❓ Question regarding the possibility of banning imported frozen pilchards to prevent future fish kills, following a previous incident in Port Lincoln. The Minister acknowledges the potential link and expresses willingness to ban if legally permissible.
AnsweredQoN 1121Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to a question asked and answered on 23 November on the Port Lincoln pilchard kills. The question asked what the Department of Fisheries considered to be the most plausible cause of the fish kills. The answer was that it was either imported frozen pilchards or ballast water, but the most likely source was identified as frozen pilchards. The minister replied that he would encourage users not to import frozen pilchards. Is the minister able to ban the use of frozen pilchards; and, if so, will he do so, as that would basically eliminate any future problems? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
That is probably a question of law, so I can give only a qualified view. My qualified view is that if the circumstances were so clearly demonstrated as to establish a clear link or even a clear potential link between disease transfer and the importation of pilchards for a purpose, a ban would probably be possible. However, that is a layman’s view and I would need to take advice on that. As to whether I would ban the use of frozen pilchards if I could, the answer is undoubtedly yes. No minister would put the health of his fishery at risk if there were a linkage between the importation of frozen pilchards and disease.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: That is probably a question of law, so I can give only a qualified view. My qualified view is that if the circumstances were so clearly demonstrated as to establish a clear link or even a clear potential link between disease transfer and the importation of pilchards for a purpose, a ban would probably be possible. However, that is a layman’s view and I would need to take advice on that. As to whether I would ban the use of frozen pilchards if I could, the answer is undoubtedly yes. No minister would put the health of his fishery at risk if there were a linkage between the importation of frozen pilchards and disease.
That is probably a question of law, so I can give only a qualified view. My qualified view is that if the circumstances were so clearly demonstrated as to establish a clear link or even a clear potential link between disease transfer and the importation of pilchards for a purpose, a ban would probably be possible. However, that is a layman’s view and I would need to take advice on that. As to whether I would ban the use of frozen pilchards if I could, the answer is undoubtedly yes. No minister would put the health of his fishery at risk if there were a linkage between the importation of frozen pilchards and disease.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: That is probably a question of law, so I can give only a qualified view. My qualified view is that if the circumstances were so clearly demonstrated as to establish a clear link or even a clear potential link between disease transfer and the importation of pilchards for a purpose, a ban would probably be possible. However, that is a layman’s view and I would need to take advice on that. As to whether I would ban the use of frozen pilchards if I could, the answer is undoubtedly yes. No minister would put the health of his fishery at risk if there were a linkage between the importation of frozen pilchards and disease.
That is probably a question of law, so I can give only a qualified view. My qualified view is that if the circumstances were so clearly demonstrated as to establish a clear link or even a clear potential link between disease transfer and the importation of pilchards for a purpose, a ban would probably be possible. However, that is a layman’s view and I would need to take advice on that. As to whether I would ban the use of frozen pilchards if I could, the answer is undoubtedly yes. No minister would put the health of his fishery at risk if there were a linkage between the importation of frozen pilchards and disease.
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