❓ The Minister justifies the closure of the metropolitan demersal finfish fishery due to sustainability concerns, citing a report indicating a significant decline in fish stocks. Compensation will be provided to affected fishers, acknowledging the impact of the decision.
AnsweredQoN 758Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WEST COAST DEMERSAL SCALEFISH - MANAGEMENT PLAN
I refer to the announcement made yesterday about the commercial fishing of demersal finfish, which will be excluded from the metropolitan fishing zone from November. (1) How does the minister justify the serious consequences of this decision to the families of the fishers, some of whom have been operating for three generations, without having had prior consultation with them and after providing only six weeks’ notice? (2) Given the suddenness of the announcement, does the minister admit that the decision has been made in panic by a government which has failed to properly monitor and research fish numbers and which is now playing catch-up at the expense of local fishing families? Hon JON FORD
I refer to the announcement made yesterday about the commercial fishing of demersal finfish, which will be excluded from the metropolitan fishing zone from November. (1) How does the minister justify the serious consequences of this decision to the families of the fishers, some of whom have been operating for three generations, without having had prior consultation with them and after providing only six weeks’ notice? (2) Given the suddenness of the announcement, does the minister admit that the decision has been made in panic by a government which has failed to properly monitor and research fish numbers and which is now playing catch-up at the expense of local fishing families? Hon JON FORD
AnswerView source ↗
I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
(1) How does the minister justify the serious consequences of this decision to the families of the fishers, some of whom have been operating for three generations, without having had prior consultation with them and after providing only six weeks’ notice? (2) Given the suddenness of the announcement, does the minister admit that the decision has been made in panic by a government which has failed to properly monitor and research fish numbers and which is now playing catch-up at the expense of local fishing families? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
(2) Given the suddenness of the announcement, does the minister admit that the decision has been made in panic by a government which has failed to properly monitor and research fish numbers and which is now playing catch-up at the expense of local fishing families? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
(1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
(1) How does the minister justify the serious consequences of this decision to the families of the fishers, some of whom have been operating for three generations, without having had prior consultation with them and after providing only six weeks’ notice? (2) Given the suddenness of the announcement, does the minister admit that the decision has been made in panic by a government which has failed to properly monitor and research fish numbers and which is now playing catch-up at the expense of local fishing families? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
(2) Given the suddenness of the announcement, does the minister admit that the decision has been made in panic by a government which has failed to properly monitor and research fish numbers and which is now playing catch-up at the expense of local fishing families? Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
Hon JON FORD replied: I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
I thank Hon Barbara Scott for the question. (1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
(1)-(2) The justification is easy. At relatively short notice I have been given a report, which I tabled earlier today. The report states that if I do not take urgent action, we will lose a whole swag of indicative species, primarily jewfish, baldchin groper, pink snapper, break sea cod and coral trout. In fact, we would see around about a 50 per cent reduction effort off the west coast fishery. The Fish Resources Management Act requires that I take sustainability very seriously. Indeed, it is the first consideration. The act and the direction of this house and the other place stipulate that that is the primary concern. Indeed, it is such a primary concern that I am not required to compensate fishers if I must close a fishery on the basis of sustainability. Luckily, my predecessor to the left of me started a process called the wetline review, which brings the wetline fisheries into direct management. The wetline fisheries are the last of our fisheries to be brought into management. There is currently a latent effort out there of about 1 100 licences, which will be reduced to about 60 or 70 licences. The review process has been going on for about four years and has supplied valuable information that has assisted me to make a decision on how to reduce and mitigate the impact of the decision that we announced yesterday regarding saving the fish off our coast. During the term of the Gallop government, my predecessor recognised the efforts of the recreational sector to halve the bag limits, and supplied personal possession limits to recreational fishers in 2003. In the past three years, we have seen an exponential and unprecedented growth in access to the water through boats and fishermen having access to high-quality technology, including global positioning systems. That ties in with an unprecedented efficiency in fishing. In the past five years, we have developed an equal footing between the recreational and the commercial fishing sectors. They are both fishing at about the same tonnage. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. Notwithstanding what I said about sustainability matters and the government not being required to pay compensation, we recognised that this will have a very serious impact on the people involved. It will affect about 20 wetline fishers and six demersal gill net fishers who target fish-like sharks. We will compensate them. About $5 million of the $7.5 million package that was established following the wetline review will be allocated to compensate those fishers. Notwithstanding that a small number of people will be affected, we take the matter very seriously. The Department of Fisheries has done a fantastic job in keeping up with the technology and the impact of a relatively small transfer of effort from the eastern states, which involves about 250 000 people. I have great faith in our department, which is recognised worldwide as one of the best fish managers. It is very unfortunate that some people will have to suffer. The bottom line is that if we had not taken this urgent action, in five or six years we would have neither a commercial nor a recreational fishery. I congratulate the Department of Fisheries and I make no apologies for carrying out my role, which is to ensure the sustainability of fishing in our oceans.
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Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.