David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Abetz. Will the minister outline the response by stakeholders to the coalition government’s plan to combat illegal fishing in our northern waters? Is the minister aware of any alternative views on this proposal?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Johnston for his question and I note his very real interest, along with all colleagues on this side, in stamping out the scourge of illegal fishing of our waters through practical and effective programs. The government’s massive $500 million investment in fighting the war against illegal fishing has not unsurprisingly been welcomed by a number of informed sources. Fishing professionals have been very supportive. Indeed, the Australian Seafood Industry Council issued a press release strongly endorsing our approach. Graham Short, Chief Executive of the Western Australian Fishing Industry Council, said:

The Government is to be congratulated for recognising the extreme and immediate threat that illegal foreign fishing poses for Australia and for matching this with a significant budget allocation to do something about it …

Rob Fish, Chairman of the Northern Territory Seafood Council, said of the package, ‘It’s fantastic.’ Today’s Northern Territory News editorialises, ‘The government is tackling the illegal fishing crisis head on.’

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed, those opposite interjecting might like to know that even the opposition spokesman, Mr Bevis, issued a press release: ‘Sea rangers support welcome’. That is broad recognition, I would have thought—and those opposite have gone very quiet now, as they should.

But what do we get from state Labor in relation to this? Firstly, the Northern Territory fisheries minister claims that doubling the number of illegal fishing vessels caught this year is ‘simply not enough’, and his Western Australian counterpart, Mr Ford, opined that ‘even a doubling of this figure would still only be a drop in the ocean’. Now, this is the kicker. Listen to this. On 20 April, only three weeks ago, a meeting was held between federal and state officials. On coming into this portfolio, I undertook a visit to the states and territories and agreed that we needed to work together to ensure an outcome that was satisfactory to all. We listened to the states; we took on board what they had to say. What is more, we have actually delivered on what they had to say. Allow me to quote from the minutes of a meeting on 20 April between the state fisheries experts and the Commonwealth fisheries experts. This is what was agreed: ‘The participants agree to increase resources to provide enforcement at a level that provides an effective economic deterrent for illegal fishing operations through’—and this was the first point—‘doubling the number of apprehensions from 2005 figures.’

So here we are as a Commonwealth listening to the Labor states and territories and delivering for them, only to find that they will put politics before the national interest. What I would invite them to do, after having embarrassed themselves on this occasion, is to come back into the fold again and ensure that we can cooperate with each other, for the benefit of all Australians, to fight this scourge of illegal fishing. My plea to the state and territory governments is: please put the national interest, just for once, ahead of cheap politics.