Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Sherry, the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Has the Australian government received any request from Tasmania for assistance following the discovery of the potentially devastating abalone virus in Tasmania?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to congratulate the National Party’s deputy, Senator Scullion. In fact, he is the shadow minister for primary industries. It is his first question in 10 months. The National Party has found some new voice at last in the Senate. Ten months to ask a question! Where has the National Party been? This is the first—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sherry, address your comments to the chair, thank you.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A pleasure, Mr President. One of the problems the National Party have in this chamber is they have to funnel all their questions through the Liberal Party tactics committee. What has been happening is they have not been able to get a question up in the last 10 months.

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Whilst not being too far into the minister’s attempt to answer the question, I do not think even you would rule that this somehow has any connection with relevance. If the minister simply does not have the answer to the question, then he should say so and sit down.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As you know, Senator Scullion, I cannot order a minister how to answer or what to answer in the question. I draw the minister’s attention to the relevance of the answer that he is giving to the question.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have come well prepared. I have plenty to say on abalone and National Party disease. I am aware that abalone disease has had a—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, get on with it.

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been waiting 10 months, Senator Macdonald—through you, Mr President. I have been waiting 10 months. It is great to get a question about abalone and I have come well prepared. Abalone disease has had a significant impact on abalone farms as well as the abalone fisheries in Victoria. Unfortunately, there is now confirmation of this condition in Tasmania.

On Tuesday, 9 September, the Tasmanian government notified the federal department about a suspect case of the abalone virus in a processing plant in the state’s south, so notification has been received by the federal department. The disease was confirmed by further testing on Wednesday, 10 September. The origins of the disease in Tasmania are unknown, and the Tasmanian government is investigating the incident to try and determine how the disease has infected the abalone in Tasmania. The processing plant where the disease has been detected is being monitored. It has been placed under some abalone movement restrictions. The Tasmanian government is also targeting surveillance and sampling from wild fisheries to see if there are any signs of the disease in this area. To date there have been no signs of the disease in the wild despite intensive monitoring in recent months.

Obviously what has occurred in Tasmania, if we look at what has happened in Victoria, has potentially very, very serious implications for the future of the abalone fishery in my home state of Tasmania, where I understand the abalone fishery is worth at least $100 million in production. For example, exports of farmed and wild harvest abalone in 2006-07—that is the time period for which I have the latest estimates—were valued at some $247 million. I am happy to provide an update of the value in Tasmania specifically, but it is a very, very substantial industry in my home state of Tasmania. Abalone, I think, is the major fishery by value of production, so it is a very, very serious issue to have had this virus discovered in abalone. I do not know whether any senators have seen the pictures of the consequences of this, but it results in a shrivelling-up of the meat of the abalone. It makes it inedible and therefore obviously— (Time expired)

Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that this virus is, in fact, affecting two states and could affect more, why won’t the government commit to implementing a national response, as proposed by the former, coalition government, to address this deadly disease?

Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I mentioned in my main answer, unfortunately the disease has been discovered in a farm in Tasmania. That farm is under surveillance. Of course, I am aware that the federal department is working closely with both Victoria and Tasmania now. It continues to work closely with abalone fishers, both wild-catch fishers and fish farms. The Victorian government is continuing to manage the disease in wild abalone in Victoria and is working with industries to ensure sustainable fisheries management. This action apparently includes closing areas to commercial fishing and increasing the legal minimum length of black-lip abalone to maintain sustainability of affected abalone stocks.

In concluding, I welcome this, the very first question from the National Party, from the shadow minister. After 10 months it is a very welcome development. (Time expired)