❓ Question on recreational fishing management, focusing on the effectiveness of closed seasons vs. other tools and the risk of demersal finfish extinction. The Minister deflects, criticising the previous government's plan and promising a review.
AnsweredQoN 3Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
RECREATIONAL FISHING MANAGEMENT 3. Hon JON FORD to the Minister for Fisheries: I refer to the minister’s recent media release titled “Minister’s recreational fishing package strikes sustainable balance” that states — The Minister found a strong case to reduce fishing pressure after considering management options made public by the previous government. It quotes the minister as saying — However, I am concerned that the previously proposed closed seasons for recreational fishing may not be the most effective approach, … (1) What fisheries management tool does the minister have that is more effective than stopping people catching fish? (2) Why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal finfish within the west coast bioregion? Hon NORMAN MOORE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
RECREATIONAL FISHING MANAGEMENT
I refer to the minister’s recent media release titled “Minister’s recreational fishing package strikes sustainable balance” that states — The Minister found a strong case to reduce fishing pressure after considering management options made public by the previous government. It quotes the minister as saying — However, I am concerned that the previously proposed closed seasons for recreational fishing may not be the most effective approach, … (1) What fisheries management tool does the minister have that is more effective than stopping people catching fish? (2) Why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal finfish within the west coast bioregion? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
(2) Why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal finfish within the west coast bioregion? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
(1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
RECREATIONAL FISHING MANAGEMENT
I refer to the minister’s recent media release titled “Minister’s recreational fishing package strikes sustainable balance” that states — The Minister found a strong case to reduce fishing pressure after considering management options made public by the previous government. It quotes the minister as saying — However, I am concerned that the previously proposed closed seasons for recreational fishing may not be the most effective approach, … (1) What fisheries management tool does the minister have that is more effective than stopping people catching fish? (2) Why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal finfish within the west coast bioregion? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
(2) Why is the minister prepared to risk the extinction of at-risk demersal finfish within the west coast bioregion? Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
Hon NORMAN MOORE replied: (1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
(1)-(2) Perhaps I could ask the previous Minister for Fisheries why he ignored the department’s advice on his proposal for the so-called saving of the demersal fishery. The situation that would have been created by the previous government’s decision to stop people catching those five fish species would have resulted in the shark population of Western Australia being overfed, because when people catch fish, the hook does not differentiate between the fish that get hooked and those that do not. Therefore, when people go fishing for demersal fish, they may well catch the vulnerable five fish species. When those fish are brought to the surface, they are then required to be thrown back again because they are the vulnerable five fish. The former minister knows about barotrauma, and he would know that most of those fish, particularly dhufish, would die. They are thrown back into the water and feed the sharks. If that is what the former minister had in mind, I suggest that that is the wrong way to go. We are carrying out a very in-depth analysis of the situation that we have inherited. Once the review has been undertaken, I will take whatever actions are necessary to make sure that that fishery is kept in very good health. I think there are many options, other than the one that the previous government brought in, that can achieve that.
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