Mr HIGGINS - 2013-02-14
I love fishing. Can you please update the House on the closure of Finke and Chambers Bays and the establishment of world-class barramundi fishing in the Mary River?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. He cares for the fisheries of the Northern Territory, has a great interest in the Daly region, and is doing a wonderful job advocating on behalf of fishermen across that region.
I acknowledge and thank the departmental staff here today across Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines and Energy for the contribution they are playing in improving the lifestyle of Territorians, in line with the work of this government to improve the lifestyle of Territorians.
As an election commitment in 2012, this government announced it would create an exclusive recreation and tourism operator fishing zone at Chambers and Finke Bays as well as extend the boundaries to Adam Bay and the northern part of Fog Bay.
Government’s commitment was aimed at reallocating the barramundi resource to recreational anglers and fishing tour operators, and creating a premier sports fishery for the region that will provide anglers with the unique wilderness fishing experience for large trophy-sized fish.
Following the public comment period, the proposed closures were implemented prior to the beginning of the new commercial barramundi fishing season in February 2013. These changes will no doubt make an enormous difference and value add to our Territory lifestyle and our tourism industry.
Our reputation as being Australia’s fishing capital has been strengthened and we are backing our three-hub economy, tourism being one of the hubs. In combination with the closures, government is undertaking a licence buy-back scheme to remove a number of licences from the fishery. We will also be working with industry to develop a plan for commercial operators that realises the full potential of our iconic commercial fishery.
Almost 60% of all resident households in the Territory own boats. That equates to about 11 000 vessels, many of which are in the northern suburbs of Darwin. We are working to create a better lifestyle for the people of the northern suburbs of Darwin, Darwin, and the Northern Territory, and we are prepared to make some tough decisions around how to do this. We are decisive and will step up to the plate, unlike the former government which produced what we have called ‘Kon’s five fingers of death’ in dealing with the closures of Finke and Chambers Bay.
This would have added nothing to the lifestyle of the Territory and would have created conflict in the industry between recreational and commercial fishers. The former government should be ashamed for bringing this type of document to the table. The previous government lacked ticker.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. He cares for the fisheries of the Northern Territory, has a great interest in the Daly region, and is doing a wonderful job advocating on behalf of fishermen across that region.
I acknowledge and thank the departmental staff here today across Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines and Energy for the contribution they are playing in improving the lifestyle of Territorians, in line with the work of this government to improve the lifestyle of Territorians.
As an election commitment in 2012, this government announced it would create an exclusive recreation and tourism operator fishing zone at Chambers and Finke Bays as well as extend the boundaries to Adam Bay and the northern part of Fog Bay.
Government’s commitment was aimed at reallocating the barramundi resource to recreational anglers and fishing tour operators, and creating a premier sports fishery for the region that will provide anglers with the unique wilderness fishing experience for large trophy-sized fish.
Following the public comment period, the proposed closures were implemented prior to the beginning of the new commercial barramundi fishing season in February 2013. These changes will no doubt make an enormous difference and value add to our Territory lifestyle and our tourism industry.
Our reputation as being Australia’s fishing capital has been strengthened and we are backing our three-hub economy, tourism being one of the hubs. In combination with the closures, government is undertaking a licence buy-back scheme to remove a number of licences from the fishery. We will also be working with industry to develop a plan for commercial operators that realises the full potential of our iconic commercial fishery.
Almost 60% of all resident households in the Territory own boats. That equates to about 11 000 vessels, many of which are in the northern suburbs of Darwin. We are working to create a better lifestyle for the people of the northern suburbs of Darwin, Darwin, and the Northern Territory, and we are prepared to make some tough decisions around how to do this. We are decisive and will step up to the plate, unlike the former government which produced what we have called ‘Kon’s five fingers of death’ in dealing with the closures of Finke and Chambers Bay.
This would have added nothing to the lifestyle of the Territory and would have created conflict in the industry between recreational and commercial fishers. The former government should be ashamed for bringing this type of document to the table. The previous government lacked ticker.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016