Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 9:05:17 to 9:14:28
Addressing the spatial squeeze between offshore wind farms and managed fisheries, including stock health assessments and resource certainty.
Topics: Fisheries, Renewable energy, Marine parks
Speakers: Speaker 8, Speaker 4, Speaker 12, Speaker 14, Uh The, Speaker 1, Speaker 24
process early on. >> So just a couple more things. So are you also looking at the so when you're looking at the impact on on the fishing industry, are you looking at the changes that will have to happen in terms of importing of seafood into Australia >> because the local markets that might
have dried up to that question? really just as kind of conveying with Senator Colbec, it's the foregone catch and the value of that foregone catch from those areas.
>> So, Minister, there's probably a question for you. Um, you you've got a declaration like this 30 by 30 increasing marine parks, limiting the space that fishes can fish in. And then you've got other programs like offshore wind that have exclusion zones around them. You know, a 500 meter exclusion, but each each wind turbine is a kilometer apart. So that means you've then got, you know, a good 30 odd kilometers. You know, you got significant exclusion to uh regions that are otherwise productive for for fishes. Um is the government trying to squeeze out fishing industry in Australia? I mean what why why is the government taking these sort of steps to impact upon fishes that and and both recreational and and uh and commercial?
Thank you for your question, Senator, and just uh uh listening to uh your conversation there, I can say uh that the minister does meet uh with the fishing industry quite regularly. Uh and we certainly are not about diminishing uh fishing opportunities, especially for those whether they're out your way in the west or my way up in the north or even over this way in the east. Uh that is certainly not the case.
Senator, if I could add to >> Can I just ask one question of a and you'll know the answer to this. Is there a fishery Commonwealth fishery that's overfished or subject to over fishing at
the moment? >> Uh yeah, there's a there's a handful. Um I can dig them out if you like, but there's a there's a small number. I know
where to go and find it, but I'm just interested in the But most of them are
um
>> most >> Yeah, most are um either not subject to over fishing or or not overfished. Uh and most of the ones that are overfished. It's a historic kind of uh >> so they're in recovery >> issue. They're in recovery or for some of them are struggling to recover, but uh it's it's a whole other topic. Yeah, most >> uh most are are not overfished and not
not subject to got the numbers if you like. So the latest report although there's a bit of a step change in timing. So um but we had of the 56 stocks assessed 47 stocks were not subject to over fishing. 38 stocks were not overfished. 37 of those were both not overfished and not subject to over fishing. Um and we had only the two stocks that were subject to over fishing and four stocks that were overfished. But there's only one that fit in that last category that you mentioned of both overfished and subject to over fishing.
>> Oh, I've got a funny feeling. It's an IOTC stock. Yeah, I think it's stripe maron from memory. Let me have a look. >> Yeah. Uh it's it's stripe maron in the on the west. So international fish stock. Um Australia is a very small share of catch.
>> So the stuff that >> is within our waters and we manage ourselves within our waters >> are all in pretty good shape. And I mean the other international one that's is a great news story is SBC which is very >> um made an extraordinary recovery over
the last 10 years. >> I have to say Senator thank you because you're mostly the only other person in this room who knows what all those categories mean. So
>> it's true. That's true. Anyway, I'll put I'll put those other questions to to K.
>> Sorry. >> Sorry. I was just going to add to the minister's comments and and your comments. It's what we call refer to as the marine spatial squeeze. This pressure on um on on marine space um and there is increasing pressure and demand for marine space. I think you'd absolutely acknowledge that. Um we're certainly um focused on it and um we h there is a piece of work the futures of seafood work um that's an initiative of seafood industry Australia and led by the blue economy C blue economy CRC as well um and we've contributed the Australian government sorry has contributed $450,000 to that project uh $250,000 from the department and 200 from DQ um as well and there's further investment that's been supported by FR RDC on that. So, it's a I think to to just acknowledge your comments. Um, we take them really seriously. We take the the challenge really seriously and certainly we're focused on through that project acknowledging those pressures and thinking about how we can deliver
greater resource certainty. >> The point is we do it really well. >> We do, >> you know, the the data shows that we do it really well >> and so the need to go excluding for a campaign purpose or for a rationale that >> we can't explain somebody maybe can maybe can and DQ maybe but >> the ev the evidence shows that >> the evidence doesn't show the need
>> for that the managed fishery is much more science-based and evidence-based than than just having lines on the map
>> acknowledge we we we should spend more time acknowledging what we do well and getting other countries to do the same sort of thing rather than trying to take more away from our guys and limiting our
capacity. >> And and again, I'd just um echo your comments. I think we would we would argue our fisheries are managed incredibly well. You'll hear from Athma later this evening who is uh a very a very um uh sophisticated regular regulator of our commercial fish comwalth commercial fisheries but also it is a focus of ours and um my colleagues um work on the international um fisheries forums and our expertise and um and the level of sophistication in our management in Australia is
acknowledged worldwide >> because how good it is.
>> Your your your comments are reassuring that the problem is, you know, is that uh when you've got minister these programs that are really marketed as a slogan 30 by 30, you you can understand that fishes are are nervous in Western Australia where the demeral fishing ban has been imposed. uh you you you can understand the nervousness of fishers when it comes to when it comes to this because they they see these slogans, they see these programs and don't really see it matched with evidence when it comes to you know we know that that managed fisheries actually are more sustainable and as as my colleague Senator Colbeck's saying is actually leading the world uh in terms of evidence and and output.
As I said earlier though, Senator, um the minister is working uh very very strongly in this space and I would just encourage you to to meet with her directly if there's those particular issues that you're having in Western Australia that you want to be on her radar. Um absolutely have a talk with
her about it. >> We're on her side. We want Mar to wreck off.
>> That's right. >> Are you just saying that because she's from Tasmania and so are you?
>> No, no, no.
No, I I mean I I've had the good fortune to have a lot of involvement in this. >> Oh, I know. I know you've had a long long history. >> The value of the work. >> Um but like Senator O Sullivan, I just don't get the rationale. >> We've got over 50% of our EEZ in marine parks, >> 24% in no take zone. And that's not a problem with that. But the I don't understand the rationale um to go to 30 because I don't see the rationale because and and the numbers tell the story in the reports that Abear presents. That's >> what sits behind why I'm saying what I'm saying. It's not
>> um for any >> No, no, no. I hear what you're saying and you know the minister you travel on the
plane with him 24% 50% >> and I'm proud of the work that we did in that sense but it was important work that supported the commercial fishing sector protected the environment and gave us the the marine reserve system that we've got that's worldleading. But we don't need for some slogan sake to go taking more and having a greater impact.
>> So,
>> okay. >> Thank you.