❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the Shark Bay prawn fishery management, specifically concerning headrope reduction, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, and prawn stock levels. The Minister's response defends the management decisions and their alignment with sustainability goals.
AnsweredQoN 1392Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SHARK BAY PRAWN FISHERY
1392. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the management
arrangements that apply to the harvesting of prawns within the Shark Bay
managed fishery.
(1) What communication was undertaken with the Marine
Stewardship Council, which has certified the Shark Bay prawn fishery as
sustainable based on spatial and temporal closures, before implementing the
headrope reduction?
(2) Why is
third party accreditation by MSC of any value when the Department of Primary
Industries and Regional Development has reduced the effective size of the
fishery by 50 per cent?
(3) Does DPIRD
have the resources to properly manage an MSC-certified fishery in accordance
with the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act?
(4) How is a reduction
of 50 per cent warranted when survey results have indicated that western king
prawn numbers in 2023 are equivalent to some of the highest numbers seen in the
fishery?
1392. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the management
arrangements that apply to the harvesting of prawns within the Shark Bay
managed fishery.
(1) What communication was undertaken with the Marine
Stewardship Council, which has certified the Shark Bay prawn fishery as
sustainable based on spatial and temporal closures, before implementing the
headrope reduction?
(2) Why is
third party accreditation by MSC of any value when the Department of Primary
Industries and Regional Development has reduced the effective size of the
fishery by 50 per cent?
(3) Does DPIRD
have the resources to properly manage an MSC-certified fishery in accordance
with the objects of the Fish Resources Management Act?
(4) How is a reduction
of 50 per cent warranted when survey results have indicated that western king
prawn numbers in 2023 are equivalent to some of the highest numbers seen in the
fishery?
AnswerView source ↗
On behalf of the parliamentary secretary representing the
Minister for Fisheries, I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question. The following answer has been provided by the Minister for Fisheries.
(1) The
implementation of the 50 per cent headrope reduction was taken in accordance
with the Shark Bay prawn harvest strategy, which is a requirement of MSC
certification. There is no requirement to consult with MSC prior to management
decisions being taken.
(2) The government's response to addressing
sustainability concerns are independent of the MSC accreditation process. The MSC certification process is a quality standard that acknowledges
high standards of sustainability management.
(3) Yes.
(4) The catch of western king prawns in 2023 is
expected to be well below average, with some improvement in prawn recruitment following management measures
introduced at the beginning of the year. The 50 per cent headrope
reduction is required to effectively manage the power of the fleet and
associated impacts on the stock without the need for ongoing restrictive
spatial and temporal management controls.
Minister for Fisheries, I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question. The following answer has been provided by the Minister for Fisheries.
(1) The
implementation of the 50 per cent headrope reduction was taken in accordance
with the Shark Bay prawn harvest strategy, which is a requirement of MSC
certification. There is no requirement to consult with MSC prior to management
decisions being taken.
(2) The government's response to addressing
sustainability concerns are independent of the MSC accreditation process. The MSC certification process is a quality standard that acknowledges
high standards of sustainability management.
(3) Yes.
(4) The catch of western king prawns in 2023 is
expected to be well below average, with some improvement in prawn recruitment following management measures
introduced at the beginning of the year. The 50 per cent headrope
reduction is required to effectively manage the power of the fleet and
associated impacts on the stock without the need for ongoing restrictive
spatial and temporal management controls.
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