❓ The WA government is closing the northern shark fishery due to sustainability concerns, but will open a new fishery targeting black tip shark and grey mackerel, while addressing by-catch issues and negotiating with the Northern Territory.
AnsweredQoN 614Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SHARK AND MACKEREL FISHERIES - CLOSURE
The government is about to close, or has already closed to local commercial fishermen, access to the shark and mackerel fisheries in the north west or waters under dual state and commonwealth jurisdiction, due to over-exploitation of these managed fisheries. Given that this over-exploitation has been caused by illegal fishermen, not by licensed fishermen in these managed fisheries, will the government compensate those fishermen whose licences to fish have been taken from them because of circumstances beyond their control? Hon JON FORD
The government is about to close, or has already closed to local commercial fishermen, access to the shark and mackerel fisheries in the north west or waters under dual state and commonwealth jurisdiction, due to over-exploitation of these managed fisheries. Given that this over-exploitation has been caused by illegal fishermen, not by licensed fishermen in these managed fisheries, will the government compensate those fishermen whose licences to fish have been taken from them because of circumstances beyond their control? Hon JON FORD
AnswerView source ↗
The honourable member might have to clarify this. Are we talking about the joint managed fishery? Hon Bruce Donaldson : Yes. Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
Hon JON FORD replied: The honourable member might have to clarify this. Are we talking about the joint managed fishery? Hon Bruce Donaldson : Yes. Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
The honourable member might have to clarify this. Are we talking about the joint managed fishery? Hon Bruce Donaldson : Yes. Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
Hon Bruce Donaldson : Yes. Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
Hon JON FORD replied: The honourable member might have to clarify this. Are we talking about the joint managed fishery? Hon Bruce Donaldson : Yes. Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
The honourable member might have to clarify this. Are we talking about the joint managed fishery? Hon Bruce Donaldson : Yes. Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
Hon Bruce Donaldson : Yes. Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
Hon JON FORD : That is from the border to Cape Leveque. I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
I had some discussions with those licence holders the other evening, to discuss the management options. In the end, we agreed that we would abandon targeting pelagic species of shark. We will develop a new targeted fishery for black tip shark and grey mackerel. In effect, although we will close the remainder of that fishery, when that is done we will actually open up a new management plan that takes the targeting to the black tip shark and the grey mackerel. I will make recommendations to that effect to my commonwealth colleague. I am on the public record as saying that there is no future for the northern shark fishery, and I firmly believe that to be the case at this stage based on the information available. Nobody can provide any evidence that the pelagic shark fishery is sustainable. There are also some issues to be resolved about the black tip shark. It is a good species to target because it breeds much quicker and is a flesh shark, and, consequently, the whole body can be used. It is typically a fish and chip shark. To target the black fin shark in a viable way, a pelagic gill net must be used at night. That creates a mammal by-catch issue, particularly for dolphins. During the day dolphins can see gill nets and swim around them; however, at night they are either asleep or in a trance and float into the nets. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we will work out an observer program and some mitigation measures with the licence holders to minimise that problem and keep that fishery operating. In addition, we have begun negotiations with the Northern Territory government to see whether we can adjust our whole approach to fisheries because, as members know, fish do not see borders. We will see what can be done to have that policy spread across the top of Australia. However, at the Sydney meeting of the Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and commonwealth fisheries ministers, Kon Vatskalis, the Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, raised that proposition because that fishery is under pressure, given the $220 million adjustment scheme recently announced to be made available for other fishermen in the future. The commonwealth did not agree with him. However, I understand that at that point we did not know the direction we were taking. I dare say there will be much more discussion down the track. That action is being taken to make sure those people stay in work and we will keep a very close eye on the situation.
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