❓ Hon. Colin de Grussa questions the Minister for Fisheries regarding the $1.5 million expansion of the recreational Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) program, seeking scientific justification for its effectiveness in increasing pelagic fish availability. The Minister's response outlines the program's purpose and refers to a Recfishwest trial.
AnsweredQoN 33Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FISH AGGREGATING DEVICES
33. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the McGowan government's
announcement of $1.5 million to expand the recreational fish aggregating device—FAD—program.
(1) What is the primary purpose of
that funding?
(2) Can the
minister table the scientific advice on which that decision was made,
particularly that FADs lead to a net increase in overall pelagic fish
availability?
33. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the McGowan government's
announcement of $1.5 million to expand the recreational fish aggregating device—FAD—program.
(1) What is the primary purpose of
that funding?
(2) Can the
minister table the scientific advice on which that decision was made,
particularly that FADs lead to a net increase in overall pelagic fish
availability?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Fisheries.
(1) To support
the recovery of demersal fish stocks in the west coast bioregion, the McGowan
government is investing $1.5 million to expand the popular FADs program by an
additional 12 new FADs, bringing the total
to 40 FADs deployed annually across Western Australia to provide alternative
fishing opportunities for recreational fishers.
(2) FADs consist
of buoys or floats that are moored to the ocean floor using an anchor system.
The primary function of a FAD is to attract baitfish, which use the FAD as
shelter and in turn attract pelagic fish. FADs are used widely throughout the
world to concentrate pelagic fish, as it makes them easier to catch.
Recfishwest recently completed a successful multi-year FAD trial across WA and
concluded that a FAD program be adopted as a
permanent and ongoing part of the WA fishing landscape. This FAD trial assessed FAD performance on five factors including ability
to aggregate fish, cost of purchase and logistics, logistical difficulty, holding ability and availability.
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Fisheries.
(1) To support
the recovery of demersal fish stocks in the west coast bioregion, the McGowan
government is investing $1.5 million to expand the popular FADs program by an
additional 12 new FADs, bringing the total
to 40 FADs deployed annually across Western Australia to provide alternative
fishing opportunities for recreational fishers.
(2) FADs consist
of buoys or floats that are moored to the ocean floor using an anchor system.
The primary function of a FAD is to attract baitfish, which use the FAD as
shelter and in turn attract pelagic fish. FADs are used widely throughout the
world to concentrate pelagic fish, as it makes them easier to catch.
Recfishwest recently completed a successful multi-year FAD trial across WA and
concluded that a FAD program be adopted as a
permanent and ongoing part of the WA fishing landscape. This FAD trial assessed FAD performance on five factors including ability
to aggregate fish, cost of purchase and logistics, logistical difficulty, holding ability and availability.
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