The Commonwealth fishing industry has expressed its dismay at learning that the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) is considering a motion to lobby major political parties to oppose large processing vessels in Australian waters.
The Commonwealth Fisheries Association (CFA) said that the course of action shows no regard for the rights of hard-working generational Australian fishing which has created and maintained many jobs over the years, as well as adding in excess of $15m to the Tasmanian economy.
Anthony Ciconte, executive chair, CFA, also from the Southern Shark Industry Alliance, said: “For two councils to be high-jacked in their agenda by sensationalist individuals is a sign that they are still in the grasps of the extreme Greens Party factions that almost completely crippled the state's economy.”
“LGAT must ensure that the rights of the fishing industry, and the many people employed within it, are always properly considered in light of the facts, not scare tactics and sensationalism.”
CFA said it is opposed to the banning of any authorized boat, whether it is big or small, as this severely diminishes the rights of the fishing operators to catch the fish that is allocated to them, under rigorous scientific analysis and Governmental regulation.
It is now imploring that LGAT and all interested parties leave fisheries management decisions up to fisheries managers, not sensationalists that could ultimately damage an iconic local industry.
CFA said that vessel size and dimensions should not be a driving factor when it comes to fisheries management decisions, or the ability to access allocated quota in quota-managed fisheries - "to suggest that it should demonstrates an ill-informed opinion on how the industry operates."
