❓ Hon. Colin de Grussa questions the Minister for Fisheries regarding the unsustainable status of whitebait stocks in the west coast bioregion and its impact on fish stocks and overall sustainability. The Minister outlines monitoring, management actions, and future reviews.
AnsweredQoN 679Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FISHERIES — WHITEBAIT STOCKS
679. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to the Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western
Australia 2020/21: State of the fisheries , which indicates that
whitebait stocks from within the west coast bioregion are ''unsustainable–inadequate''.
(1) In view of
the stock assessment in 2018 already indicating a risk rating of ''severe''
for whitebait and the subsequent findings of the 2020–21 status report,
what studies have been undertaken to determine the impact of such significantly
low stocks of whitebait on —
(a) fish stocks that feed on
whitebait and fish stocks overall; and
(b) the overall sustainability of the
west coast bioregion?
(2) What management activities have been undertaken to
rebuild whitebait stocks to sustainable levels since 2018?
(3) In the event that no studies have been undertaken
or management activities set in place, why have they not?
679. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I
refer to the Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western
Australia 2020/21: State of the fisheries , which indicates that
whitebait stocks from within the west coast bioregion are ''unsustainable–inadequate''.
(1) In view of
the stock assessment in 2018 already indicating a risk rating of ''severe''
for whitebait and the subsequent findings of the 2020–21 status report,
what studies have been undertaken to determine the impact of such significantly
low stocks of whitebait on —
(a) fish stocks that feed on
whitebait and fish stocks overall; and
(b) the overall sustainability of the
west coast bioregion?
(2) What management activities have been undertaken to
rebuild whitebait stocks to sustainable levels since 2018?
(3) In the event that no studies have been undertaken
or management activities set in place, why have they not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Fisheries.
(1) (a) The
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development monitors the stocks
of key indicator species, including Australian herring, which predate on
whitebait. The latest herring stock assessment indicates this species has fully
recovered following management actions taken in 2015.
(b) The latest Status
reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2020/21 reported that 98 per cent of the state's fish stocks were not at risk
from fishing. Within the west coast region, both whitebait and garfish are
classified as being environmentally limited.
(2) Based on the
2018 assessment, in July 2019, following extensive consultation with industry,
DPIRD implemented a closed season to reduce the catch of whitebait by 50 per
cent.
(3) The current
management settings for whitebait will be reviewed following the next whitebait
stock assessment scheduled for 2023.
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Fisheries.
(1) (a) The
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development monitors the stocks
of key indicator species, including Australian herring, which predate on
whitebait. The latest herring stock assessment indicates this species has fully
recovered following management actions taken in 2015.
(b) The latest Status
reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2020/21 reported that 98 per cent of the state's fish stocks were not at risk
from fishing. Within the west coast region, both whitebait and garfish are
classified as being environmentally limited.
(2) Based on the
2018 assessment, in July 2019, following extensive consultation with industry,
DPIRD implemented a closed season to reduce the catch of whitebait by 50 per
cent.
(3) The current
management settings for whitebait will be reviewed following the next whitebait
stock assessment scheduled for 2023.
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