Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

The government announced a fishing buyback scheme some nine months ago totalling $150 million to purchase fishermen’s licences and another approximately $70 million for onshore affected businesses and onshore affected communities. The $150 million buyback scheme has now been completed. There has been some funding under the onshore affected businesses, but essentially most of that $70 million under the two programs is still being considered by the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Abetz.

We have seen a substantial reduction, therefore, in the catch effort in most fisheries, whether it be the northern prawn or south-eastern trawl fisheries. There was only a reduction of about 16 per cent of the effort in the Bass Strait scallop fisheries, which we find very disappointing. Ideally it would have been about 50 per cent, which matches some of the reduction in the other fisheries. It was done by way of a tender system and the tenders put in by the Bass Strait scallop fishermen were not seen to be value for taxpayers’ funds in the way that the tenders in the other fisheries were.

We are starting from a solid base for the management of the long-term sustainability of these fisheries as well as providing a better and more secure income stream for the remaining fishers—I should not just say fishermen. As I understand it, the Minister for the Environment and Heritage will under his powers deem which catches are sustainable and which are not. Senator Campbell, as minister for the environment, in the middle of last year or earlier announced a number of species which would not be available to fishers.

We believe that we have tried to sustain and secure both the livelihood of fishers and their communities as well as the fishing stock by way of this significant buyback. From here on in, it will be very much a management issue. Australia can hold its head high. There are some species that we are gravely concerned about as having been overfished, but overall Australia has a good record and we intend to maintain it.

See this speech in context