Qld Com-Fishers Worried about Net Ban Plan

[Gad]

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/02/25/18/35/fishers-worried-about-qld-net-ban-plan

The Queensland government's plan to ban net fishing in three areas could put the local seafood industry at risk, commercial fishers say.

Labor has promised net-free fishing areas in Trinity Inlet near Cairns, St Helens Beach near Mackay, and parts of the Capricorn Coast.

The government has proposed talking to commercial and recreational fishers about banning net fishing in Moreton Bay.

A spokesman for Fisheries Minister Bill Byrne says the policy will encourage recreational fishing and have have trickle-down benefits the tourism sector.

He says only small areas are being considered for bans and compensation packages will be offered to fishers.

But the Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA) says net bans will hit the local fishing sector.

"We already import 70 per cent of our seafood and by closing these vast areas of ocean to net fishing we will greatly reduce the availability of local catch," QSIA president Karen Collard told AAP.

Ms Collard said as commercial fishers were the only group licensed to sell seafood caught in Australia waters, the bans could deprive some people of seafood.

"We provide a community service for people who can't catch seafood by themselves but still have the right to eat it," she said.

Ms Collard said the new Labor government was also hiding an independent review of the seafood industry commissioned by the former Liberal National Party government.

"Taxpayers have paid for it, so I can't see why the government doesn't want to use it," Ms Collard said.

Opposition fisheries spokeswoman Deb Frecklington said Labor's policy was clearly "made on fly" and pitted commercial and recreational fishers against each other.

"It's quite distressing and shows Labor's negative attitude toward primary producers," she told AAP.

"Let's listen to the industry first, we need a more wholistic approach."

[Luc53]

Funny its now vast areas being considered to be net free!!

Shame QSIA mentions how much seafood gets imported but not how much gets exported!!

[Damien2Rad]

Funny its now vast areas being considered to be net free!!

Shame QSIA mentions how much seafood gets imported but not how much gets exported!!

Great point, RE: exports.

[elops]

>http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/02/25/18/35/fishers-worried-about-qld-net-ban-plan

Ms Collard said as commercial fishers were the only group licensed to sell seafood caught in Australia waters, the bans could deprive some people of seafood.

"We provide a community service for people who can't catch seafood by themselves but still have the right to eat it," she said.

"

Community service

[Luc53]

Community service that's funny.

The reason we import so much seafood is that most of the commercial catch is exported.

[aussie123]

Community service that's funny.

The reason we import so much seafood is that most of the commercial catch is exported.

That is so far from the truth it is not funny.

Australia exports less than 20% of its wild seafood catches and I know a few years ago it was only at 15% but I do not know what it is at these days.

Out of that exported total amount, about 20% is non edible seafood like Pearls.

Our biggest exports and the majority of what is sent overseas is Rock Lobsters,Abalone and Prawns followed by Salmon and Tuna with only a very small amount of whole reef fish being exported.

Besides Tuna and Salmon,the majority of fish caught in Australian waters is sold on the domestic local market.

Even a large amount of the fish sent overseas is only sent over for processing down and then brought back into the country as packaged fillets.

Red Spot Whiting and Ocean Jackets are a classic example where tens of thousands of kilos are shipped overseas to large processing factories and returned as frozen fillets for our domestic market.

At least this is done mostly by Australian companies so the majority of the profits remain in Australia.

To say that we export the majority of our seafood is another one of the awesome internet rumors that so many people believe in.

[Damien2Rad]

Would the idea of rotating green zones, say 1-2 years at a time, be too hard to police?

Green Zones do work, that's been proven.

Just an idea after a Whisky or 2.