❓ Question regarding environmental damage caused by illegal fishing in WA's north west. The answer highlights the severity of the issue, particularly dolphin deaths, and criticises the federal government's inaction despite budget increases.
AnsweredQoN 475Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ILLEGAL FISHING - NORTH WEST WATERS
Can the minister representing the Minister for Fisheries inform the Parliament of the environmental damage being caused in our state’s north west by illegal fishing? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER
Can the minister representing the Minister for Fisheries inform the Parliament of the environmental damage being caused in our state’s north west by illegal fishing? Mr J.J.M. BOWLER
AnswerView source ↗
I can tell the member for Kimberley that there is no doubt that illegal fishing off the northern part of this state’s coast is an unmitigated disaster. The member is well aware of that. Even in my own electorate, which is virtually land locked, and in electorates such as the member for Merredin’s, which is also land locked, people are just as concerned as the constituents of those members who have coastal towns and coastal communities in their electorates; it is a statewide concern. The Minister for Fisheries, Hon Jon Ford, recently asked his department to undertake an assessment of the illegal catches off Western Australia. The assessment has produced some shocking and alarming figures. On the front page of today’s The West Australian is a photograph of a dolphin being taken by an illegal fisher off our coast. I understand that the figures show that an estimated 3 650 dolphins are being killed illegally off our coast each year. Last Christmas I had the pleasure of being at Preston Beach with the member for Collie-Wellington. Five of my boys were there with me on holidays. They were out in the water when suddenly there was a bit of a commotion 50 metres down the beach. A dolphin was swimming among the boys and girls. I have never seen anything like it in my life. A lady who had lived at Preston Beach all her life was there, and she said that she had never seen a dolphin come among swimmers like that. Luckily, the boys and girls did not try to touch the dolphin. For about 15 minutes - the member for Collie-Wellington can attest to this - that dolphin swam around the kids. It was within touching distance, but, luckily, the kids did not try to touch it. It was a magical moment. One dolphin produced a magical moment in their lives. I can tell the house that all of us thought it was fantastic, yet 3 650 dolphins are being killed every year. What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I can tell the member for Kimberley that there is no doubt that illegal fishing off the northern part of this state’s coast is an unmitigated disaster. The member is well aware of that. Even in my own electorate, which is virtually land locked, and in electorates such as the member for Merredin’s, which is also land locked, people are just as concerned as the constituents of those members who have coastal towns and coastal communities in their electorates; it is a statewide concern. The Minister for Fisheries, Hon Jon Ford, recently asked his department to undertake an assessment of the illegal catches off Western Australia. The assessment has produced some shocking and alarming figures. On the front page of today’s The West Australian is a photograph of a dolphin being taken by an illegal fisher off our coast. I understand that the figures show that an estimated 3 650 dolphins are being killed illegally off our coast each year. Last Christmas I had the pleasure of being at Preston Beach with the member for Collie-Wellington. Five of my boys were there with me on holidays. They were out in the water when suddenly there was a bit of a commotion 50 metres down the beach. A dolphin was swimming among the boys and girls. I have never seen anything like it in my life. A lady who had lived at Preston Beach all her life was there, and she said that she had never seen a dolphin come among swimmers like that. Luckily, the boys and girls did not try to touch the dolphin. For about 15 minutes - the member for Collie-Wellington can attest to this - that dolphin swam around the kids. It was within touching distance, but, luckily, the kids did not try to touch it. It was a magical moment. One dolphin produced a magical moment in their lives. I can tell the house that all of us thought it was fantastic, yet 3 650 dolphins are being killed every year. What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
I can tell the member for Kimberley that there is no doubt that illegal fishing off the northern part of this state’s coast is an unmitigated disaster. The member is well aware of that. Even in my own electorate, which is virtually land locked, and in electorates such as the member for Merredin’s, which is also land locked, people are just as concerned as the constituents of those members who have coastal towns and coastal communities in their electorates; it is a statewide concern. The Minister for Fisheries, Hon Jon Ford, recently asked his department to undertake an assessment of the illegal catches off Western Australia. The assessment has produced some shocking and alarming figures. On the front page of today’s The West Australian is a photograph of a dolphin being taken by an illegal fisher off our coast. I understand that the figures show that an estimated 3 650 dolphins are being killed illegally off our coast each year. Last Christmas I had the pleasure of being at Preston Beach with the member for Collie-Wellington. Five of my boys were there with me on holidays. They were out in the water when suddenly there was a bit of a commotion 50 metres down the beach. A dolphin was swimming among the boys and girls. I have never seen anything like it in my life. A lady who had lived at Preston Beach all her life was there, and she said that she had never seen a dolphin come among swimmers like that. Luckily, the boys and girls did not try to touch the dolphin. For about 15 minutes - the member for Collie-Wellington can attest to this - that dolphin swam around the kids. It was within touching distance, but, luckily, the kids did not try to touch it. It was a magical moment. One dolphin produced a magical moment in their lives. I can tell the house that all of us thought it was fantastic, yet 3 650 dolphins are being killed every year. What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
Last Christmas I had the pleasure of being at Preston Beach with the member for Collie-Wellington. Five of my boys were there with me on holidays. They were out in the water when suddenly there was a bit of a commotion 50 metres down the beach. A dolphin was swimming among the boys and girls. I have never seen anything like it in my life. A lady who had lived at Preston Beach all her life was there, and she said that she had never seen a dolphin come among swimmers like that. Luckily, the boys and girls did not try to touch the dolphin. For about 15 minutes - the member for Collie-Wellington can attest to this - that dolphin swam around the kids. It was within touching distance, but, luckily, the kids did not try to touch it. It was a magical moment. One dolphin produced a magical moment in their lives. I can tell the house that all of us thought it was fantastic, yet 3 650 dolphins are being killed every year. What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
Mr J.J.M. BOWLER replied: I can tell the member for Kimberley that there is no doubt that illegal fishing off the northern part of this state’s coast is an unmitigated disaster. The member is well aware of that. Even in my own electorate, which is virtually land locked, and in electorates such as the member for Merredin’s, which is also land locked, people are just as concerned as the constituents of those members who have coastal towns and coastal communities in their electorates; it is a statewide concern. The Minister for Fisheries, Hon Jon Ford, recently asked his department to undertake an assessment of the illegal catches off Western Australia. The assessment has produced some shocking and alarming figures. On the front page of today’s The West Australian is a photograph of a dolphin being taken by an illegal fisher off our coast. I understand that the figures show that an estimated 3 650 dolphins are being killed illegally off our coast each year. Last Christmas I had the pleasure of being at Preston Beach with the member for Collie-Wellington. Five of my boys were there with me on holidays. They were out in the water when suddenly there was a bit of a commotion 50 metres down the beach. A dolphin was swimming among the boys and girls. I have never seen anything like it in my life. A lady who had lived at Preston Beach all her life was there, and she said that she had never seen a dolphin come among swimmers like that. Luckily, the boys and girls did not try to touch the dolphin. For about 15 minutes - the member for Collie-Wellington can attest to this - that dolphin swam around the kids. It was within touching distance, but, luckily, the kids did not try to touch it. It was a magical moment. One dolphin produced a magical moment in their lives. I can tell the house that all of us thought it was fantastic, yet 3 650 dolphins are being killed every year. What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
I can tell the member for Kimberley that there is no doubt that illegal fishing off the northern part of this state’s coast is an unmitigated disaster. The member is well aware of that. Even in my own electorate, which is virtually land locked, and in electorates such as the member for Merredin’s, which is also land locked, people are just as concerned as the constituents of those members who have coastal towns and coastal communities in their electorates; it is a statewide concern. The Minister for Fisheries, Hon Jon Ford, recently asked his department to undertake an assessment of the illegal catches off Western Australia. The assessment has produced some shocking and alarming figures. On the front page of today’s The West Australian is a photograph of a dolphin being taken by an illegal fisher off our coast. I understand that the figures show that an estimated 3 650 dolphins are being killed illegally off our coast each year. Last Christmas I had the pleasure of being at Preston Beach with the member for Collie-Wellington. Five of my boys were there with me on holidays. They were out in the water when suddenly there was a bit of a commotion 50 metres down the beach. A dolphin was swimming among the boys and girls. I have never seen anything like it in my life. A lady who had lived at Preston Beach all her life was there, and she said that she had never seen a dolphin come among swimmers like that. Luckily, the boys and girls did not try to touch the dolphin. For about 15 minutes - the member for Collie-Wellington can attest to this - that dolphin swam around the kids. It was within touching distance, but, luckily, the kids did not try to touch it. It was a magical moment. One dolphin produced a magical moment in their lives. I can tell the house that all of us thought it was fantastic, yet 3 650 dolphins are being killed every year. What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
Last Christmas I had the pleasure of being at Preston Beach with the member for Collie-Wellington. Five of my boys were there with me on holidays. They were out in the water when suddenly there was a bit of a commotion 50 metres down the beach. A dolphin was swimming among the boys and girls. I have never seen anything like it in my life. A lady who had lived at Preston Beach all her life was there, and she said that she had never seen a dolphin come among swimmers like that. Luckily, the boys and girls did not try to touch the dolphin. For about 15 minutes - the member for Collie-Wellington can attest to this - that dolphin swam around the kids. It was within touching distance, but, luckily, the kids did not try to touch it. It was a magical moment. One dolphin produced a magical moment in their lives. I can tell the house that all of us thought it was fantastic, yet 3 650 dolphins are being killed every year. What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
What is the federal government doing about it? In the last federal budget, the federal government announced a considerable increase in the budget to counteract illegal fishing. However, since then we have not seen any timetables for the number of boats that will be built, when they will be built and when they will start operations. It has been a year now and we still do not know. The federal government has a lot to answer for. The current federal minister is an improvement on the previous minister, who was sacked because of his inaction. However, sadly, all the indications are that the current minister has his foot on the hose, just like his predecessor, and nothing is happening. It is a shame. Every day we wait, an estimated 10 dolphins are killed off our coast.
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