the north west, and we
have had some really feedback from there. I recognise the great work that
Recfishwest has done in proving the value of FADs to recreational fishing.
We are putting in place 28 FADs to be
deployed along our coastline from Albany to Geraldton. In winter, they will be
deployed in the northern waters to provide an alternative fishing location in
the north. We are providing funding to the
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to support that program
on an ongoing basis. These are not a passing ''fad''; these are
fish aggregating devices that are there for the future. We intend to increase
the number of them up to 40 to make sure that we have great opportunities for
boat-based recreational fishing and charter operators into the future. We are
really encouraging fishers to switch their fish.
Throughout
this period, I have looked to see whether the opposition would show a single
shred of leadership on an issue that is important to the future of Western
Australia.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr
D.T. PUNCH : I had faith that the
opposition would show some leadership and join us in protecting these species —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, members!
The Minister for Fisheries has the call.
Mr D.T. PUNCH : I expected
members opposite to show some leadership and recognise the hard work that has
been done, with difficult decisions, to support these fishers into the future.
What did the Leader of the Opposition say?
He said on 31 August—my birthday, actually!—that the changes
were unwarranted. He has no respect for the science, for the people in
DPIRD who put this work together, or for the opinions of the peak bodies. He
said that they were unwarranted; that is his view.
Then the member for Vasse stood on
the steps of Parliament just a few weeks ago and said that 80 per cent of
charter operators were looking at pulling up stumps. If she had requested a briefing
on this, she would have known that 50 per cent of charter boat licences have
been inactive for years. This is just more of the misinformation that the
member for Vasse comes in here with and repeats, on any issue. It does not
matter whether the issue is health or fishing; regardless of the issue, she
comes in here and spreads misinformation.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr D.T. PUNCH : This tells us
that not a single member of the opposition has requested a briefing on the
science. They do that deliberately, because they do not want to know the
science and they do not want to know the facts. They just want to go out there
with plausible deniability and spread misinformation. The opposition has
engaged in spreading commentary that has no basis in science or fact and only
serves to discredit the extraordinary work of the Department of Primary Industries
and Regional Development, its internationally recognised scientists, and the
peak bodies. All opposition members want to do is serve political interests by
appealing to grab a few votes. That is what they did in 2010 when they totally
undermined the sustainability of the fishery then, and they are doing it again
today. That is absolutely true.
If members opposite think they are
showing leadership by representing a populist view, ignoring science and
placing the future of this fishery at risk, they are not fit for government and
they should be ashamed. The last thing I want to see is a situation like we had
in South Australia, where the fishery is closed. No-one has an industry in South Australia, with a closed fishery, so I am
calling on the opposition to show some leadership, look at the science ,
and start coming in here and commenting based on fact.
18 months ago, the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council, Recfishwest,
the Marine Tourism Association of WA and the Department of Primary Industries
and Regional Development came to me with a serious problem—our prized
demersal species were under significant threat and we had to halve the
benchmark recovery target for the species to 375 tonnes. That is a serious issue
because it is about the sustainability and
future of a species that is highly prized by fishers on the west coast of Western
Australia . It meant that some hard decisions had to be made, and we made
them; we did not resile from them. They were tough decisions and they were not
popular. They were decisions that were very hard to explain in terms of the science, but the issue is there and the
science is there. In making those decisions, we recognised the need to
support rec fishing, commercial fishing and the charter boat sector into the
future. We put together a $10 million package—a package that is
unprecedented in Australia. We were able to do that thanks to our careful
budget management.
I
was very pleased to be on the water down in Fremantle today with Dr Andrew
Rowland from Recfishwest to confirm
that our $1.5 million package for fish aggregating devices, or FADs, is
underway. That initiative will
provide new recreational opportunities, targeting surface-dwelling fish like
tuna, mahi mahi and marlin . These are really interesting and exciting
fish to fish for, and they provide a good feed as well. We are providing
alternatives and encouraging people, as part of our campaign, to switch their
fish. I am really grateful to Recfishwest, which has undertaken the pilot to
prove this technology up. We have had it in place in the north west, and we
have had some really feedback from there. I recognise the great work that
Recfishwest has done in proving the value of FADs to recreational fishing.
We are putting in place 28 FADs to be
deployed along our coastline from Albany to Geraldton. In winter, they will be
deployed in the northern waters to provide an alternative fishing location in
the north. We are providing funding to the
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to support that program
on an ongoing basis. These are not a passing ''fad''; these are
fish aggregating devices that are there for the future. We intend to increase
the number of them up to 40 to make sure that we have great opportunities for
boat-based recreational fishing and charter operators into the future. We are
really encouraging fishers to switch their fish.
Throughout
this period, I have looked to see whether the opposition would show a single
shred of leadership on an issue that is important to the future of Western
Australia.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr
D.T. PUNCH : I had faith that the
opposition would show some leadership and join us in protecting these species —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, members!
The Minister for Fisheries has the call.
Mr D.T. PUNCH : I expected
members opposite to show some leadership and recognise the hard work that has
been done, with difficult decisions, to support these fishers into the future.
What did the Leader of the Opposition say?
He said on 31 August—my birthday, actually!—that the changes
were unwarranted. He has no respect for the science, for the people in
DPIRD who put this work together, or for the opinions of the peak bodies. He
said that they were unwarranted; that is his view.
Then the member for Vasse stood on
the steps of Parliament just a few weeks ago and said that 80 per cent of
charter operators were looking at pulling up stumps. If she had requested a briefing
on this, she would have known that 50 per cent of charter boat licences have
been inactive for years. This is just more of the misinformation that the
member for Vasse comes in here with and repeats, on any issue. It does not
matter whether the issue is health or fishing; regardless of the issue, she
comes in here and spreads misinformation.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order!
Mr D.T. PUNCH : This tells us
that not a single member of the opposition has requested a briefing on the
science. They do that deliberately, because they do not want to know the
science and they do not want to know the facts. They just want to go out there
with plausible deniability and spread misinformation. The opposition has
engaged in spreading commentary that has no basis in science or fact and only
serves to discredit the extraordinary work of the Department of Primary Industries
and Regional Development, its internationally recognised scientists, and the
peak bodies. All opposition members want to do is serve political interests by
appealing to grab a few votes. That is what they did in 2010 when they totally
undermined the sustainability of the fishery then, and they are doing it again
today. That is absolutely true.
If members opposite think they are
showing leadership by representing a populist view, ignoring science and
placing the future of this fishery at risk, they are not fit for government and
they should be ashamed. The last thing I want to see is a situation like we had
in South Australia, where the fishery is closed. No-one has an industry in South Australia, with a closed fishery, so I am
calling on the opposition to show some leadership, look at the science ,
and start coming in here and commenting based on fact.
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