590 COUNCIL Tuesday

FISHERIES (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL 590 COUNCIL Tuesday. 28 April 1992 conducted by walking through and examining Port Fairy, where I spoke to abalone divers with forests. The research establislunents are starved of whom I am acquainted. People think diving for funds. The additional revenue collected from the abalone is a glamorous profession, but the divers fishing industry should not go into the consolidated have a hard life. Every time they dive they risk revenue but should be allocated to the research getting the bends and their working life is very establishments. short. It is true that they make large amounts of money, but they do so for only a short period. like Mr Mier and Mr I<nowles, I support the need to increase penalties for abalone poaching. At the same Victoria is one of the few places in the world that time it is not much good increasing the penalties if still has a viable abalone industry. The abalone resources are not allocated to the officers who are resource is dwindling and controls must be placed required to control the industry. The fisheries on the catch. It is not acceptable for abalone to be enforcement staff, who are understaffed and lack fished out because of the demand for it overseas. boats and surveillance equipment, perform a Victoria should not allow this valuable industry to difficult job. go the same way as the abalone industries in other parts of the world. The fishing portfolio is extremely difficult to administer. When I was the Minister in charge of Practically all the witnesses that appeared before the fishing I found it an extremely confused area. I was fishing industry inquiry expressed concern about the given conflicting advice by various experts. It was need to protect the resource and ensure it is not lost extremely difficult to make correct decisions. to future generations. Mr Mier pointed out that various Ministers have The Bill introduces a per fish penalty for the illegal been in charge of the industry over a number of possession of abalone. That provision will assist in years. The public accepts that controls need to be stopping the poaching of abalone. The officers applied, and the government must look to the future responsible for the policing of illegal fishing told me and allocate money for research so that the fishing some amazing stories. Apparently poachers come in resource is preserved for future generations and so their boatloads and catch enough fish to supply that ordinary men and women can take boats out on restaurants and other fishing outlets. They undercut the water and fish to provide for their families or for the price that professional fishermen receive for their sheer enjoyment. catch and they have a Significant effect on the industry. I hope the government will introduce legislation in the next sessional period that will incorporate some It has been suggested that stricter laws should be of the proposals suggested by Mr Mier and by the imposed and that restaurants should be required to opposition. I am concerned that if changes are not produce dockets verifying from where they made future generations will not be able to enjoy purchased the fish so that inspectors could ensure Victoria's fish resource. the purchases were made through the proper channels. Many of these people go out in their boats Hon. C. F. VAN BUREN (Eumemmerring) - I and catch boatloads of fish. They are not catching support the Bill. like Mr Mier, I was also a member them for their own consumption, and it would be of the Natural Resources and Environment preferable if bag limits ensured that fewer fish were Committee, which inquired into the fishing industry. taken. A general concern raised by many people who presented submissions to the inquiry was the need Everyone involved with the inquiry agreed with the to preserve the fishing resource and ensure that the concept of bag limits because the genuine amateur industry was protected from illegal fishing. Many fisherman, such as Mr Mier, goes out in his boat to concerns were expressed about people who fished catch a few fish and enjoy himself. He does not take without having fishing licences. That is a problem too many fish away - just what he needs. He does not just for the fishing industry but also for the not take them in a greedy fashion just because they tourism industry because many Victorians travel to are biting, but that is not so with others. The concept fishing resorts to enjoy fishing. of bag limits was very much approved by the inquiry. During the course of the inquiry I had the opportunity of travelling around the State. I visited Since 1988 catch quotas have operated in abalone different towns in the Western District, including fisheries. The quotas are determined on an annual FISHERIES (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL Tuesday, 28 April 1992 COUNCIL 591 basis and have helped in stabilising commercial into what catches have been taken. It would be harvesting practices in the industry. However, there beneficial if groups such as fishing clubs kept continues to be a significant problem with records of what fishing was done and where so that commercial practices and they need to be controlled. they could be collated to provide some knowledge of what fish are available where. Poaching or illegal netting is another major problem. When the fish spawn, the fishermen put nets across In some fishing areas amateurs told members of the the spawning areas and catch many of the fish. This committee that no fish at all were biting but then the taking of undersized fish stops the whole breeding professionals told us fish were available but were cycle. After speaking to people who have been spawning in a different area. Despite those involved in the fishing industry for years, it appears differences, there was an amazing harmony between that illegal netting is now a major problem. the two groups. Abalone poaching has been a major concern for The professionals set themselves voluntary codes. years but it has now reached a new level of For example, during the Christmas, Easter and sophistication. The poachers have a full illegal holiday seasons, they would not fish in certain areas operation which includes middlemen. Various to ensure that fish were available for the people who people are involved in the crooked dealing, fish in these areas while on holiday. including those selling the fish on the market and getting the abalone for a high price. It is not simply a The evidence provided to the committee proved that matter of fishing offshore in their boats, these people the fishing industry has a big role to play in tourism have set up a whole production line. because people going to their favourite fishing spots during the summer months ensure that little country Many people from other countries do not towns are maintained by patronising the motels, understand the need to protect the abalone resource pubs and little businesses. and they have a tendency to take what they can without concern. They even take other people's Stamping out the people who are doing the wrong abalone. Honourable members have read in the thing by the industry is most important, and for that newspapers of shooting incidents and virtual reason I commend the Bill to the House. warfare within the fishing industry because of this problem. Hon. P. R. HALL (Gippsland) - The Bill is unusual in that the two amendments it makes to the The government is attempting to address the Fisheries Act are both industry driven. That may not problem but it is not enough for the Department of be unusual in itself because industry often drives Conservation and Environment to increase changes in legislation, but in this case the industry is surveillance; increased penalties should be advocating that its members pay additional levies to introduced. One way of penalising these people is the government. I do not think too many industries through an additional per fish penalty which will would be prepared to compel their members to pay enhance the court's ability to apply appropriate additional government levies in this particular penalties to all parties involved in the illegal economic climate, but the Victorian Fishing Industry operations. The courts must have the power to do Federation has advocated that course and, I might that, and the Bill provides those powers. add, for good reason. It is most important that illegal fishing and poaching Clause 3 requires the holder of a master fisherman's is stamped out because they are the two major licence or processor's licence to pay a levy of $150 on problems facing the industry. The report produced top of previous licence charges. The levy paid by the by the all-party Parliamentary committee studied abalone licence holder will be an additional levy of the problems in the industry generally through $500, and although I understand the levy is to be public hearings and heard of the value of the paid directly to the government as part of the industry and the consequences of these problems. renewal of its fishing licence, it will be passed back directly to the Victorian Fishing Industry Federation. The hearings highlighted not only the need to protect the resources but also for studies to be done The second-reading speech explains that the on what resources are available. I agree with federation's major source of funding is the Mr Mackenzie that, apart from some recordings 15 per cent levy applying to most commercial taken by professionals, no studies have been done fishing licences, and the additional $150 surcharge FISHERIES (FURTHER AMENDMENT) BILL 592 COUNCIL Tuesday, 28 April 1992 for master fishermen's licences and the The poaching of abalone has been the subject of $500 surcharge for abalone licences will significantly debate in this House on several previous occasions.

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