❓ The Minister for Fisheries outlines measures taken to support the WA rock lobster and recreational fishing industries under the COVID-19 recovery plan, including increased seasons, quota adjustments, back-of-boat sales, and investment in recreational fishing projects.
AnsweredQoN 680Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FISHERIES —
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
680. Mr
M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $5.5 billion COVID-19 recovery plan, which includes measures
and investments to support jobs in both our recreational and commercial fishing
industries.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the measures that this government has taken to
support those working in the Western Australian rock lobster industry?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's $6 million
investment in recreational fishing projects is supporting local jobs and local
businesses?
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
680. Mr
M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $5.5 billion COVID-19 recovery plan, which includes measures
and investments to support jobs in both our recreational and commercial fishing
industries.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the measures that this government has taken to
support those working in the Western Australian rock lobster industry?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's $6 million
investment in recreational fishing projects is supporting local jobs and local
businesses?
AnswerView source ↗
Mr Speaker!
Mr D.C. Nalder : No-one else
is going to jump up.
Mr P.C. TINLEY : I do not see
anyone else jumping up.
Mr R.H. Cook : You got the
call; well done!
Mr P.C. TINLEY : Thank you;
thank you very much. You are all weak!
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question and for his commitment to safe ocean use and
his work with local volunteer organisations in his electorate. Because of the
McGowan government's approach to a hard border, we have all seen the
economic benefits. Our economy is unfettered and is back up and running as much
as it can be in the current circumstances, unlike the economies of New South
Wales and Victoria, which have a stutter approach to it all because of
unfortunate reinfections. Since COVID-19 hit, we have been doing everything we
can to work with the industry to assist and to navigate through these difficult
times. The first industry that was hit in my area was the lobster industry. It
suffered a 95 per cent drop in the market, particularly because it had a single
market focus with China for its product. As a result, we have worked with the
rock lobster industry and, of course, with the recreational fishing industry,
which itself provides nearly $2.4 billion worth of economic activity, and
because those who operate in both the commercial
and recreational sides of the industry are able to go out and use the ocean, we
are assisting them make a contribution to the community and economy. As
a result, both a social and economic contribution is being made. We have increased the season for the lobster industry to
18 months and brought forward the quota, and we have taken measures to
minimise whale interactions at the appropriate time throughout that period.
Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to join the western rock lobster industry
to open back-of-boat sales, which is a process by which commercial fishers of
lobster are allowed to sell off the back of their boats, directly to the
public. That means that 100 lobsters per boat per trip can be sold off the boat
straight to the market. That means that more than 2 000 lobsters a fishing day
can be released into the domestic market. It also allows restaurants that are
not registered receivers to make relationships with the skippers of boats so
that they can have a continuity of supply at a guaranteed price. It also means
that you and I can go to the dock on any given day and purchase a lobster
directly from the boat. It cannot get much fresher than that! I had the great
pleasure to taste some of that yesterday when we were down there.
It is with pleasure that I thank the
Western Rock Lobster Council and its CEO, Matt Taylor, who has been a great
supporter of the government, in its endeavours to ensure that the government is
connected to the industry and listens to it, and to make sure that we meet the
need as required in these very difficult times.
It was also a pleasure to join the
Premier in Hillarys recently to launch the $6 million Recreational Fishing
Initiatives Fund support package for recreational fishing. Hundreds of
thousands of people go out onto the ocean, rivers and estuaries of Western Australia
and enjoy the 12 500-kilometre Western Australian coastline and all that it has
to provide through both that social interaction with each other and, of course,
in communing with nature. Again, that has been made possible only through the
McGowan's approach to a hard border and keeping everyone safe. More
than $2 billion worth of economic activity will be provided to the recreational
fishing industry and the $6 million fund will do things such as allow for the
installation of artificial reefs. One is going in in Albany soon.
The SPEAKER : Hear, hear!
Mr
P.C. TINLEY : There will be one in
the north metro and a couple on the north and west coasts of Western Australia. They will make a great contribution, along
with our snapper guardians initiative. We will be releasing hundreds of thousands of pink snapper into the Cockburn Sound
nursery and a million barramundi will be going into Lake Kununurra very
soon. It is these sorts of McGowan government initiatives that give people as
much opportunity as possible to get into the natural environment and to support
the industry and jobs.
As the fisheries minister, it is my
great ambition to make sure you keep your lines wet and your rods bent!
The SPEAKER : Yes, I think
that is okay. I will not put too much thought into it!
Mr D.C. Nalder : No-one else
is going to jump up.
Mr P.C. TINLEY : I do not see
anyone else jumping up.
Mr R.H. Cook : You got the
call; well done!
Mr P.C. TINLEY : Thank you;
thank you very much. You are all weak!
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question and for his commitment to safe ocean use and
his work with local volunteer organisations in his electorate. Because of the
McGowan government's approach to a hard border, we have all seen the
economic benefits. Our economy is unfettered and is back up and running as much
as it can be in the current circumstances, unlike the economies of New South
Wales and Victoria, which have a stutter approach to it all because of
unfortunate reinfections. Since COVID-19 hit, we have been doing everything we
can to work with the industry to assist and to navigate through these difficult
times. The first industry that was hit in my area was the lobster industry. It
suffered a 95 per cent drop in the market, particularly because it had a single
market focus with China for its product. As a result, we have worked with the
rock lobster industry and, of course, with the recreational fishing industry,
which itself provides nearly $2.4 billion worth of economic activity, and
because those who operate in both the commercial
and recreational sides of the industry are able to go out and use the ocean, we
are assisting them make a contribution to the community and economy. As
a result, both a social and economic contribution is being made. We have increased the season for the lobster industry to
18 months and brought forward the quota, and we have taken measures to
minimise whale interactions at the appropriate time throughout that period.
Yesterday, I had the great pleasure to join the western rock lobster industry
to open back-of-boat sales, which is a process by which commercial fishers of
lobster are allowed to sell off the back of their boats, directly to the
public. That means that 100 lobsters per boat per trip can be sold off the boat
straight to the market. That means that more than 2 000 lobsters a fishing day
can be released into the domestic market. It also allows restaurants that are
not registered receivers to make relationships with the skippers of boats so
that they can have a continuity of supply at a guaranteed price. It also means
that you and I can go to the dock on any given day and purchase a lobster
directly from the boat. It cannot get much fresher than that! I had the great
pleasure to taste some of that yesterday when we were down there.
It is with pleasure that I thank the
Western Rock Lobster Council and its CEO, Matt Taylor, who has been a great
supporter of the government, in its endeavours to ensure that the government is
connected to the industry and listens to it, and to make sure that we meet the
need as required in these very difficult times.
It was also a pleasure to join the
Premier in Hillarys recently to launch the $6 million Recreational Fishing
Initiatives Fund support package for recreational fishing. Hundreds of
thousands of people go out onto the ocean, rivers and estuaries of Western Australia
and enjoy the 12 500-kilometre Western Australian coastline and all that it has
to provide through both that social interaction with each other and, of course,
in communing with nature. Again, that has been made possible only through the
McGowan's approach to a hard border and keeping everyone safe. More
than $2 billion worth of economic activity will be provided to the recreational
fishing industry and the $6 million fund will do things such as allow for the
installation of artificial reefs. One is going in in Albany soon.
The SPEAKER : Hear, hear!
Mr
P.C. TINLEY : There will be one in
the north metro and a couple on the north and west coasts of Western Australia. They will make a great contribution, along
with our snapper guardians initiative. We will be releasing hundreds of thousands of pink snapper into the Cockburn Sound
nursery and a million barramundi will be going into Lake Kununurra very
soon. It is these sorts of McGowan government initiatives that give people as
much opportunity as possible to get into the natural environment and to support
the industry and jobs.
As the fisheries minister, it is my
great ambition to make sure you keep your lines wet and your rods bent!
The SPEAKER : Yes, I think
that is okay. I will not put too much thought into it!
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