Fishers welcome Queensland management overhaul

Original story by Charlie McKillop, ABC Rural

Queensland’s fisheries management is about to get a comprehensive overhaul, but it’s come at the expense of a much-anticipated decision on the future of the crab fishery.

Trawler operators in Queensland have welcomed efforts to reduce red tape and simplify the regulatory environment in which they operate. Photo: Charlie McKillop

Fisheries Minister John McVeigh says he won’t proceed with the crab review and instead will refer it to a soon-to-be-appointed ministerial advisory committee as the government embarks on its review of management review.

It’s a move welcomed by the peak lobby group, the Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA).

Chair Karen Collard says fishers want more certainty about the regulatory environment in which they operate.

“There has been very little confidence in the Queensland fisheries management for a number of years because of these overlaying contradictions.

“Part of the problem is some of these things (such as the crab review) haven’t had a lot of support from the industry or from the Department.

“There wasn’t any real benefit for anybody to make some regulatory changes because everything was so interwoven and clunky.

“Now, we’re actually starting with a clean page so we can take away the inconsistencies and the problematic parts of the legislation and the regulations to make it a lot more user friendly,” she said.

“There’ll be a lot less red tape for fishermen to have to worry about.”

Mr McVeigh says the review will tackle a range of anomalies and exceptions that have developed over decades in more than 900 pages of legislation for Queensland’s 1500 fishing operators.

He says it builds on work already being done, including the implementation of a $9 million buyback in the east coast net fishery and the crab review.

“Quite honestly it’s not progressing as quickly as I would like but we are making progress.

“I am aware of other reviews that have been delayed for more than 10 years, for example, the crab fishery review,” he said.

“Well, we’ve pulled that on in the past six months or so, got it going finally to try to sort out the industry position.

“Unfortunately, that industry position on how crab fisheries should be reviewed going forward is not at all clear.

“We want to just keep conditions in place there at the moment, therefore, and just make sure we include it in this overall review.”

Mrs Collard uses the example of restrictions on fishing boats transferring through marine parks, despite fishing gear not being engaged or in the water, as an anomaly that could be easily fixed.

“We still won’t be fishing in green zones, we’ll still be bringing healthy seafood to the tables of consumers.

“It’s just that we’ll hopefully be able to do it in a more financially friendly manner as well as maintaining our ecological sustainability,” she said.

The way forward on the crab fishery will now be addressed by the newly-appointed Ministerial Advisory Committee representing commercial, recreational and Indigenous fishers as well environmental advocates.

Mrs Collard says the QSIA is looking forward to being a part of the process.

Mr McVeigh says he wants all parties to work together on the crab review and other contentious issues facing the industry.

“By bringing them to the table, by negotiating, by everyone recognising – which on a one-on-one basis they do – that we have some environmental credentials to live up to as well to maintain the sustainability of the stock right around the state, I think we will move through a process where people will have their say and we’ll get the balance right.

“But there’s no doubt about it, it’ll be a long hard road but we’ve got to do it properly and we’ve got to do that once and for all,” Mr McVeigh says.