Reopening Western Australia’s metropolitan shark fishery could benefit public safety and give a much needed boost to the supply of premium seafood, according to a fishing industry chief.
Western Australian Fishing Industry Council chief executive, John Harrison, has welcomed a call by Premier Colin Barnett for a scientific assessment of the Perth coast fishery’s closure in 2007, saying that reopening the commercial fishery may produce knock-on benefits for the public.
Following a spate of recent attacks, fisheries and environmental experts have been asked to re-examine research to see if there is any link between the 2007 closure of the fishery and the increasing prevalence of great whites off Western Australia's south west.
“Political pressures caused the unwarranted closure of the metropolitan shark fishery that stretches from Lancelin to south of Mandurah in 2007,” Mr Harrison said.
“It’s appropriate that political pressure, albeit brought about by tragic circumstances, prompts that decision to be revisited,” he added.
Mr Harrison said that the commercial catching capacity of other shark fisheries around the state were under threat for a variety of factors including draconian measures designed to protect Australian sea lions imposed by the Federal Department of the Environment.
“This means that the supply of locally caught shark species such as dusky, gummy, bronze whaler, etc. to markets – especially the fish and chip market – is uncertain,” he said.
“But reopening the commercial shark fishery off Perth will help alleviate this threat to seafood supply while at the same time possibly addressing the apparent substantial imbalance in apex predator species off the metropolitan coast and potentially helping to address the shark attack issue.
“What we have seen in recent times is a gradual erosion of commercial fishing rights by groups that have a more vocal and extreme political agenda and who effectively lobby government to prosecute their position,” Mr Harrison said.
“It takes something like the tragedies of the past week to bring home the reality that the commercial fishing sector has an important stewardship role to play in helping maintain a balance between fish stocks and apex predators and it’s appropriate that the Government demonstrate the political will to address the issue, ” he added.
