The South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association (SETFIA) has express its concern that the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) is considering a motion from the Break O''Day & Northern Midlands councils to lobby the Australian Government to ban certain types of Australian flagged fishing vessels from Australia waters.
Simon Boag, SETFIA’s Executive Officer says, “The Association is appalled that local governments in Tasmania would even consider such a motion.
“What makes this so ridiculous is that one of the protagonists, Northern Midland Council, is landlocked. Neither council has any expertise in fisheries management or any marine science capability whatsoever. The two councils have proposed this motion based on a one page briefing note that does not make a single mention of science, the state of Australian or Tasmanian fisheries or the size of the catch of any fish stock. The document is not even clear on the type of vessel facing the ban.
“Perversely, on its own website Break O’Day council lists fishing as a principle industry in the area. This motion has no regard for the rights of fishermen to fish, their investment or the businesses that rely on them”.
SETFIA says that the reality of the Australian commercial fishery is very different – with Australian fisheries being among the best managed in the world. A recent study by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) found that only two of the 150 stocks studied were overfished, and neither of these overfished stocks are caught by the type of vessel facing the ban.
