❓ Hon. Matt Benson-Lidholm questions the Minister for Fisheries regarding the implementation of a fair and equitable allocation procedure for the Western Rock Lobster Fishery's total allowable commercial catch (TACC). The Minister responds that while a formal procedure is not yet developed, the principle is being applied, and no reallocation of existing entitlements has occurred.
AnsweredQoN 842Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN
ROCK LOBSTER FISHERY
842. Hon MATT BENSON-LIDHOLM to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the March 2012 Western Australian government
fisheries policy statement, in which the following point is made —
the underlying principle to be
applied in commercial fisheries allocations is that intra-fishery allocations
are to be as fair and equitable as possible. Importantly, differential economic
impacts of allocations on individual fishers must be minimised, unless there
are reasons justifiable with respect to FRMA legislative objectives (and any
subsequent fisheries legislative objectives) that may dictate otherwise. The WA
Government, in liaison with WAFIC, will develop a procedure in this regard.
(1) Has the procedure been
developed; and, if so, will the minister provide details of the procedure?
(2) If no to (1), when does the
government intend to finalise the procedure?
(3) What
principles of fairness and equity have been observed in determining how the
total allowable commercial catch has been allocated between western rock
lobster fishery unit holders?
(4) Can the minister inform the house under what
circumstances future allocations will be altered?
ROCK LOBSTER FISHERY
842. Hon MATT BENSON-LIDHOLM to the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to the March 2012 Western Australian government
fisheries policy statement, in which the following point is made —
the underlying principle to be
applied in commercial fisheries allocations is that intra-fishery allocations
are to be as fair and equitable as possible. Importantly, differential economic
impacts of allocations on individual fishers must be minimised, unless there
are reasons justifiable with respect to FRMA legislative objectives (and any
subsequent fisheries legislative objectives) that may dictate otherwise. The WA
Government, in liaison with WAFIC, will develop a procedure in this regard.
(1) Has the procedure been
developed; and, if so, will the minister provide details of the procedure?
(2) If no to (1), when does the
government intend to finalise the procedure?
(3) What
principles of fairness and equity have been observed in determining how the
total allowable commercial catch has been allocated between western rock
lobster fishery unit holders?
(4) Can the minister inform the house under what
circumstances future allocations will be altered?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this
question.
(1) Although a
procedure has not been developed at this time, practical application of the
principle set out in the government's fisheries policy statement has
already commenced.
(2) The
Department of Fisheries will liaise with the Western Australian Fishing
Industry Council—WAFIC—about an appropriate time frame for
developing a procedure given the range of current priorities for both the
department and WAFIC.
(3) There
appears to be a misconception that there has been some form of reallocation of
existing units of entitlement as a result of the move to quota. This is not the
case. Under input controls, the catch taken by rock lobster fishers in each
zone was related to the quantity of legally available lobsters in the zone or
zones in which they fished. Under the new quota-based controls, individual
fishers are allocated a share of the TACC for their zone or zones based on unit
holding. The TACC is based on the harvest strategy that ensures the sustainability
of each zone. There has been no change in the allocation of fishing entitlement
in this fishery as the allocation is consistent with the proportion of pot unit
allocations under the former input control system. Zonal TACCs for 2013 are
based on the quantity of legally available lobsters in each zone, the same as
occurred under input controls.
(4) For
individual fishers, there will be no change in their allocation, other than by
commercial transactions. The long-term harvest strategy for the western rock
lobster fishery remains under discussion between the department and the Western
Rock Lobster Council. Sustainable management of the resource in all zones of
the fishery will continue to underpin the TACC setting process. This will
necessitate consideration of differences in breeding stock levels and lobster
abundance in each zone.
question.
(1) Although a
procedure has not been developed at this time, practical application of the
principle set out in the government's fisheries policy statement has
already commenced.
(2) The
Department of Fisheries will liaise with the Western Australian Fishing
Industry Council—WAFIC—about an appropriate time frame for
developing a procedure given the range of current priorities for both the
department and WAFIC.
(3) There
appears to be a misconception that there has been some form of reallocation of
existing units of entitlement as a result of the move to quota. This is not the
case. Under input controls, the catch taken by rock lobster fishers in each
zone was related to the quantity of legally available lobsters in the zone or
zones in which they fished. Under the new quota-based controls, individual
fishers are allocated a share of the TACC for their zone or zones based on unit
holding. The TACC is based on the harvest strategy that ensures the sustainability
of each zone. There has been no change in the allocation of fishing entitlement
in this fishery as the allocation is consistent with the proportion of pot unit
allocations under the former input control system. Zonal TACCs for 2013 are
based on the quantity of legally available lobsters in each zone, the same as
occurred under input controls.
(4) For
individual fishers, there will be no change in their allocation, other than by
commercial transactions. The long-term harvest strategy for the western rock
lobster fishery remains under discussion between the department and the Western
Rock Lobster Council. Sustainable management of the resource in all zones of
the fishery will continue to underpin the TACC setting process. This will
necessitate consideration of differences in breeding stock levels and lobster
abundance in each zone.
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