Mr BALDWIN - 1996-05-16
The minister released a discussion paper in March last year on possession limits for recreational anglers in the Northern Territory. Has a decision been reached on the make-up of these limits, and does he consider that the consultation process was adequate?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, as the member for Victoria River said, in March last year we released a discussion paper on possession limits for recreational fishing. That paper was distributed throughout the Northern Territory and elicited considerable interest, not only among people in the coastal or northern areas of the Northern Territory, but also in central Australia. It elicited interest from fishing tour operators, the general public and organisations such as AFANT. We have consulted widely in the community in relation to this proposal. As a result of those consultations, it is my intention, at the upcoming meeting of the ministerial advisory committee on recreational fishing, to put the final government position on that. Hopefully, that meeting will endorse this proposal in relation to possession limits.
These possession limits are not particularly onerous. As I said yesterday, we do have a fairly conservative fisheries management regime in the Northern Territory. Our fisheries are not, at this time, under particular threat. Despite this, in order to preserve our stocks, we recognise the need to take a responsible and reasonable approach to possession limits. We must also embark on an educational program. The one problem we do have in the recreational fishing sector is fraudulent amateur fishermen - people who masquerade as recreational fishermen but who are in fact professionals, selling their catch in the marketplace. It is a practice that has to be stamped out. It is very difficult to manage fish stocks in an area where
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the measurement of those stocks is somewhat arbitrary. The assessment of stocks is difficult when exactly what is happening in the fishery is not known.
With those points in mind, the government proposal is that there be a possession limit of 30 fish, with some exceptions. Those exceptions will be for species that are already managed. For barramundi, a possession limit applies of 2 fish from the Mary River system and 5 fish elsewhere across the Territory. For spanish mackerel, a 5-fish limit applies. We are in the process of developing regulations to apply a 5-fish limit on jewfish. Mudcrabs are limited to
10 fish per person ...
Mr Bailey: They are not fish!
Mr PALMER: They are fish.
That is, 10 per person per boat, or 30 total for a boat. Crustaceans including prawns, molluscs including squid, mullet, whiting, garfish, marine bream, pilchards and sardines will all be exempt from any possession limit. We included marine bream because a number of people in the eastern areas of the Territory, especially in the Borroloola area, claim that the major fishing target is the marine bream which is a relatively small fish. A possession limit on it would be unreasonable in terms of weights and table catches.
In addition to these possession limits, there are some regulatory issues we need to address in terms of identification. People filleting fish will be required to leave at least some skin and scales on those fish to enable them to be further identified. They will be required to separate those fillets from the already managed species.
The possession limits are generous. There is absolutely no reason why any one person on a single fishing trip would need to take any more fish, for domestic or personal consumption or even to distribute to their wider families or circle of friends, than is provided for under these possession limits. I do not think that, in 15 fishing trips, I would have reached the limit. The fish stocks are practically immune to my fishing efforts. However, I must say the fish are in some danger now from the Minister for Tourism. I am informed that, as recently as last weekend, the honourable minister won a sizeable prize in a raffle - a 4.3 m boat and a 35 hp outboard motor. I am also informed reliably that he knows where to go in order to catch fish.
The possession limits do not apply at a person's place of permanent residence. However, they will not be permitted to take 20 or 30 barramundi, put them in a freezer, hold them in a caravan and claim that to be their residence. That exemption applies to a person's place of permanent residence. We will not consider temporary camps, nor caravans, as permanent places of residence for the purposes of these regulations.
As I said, it is my intention to put this proposal to the ministerial advisory committee on recreational fishing, which is to meet 13 days from now. I am hopeful that it will receive unanimous support. I am equally hopeful that we will be able to bring these possession limits into force in the near future. They are very generous possession limits, but hopefully they will reinforce to locals and visitors alike that they must be mindful that the resource is not infinite. We must bear in mind at all times the necessity to keep the resource sustainable.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, as the member for Victoria River said, in March last year we released a discussion paper on possession limits for recreational fishing. That paper was distributed throughout the Northern Territory and elicited considerable interest, not only among people in the coastal or northern areas of the Northern Territory, but also in central Australia. It elicited interest from fishing tour operators, the general public and organisations such as AFANT. We have consulted widely in the community in relation to this proposal. As a result of those consultations, it is my intention, at the upcoming meeting of the ministerial advisory committee on recreational fishing, to put the final government position on that. Hopefully, that meeting will endorse this proposal in relation to possession limits.
These possession limits are not particularly onerous. As I said yesterday, we do have a fairly conservative fisheries management regime in the Northern Territory. Our fisheries are not, at this time, under particular threat. Despite this, in order to preserve our stocks, we recognise the need to take a responsible and reasonable approach to possession limits. We must also embark on an educational program. The one problem we do have in the recreational fishing sector is fraudulent amateur fishermen - people who masquerade as recreational fishermen but who are in fact professionals, selling their catch in the marketplace. It is a practice that has to be stamped out. It is very difficult to manage fish stocks in an area where
Page 1366
the measurement of those stocks is somewhat arbitrary. The assessment of stocks is difficult when exactly what is happening in the fishery is not known.
With those points in mind, the government proposal is that there be a possession limit of 30 fish, with some exceptions. Those exceptions will be for species that are already managed. For barramundi, a possession limit applies of 2 fish from the Mary River system and 5 fish elsewhere across the Territory. For spanish mackerel, a 5-fish limit applies. We are in the process of developing regulations to apply a 5-fish limit on jewfish. Mudcrabs are limited to
10 fish per person ...
Mr Bailey: They are not fish!
Mr PALMER: They are fish.
That is, 10 per person per boat, or 30 total for a boat. Crustaceans including prawns, molluscs including squid, mullet, whiting, garfish, marine bream, pilchards and sardines will all be exempt from any possession limit. We included marine bream because a number of people in the eastern areas of the Territory, especially in the Borroloola area, claim that the major fishing target is the marine bream which is a relatively small fish. A possession limit on it would be unreasonable in terms of weights and table catches.
In addition to these possession limits, there are some regulatory issues we need to address in terms of identification. People filleting fish will be required to leave at least some skin and scales on those fish to enable them to be further identified. They will be required to separate those fillets from the already managed species.
The possession limits are generous. There is absolutely no reason why any one person on a single fishing trip would need to take any more fish, for domestic or personal consumption or even to distribute to their wider families or circle of friends, than is provided for under these possession limits. I do not think that, in 15 fishing trips, I would have reached the limit. The fish stocks are practically immune to my fishing efforts. However, I must say the fish are in some danger now from the Minister for Tourism. I am informed that, as recently as last weekend, the honourable minister won a sizeable prize in a raffle - a 4.3 m boat and a 35 hp outboard motor. I am also informed reliably that he knows where to go in order to catch fish.
The possession limits do not apply at a person's place of permanent residence. However, they will not be permitted to take 20 or 30 barramundi, put them in a freezer, hold them in a caravan and claim that to be their residence. That exemption applies to a person's place of permanent residence. We will not consider temporary camps, nor caravans, as permanent places of residence for the purposes of these regulations.
As I said, it is my intention to put this proposal to the ministerial advisory committee on recreational fishing, which is to meet 13 days from now. I am hopeful that it will receive unanimous support. I am equally hopeful that we will be able to bring these possession limits into force in the near future. They are very generous possession limits, but hopefully they will reinforce to locals and visitors alike that they must be mindful that the resource is not infinite. We must bear in mind at all times the necessity to keep the resource sustainable.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016