The fishing industry in Western Australia is facing a hostile environment – as government decisions concerning the future of fisheries look to be based on dogma instead of science as the proposed south coast marine park threatens to devastate commercial fishing.
‘The scary thing for our industry is that the government has prioritised the views of overseas eco-evangelists such as Pew, while disregarding the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) internationally respected marine science,’ said Darryl Hockey, CEO of the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC).
Under draft plans for the proposed marine park, released for consultation, 25% of the area in question becomes a no-take area.
‘The Environment Minister says that there’s still 75% left for fishing, but as we all know, the selected 25% will actually impact more than 70% of production for some sectors,’ he said.
‘There is absolutely no science to support the maps, the public consultation process has been awful and the socio-economic assessment an embarrassment. In fact, the well-respected Esperance Shire Council described it as ‘pitiful’. Despite the WA fishing industry being sustainable and having the lowest carbon footprint for food protein – and a truly renewable industry in a world which is desperately seeking renewable solutions – the government is prepared to disrespect WA fishing interests in favour of overseas lobby groups.’
In addition to the 3300 square kilometres of waters due to be excluded from fishing, the state’s industry is also facing a recommendation for 7600 square kilometres of water to be an offshore windfarm zone.
‘There will be just a two-month consultation period to decide upon the long term future of fishing in this key area,’ Darryl Hockey said, commenting that the Fisheries Minister also made an ‘extraordinary’ decision to reallocate 20 tonnes of west coast demersal (WCD) fish from the commercial sector to the recreational and charter sector – despite a commitment that this would not happen during the management plan changes for the fishery.
‘In fact, we were told that no reallocation would occur unless both WAFIC and Recfishwest came to the Minister with a jointly signed request! Obviously this didn’t happen, so it seems that supposedly rock solid commitments are instead made of fairy floss,’ he said.
‘What does this mean for the fisheries management structures which have been carefully built over many years?’
Integrated Fisheries Management as a concept has been the cornerstone of the policy environment for more than a decade, with harvest strategies developed to provide a clear structured approach towards dealing with sustainability matters, and jointly developed management plans have provided a clear framework.
‘Yet now, all of this has been opportunistically thrown out the window, so we are entering very dangerous territory when government picks and chooses when it might follow its own guidelines, or listens to its own department,’ Darryl Hockey said.
‘It’s even more concerning when the commercial WCD industry has already taken its full 50% reduction, while the recreationals have been set free with crazy bag and boat limits, without compulsory real time data reporting to measure what is being taken. It’s simply a recipe for disaster.’
