ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Mr VATSKALIS: I actually told you in the opening statement about how much the industry contributes
and, on top of that, not only we recognise the contribution of industry, we are the first government
ever in Australia to support strongly our industry by demanding, by law, that anyone who sells fish for
human consumption, especially restaurants …
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Yes, I have that, thank you.
Mr VATSKALIS: … states whether it is local or imported. Even the industry recognises that that is a
significant boost to the industry.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: All right. I will move on from there. How much was spent by your
department in 2009-10 on the Blue Mud Bay permit negotiations, and from where was that money
obtained?
Mr VATSKALIS: This actually comes under the Chief Minister’s Department, but we will conduct the
negotiations. The money comes from my department, and just under $0.5m was spent on
negotiations over the last year.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: And where did that money come from?
Mr VATSKALIS: That comes from my budget.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: From your budget?
Mr VATSKALIS: Yes.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Okay. Interesting, thank you for the answer, but I am just going to refer
you back to the transcript of the Department of the Chief Minister’s Estimates on Tuesday this week,
where Mr Shields says, ‘the actual cost of negotiations are being borne by the Department of
Resources through a Treasurer’s Advance’.
Mr VATSKALIS: Yes, that is right.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: All right. You neglected to mention Treasurer’s Advance.
Mr VATSKALIS: No, we did.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Thank you.
Mr VATSKALIS: It comes out of us, and we take a Treasurer’s Advance.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Thank you, minister. Moving right along, because I am watching the
time. Have you got questions, member for Nelson, on Fisheries?
Mr WOOD: Keep going. If you run out, then I will take it.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Minister, how many licences are there in the coastal line fishery?
Mr CURNOW: Approximately 60, but I will just get an exact number – 54.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Fifty-four, thank you, Mr Curnow. Minister, on average, how many of
those licences are actively fished at any given time?
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS – 17 JUNE 2010
Mr CURNOW: Approximately, in a given year, about 20 of those licences are used to varying
degrees, obviously, some to a small degree, some to a lot. My recollection is, about a dozen of those
licences are fished reasonably solidly.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: About 12?
Mr CURNOW: And then that difference between the 12 and the 18, that might change between the
years as to which operator actually operates.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: Thank you, Mr Curnow. Minister, the Coastal Line Fishery Management
Advisory Committee met in around October last year. Have you or your department received a report
or been briefed regarding the immediate management of that fishery as a result of the meeting? So,
has anything been brought to your attention about the immediate management of that fishery as a
result of that meeting?
Mr CURNOW: The Management Advisory Committee, as part of its processes, has done an
ecological risk assessment of that fishery, that is what we call a data poor fishery, but they have
looked at the risk to various species, and they went through a day workshop, so they have compiled a
report that identifies a number of species of being at high risk and in the need of further management.
The MAC is now working through that process of looking at what management arrangements are
needed for both the commercial, recreational and fishing tour operator sector to try and regulate those
catches.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE: All right. I suppose I should just go back to the question I asked, was
whether as a result of the October meeting of that MAC last year, was the department briefed on the
outcome of that, were you advised that there were immediate management issues around that
fishery?
Mr CURNOW: The department was involved in that process, so, yes, it is aware of the risk
assessment that has been placed around that. I am not sure of the immediacy of the management
arrangements as in, it was a risk assessment, so it worked out a number of species of high risk, a
number of medium risk. I guess. in fisheries terms, it was not that management is needed tomorrow,
but it was clearly signalling that management changes are required if those stocks are to be
sustainable in the long term.
Mr WESTRA van HOLTHE cont: Thank you, Mr Curnow, which is an interesting comment you make
given the contents of that report which says on page 5, and I quote from that report:
Black jewfish and golden snapper received the highest risk values in both high and low fishing
effort areas and require immediate management action to ensure sustainability. It further goes
on to say, cods, coral trout, red emperor, grass emperor sharks and mangrove jack, also
require prompt management action in stocks are to be maintained.
Minister, you had the MAC reported to you eight or nine months ago, you have now had this report
done for you as well. What action are you taking to ensure the sustainability of this issue, given that
this is and does and you have had it from several sources now, a requirement for immediate action,
immediate management.
Mr CURNOW: In terms of the risk to jewfish stocks will largely, the increases in recent years have
been through recreational catches or presumed catches. We have just done a survey over the last 12
months that will actually confirm those numbers. The commercial catches have, in fact, decreased
since they peaked in the early 2000, so they have actually been plateaued for a number of years, so
in terms of those risks the recreational possession limit for the jewfish was changed from five to two
on the 1 January this year; and the Management Advisory Committee is also, at the moment, working
separately with the fishing operator sector with AFANT and with the commercial sector to develop
more specific management arrangements for each of those sectors.
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