Mr KNIGHT - 2005-10-11
The federal government has today made a statement regarding foreign fishing in north Australian waters. What implications will this statement have on foreign fishing incursions in waters adjacent to the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I have to say we only found learnt about the announcement by the Commonwealth government increasing resources and money for waters in northern Australia through the media. We have not received official advice from the minister for Fisheries or the minister for Customs. We do not know any details. It was only an announcement in the media that the Commonwealth is going to allocate money and extra resources to combat the illegal incursion of fishing boats into northern Australia.
The only thing I can say is: it is about time. It is about time because, for the past three years, I have been trying very hard to make the Commonwealth government understand the problem with foreign incursion into northern waters. It only took the publicity of photographs in the local media and also of some documents that The Australian obtained under freedom of information, that 8180 boats are illegally entering Australian waters every year, to wake up the federal government to do something about it.
I have written about nine letters to Senator Macdonald in the past few years and, in every single letter, I have alerted him to the fact that illegal boats are coming in to the waters and taking up to 25 000 tonnes of sharks per year. I would like to invite the member for Katherine, who was a very strong advocate about the sharks, to join me and ask the federal government to do something about it because, in the next 50 years our seas are going to become a desert. This time they are taking sharks. What are they going to take in the next few years? Are they going to be the snapper and the Spanish mackerel? Our fishermen have put restrictions on their fishing efforts and how much they catch and what they bring in. These people are coming here, taking anything they like, anywhere they like, even down to Borroloola, without any fear.
I was advised recently that one of the illegal fishermen approached a trepang boat and asked for cigarettes from the Australian fishermen. That is how threatened they feel; they can come to our waters and do whatever they like. It is not only that they take our fish. What about bio-security threats? We are talking avian influenza. These people brought in ducks, chicken, monkeys, dogs and other animals. Our status as a disease-free country is threatened.
Of course, there is also the issue of terrorism. The federal government put in place significant legislation for terrorism. However, 8108 boats can bring quite a few terrorists into Australia - clearly undetected. I say undetected because, out of these 8000 boats, the federal government managed to capture 200. All they did was to take their nets and turn them around. Of course, these people went back onshore, took the nets and fuel they had stored before, and started fishing again.
I welcome this announcement, and I will examine very carefully where this money is going to be allocated and how. Is it real money? Are they real boats, or are they just reshuffling resources between Broome and Cairns. This is a real threat for our fishing resources, a real threat for Australian fishermen, and a real threat for bio-security.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, this week, the Northern Territory Coroner slammed the government for delays in implementing the Coronial recommendations made many years ago, where he advised the Northern Territory and federal governments to …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, who is your question to?
Mrs BRAHAM: Yes, I am getting to it. … urgently establish treatment and rehabilitation programs …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, could you please indicate who your question is to?
Mrs BRAHAM: Well, I have to give a bit of a preamble, Madam Speaker …
Mrs Miller: Who is it to?
Madam SPEAKER: Please indicate who the question is to.
Mrs BRAHAM: Oh, I am sorry, the question is to the Minister for Family and Community Services. I beg your pardon. I was too involved in getting the question out.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. I have to say we only found learnt about the announcement by the Commonwealth government increasing resources and money for waters in northern Australia through the media. We have not received official advice from the minister for Fisheries or the minister for Customs. We do not know any details. It was only an announcement in the media that the Commonwealth is going to allocate money and extra resources to combat the illegal incursion of fishing boats into northern Australia.
The only thing I can say is: it is about time. It is about time because, for the past three years, I have been trying very hard to make the Commonwealth government understand the problem with foreign incursion into northern waters. It only took the publicity of photographs in the local media and also of some documents that The Australian obtained under freedom of information, that 8180 boats are illegally entering Australian waters every year, to wake up the federal government to do something about it.
I have written about nine letters to Senator Macdonald in the past few years and, in every single letter, I have alerted him to the fact that illegal boats are coming in to the waters and taking up to 25 000 tonnes of sharks per year. I would like to invite the member for Katherine, who was a very strong advocate about the sharks, to join me and ask the federal government to do something about it because, in the next 50 years our seas are going to become a desert. This time they are taking sharks. What are they going to take in the next few years? Are they going to be the snapper and the Spanish mackerel? Our fishermen have put restrictions on their fishing efforts and how much they catch and what they bring in. These people are coming here, taking anything they like, anywhere they like, even down to Borroloola, without any fear.
I was advised recently that one of the illegal fishermen approached a trepang boat and asked for cigarettes from the Australian fishermen. That is how threatened they feel; they can come to our waters and do whatever they like. It is not only that they take our fish. What about bio-security threats? We are talking avian influenza. These people brought in ducks, chicken, monkeys, dogs and other animals. Our status as a disease-free country is threatened.
Of course, there is also the issue of terrorism. The federal government put in place significant legislation for terrorism. However, 8108 boats can bring quite a few terrorists into Australia - clearly undetected. I say undetected because, out of these 8000 boats, the federal government managed to capture 200. All they did was to take their nets and turn them around. Of course, these people went back onshore, took the nets and fuel they had stored before, and started fishing again.
I welcome this announcement, and I will examine very carefully where this money is going to be allocated and how. Is it real money? Are they real boats, or are they just reshuffling resources between Broome and Cairns. This is a real threat for our fishing resources, a real threat for Australian fishermen, and a real threat for bio-security.
Mrs BRAHAM (Braitling): Madam Speaker, this week, the Northern Territory Coroner slammed the government for delays in implementing the Coronial recommendations made many years ago, where he advised the Northern Territory and federal governments to …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, who is your question to?
Mrs BRAHAM: Yes, I am getting to it. … urgently establish treatment and rehabilitation programs …
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Braitling, could you please indicate who your question is to?
Mrs BRAHAM: Well, I have to give a bit of a preamble, Madam Speaker …
Mrs Miller: Who is it to?
Madam SPEAKER: Please indicate who the question is to.
Mrs BRAHAM: Oh, I am sorry, the question is to the Minister for Family and Community Services. I beg your pardon. I was too involved in getting the question out.
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016