Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Science) Share this | Hansard source

Last December, the Western Australian Cook government announced a 21-month ban on recreational boat based fishing for demersal species and a permanent ban on commercial fishers from Kalbarri to Augusta. And, for the Kimberley and Pilbara, the commercial catch limit has been halved. In already tough times, many fisher men and women in my electorate of Durack were unable to enjoy the festive period and are now wondering how they can provide for their family and community. This ban not only impacts the fishers themselves but also impacts local hospitality owners and workers, the tourism industry, tackle shops, bait suppliers and consumers. While all acknowledge that we need to preserve and protect our fish stocks, this ban from the WA government has been heavy-handed and rushed with less than a month's notice—yes, one month's notice—between the announcement and implementation of the plan.

I'm incredibly proud of the resilience and courage shown by those impacted, despite the emotional and financial toll on them, particularly those multigenerational fishing families who are now having to pull their nets, sell their boats and find new employment.

Despite being the richest state, the WA government could only manage a meagre $29 million compensation package, which will not compensate deckhands and those below management level. It is really disgusting. In comparison, the federal and Queensland governments have committed more than $160 million to phase out gillnet fishing in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Why is it that WA families have drawn the short straw? My WA fishing families are just as deserving as Queensland fishing families. Inflated egos and bulldozing through legislation without proper consultation processes mean you get hardworking Western Australians who've been left behind by the Cook government and further abandonment of regional WA by Labor.

I, together with over 30,000 Western Australians who've signed the e-petition, am calling for an urgent parliamentary inquiry into WA fisheries to examine the need for a clear, long-term plan for sustainable fisheries that supports all stakeholders. I also call on the federal minister for fisheries to step in and provide greater compensation alongside the WA government.

This is a matter of urgency. This is urgent, and those impacted deserve to be respected and acknowledged. So to Premier Cook and to Minister Collins: please get together and decide on a much better, fairer, more equitable compensation package. Regional Western Australian men and women in the fishing industry deserve nothing less.

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