Mr MITCHELL - 1996-11-21
Has he had any representations recently from amateur fishermen regarding the proposed plan of management for Kakadu National Park?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I have had representations from amateur fishing organisations. Indeed, I met yesterday, in company with the Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment, with representatives from the Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern Territory. I can advise the House that they are not very happy vegemites.
Page 1796
The draft plan of management for Kakadu National Park proposes further restrictions on amateur fishermen and their ability to use the park. The Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern Territory raised a number of issues with us. The first was continued access to parts of the park, especially those areas of the East Alligator upstream of the ramp which the Kakadu National Park Board of Management proposes to close under the draft plan of management. Other issues are the reduction of the bag limit from 5 fish to 2, the proposed banning of competitions within the park, and the need for permits in certain sections, without which access will be denied to amateur fishermen in their own boats.
Together, these issues pose a very serious problem in that, through a number of initiatives, this government has made every effort to conserve the stocks of barramundi in the Northern Territory. Those initiatives have included the closure of the Daly and Roper Rivers to commercial fishermen. The aim was, of course, to enhance the experience of both Northern Territory-based amateur fishermen and the increasingly large numbers of interstate and overseas recreational fishermen the Northern Territory attracts. Members will recall that, in this year's budget, the Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment announced a program whereby the Northern Territory government, in conjunction with pastoralists, will provide access to a number of fishing spots to which access has previously been difficult to obtain or denied. This was intended not only to enhance the fishing experience, but also to conserve the stocks by increasing the number of available fishing locations.
These proposed limitations and closures at Kakadu National Park will again force the amateur fishing effort into smaller areas or increase the effort on areas such as the Mary River system which the Northern Territory government has taken great pains to conserve to the extent this year of spending a considerable amount on preventing further saltwater intrusion. Relocation, because of the forced reduction of effort in one river system, will increase the effort on the Daly River, the effort on the Roper River, the effort on the McArthur River and, closer to Darwin and of greater concern, the effort on the Mary River system. Apparently, the reason given by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency for further reducing the effort in Kakadu National Park is to conserve fish stocks. A recent survey at Yellow Waters by scientists of my department revealed that fish stocks are so large that there may be some stress, and this may be a cause of some incidence of red spot that they found. Recently, Professor Carl Walker from the University of British Columbia, a world-renowned expert on fish stock numbers assessment, reviewed the data used by my department to assess fish stocks of the Northern Territory. He assessed the barramundi stocks and the methodology used in our assessments as being fairly healthy.
Amateur fishermen at Jabiru have called a public meeting - I believe it is for a week tomorrow - to discuss the draft plan of management. I will be sending out officers of my department to observe that meeting and to provide technical advice. We cannot entertain a situation where one river system is protected to the exclusion of all others, and protected in a manner that bears no justification in science and in fact. Not only will the Amateur Fishermen's Association be conducting a public meeting at Jabiru next week, but its officers will also be flying to Canberra to make direct representations to ANCA and to Senator Robert Hill and others about the draft plan of management. Those representations will be supported by RecFish Australia, the peak recreational fishing body in Australia, which shares the concerns of the avid fishermen of the Northern Territory.
Page 1797
Finally, I think it is an indictment that the draft plan of management itself is very difficult to obtain. In fact, I understand that 10 copies at a time are transported from Jabiru to Darwin. The promulgation of this draft plan has been, let us say, not as wide and all-encompassing as it might have been. If ANCA wants informed and detailed comment on the draft plan of management, one would think it incumbent on that agency to ensure the relevant documents are available to all who wish to peruse them. I will be making representations to Senator Hill in relation to this draft plan of management to ensure not only that Northern Territory amateur fishermen retain their rights of access to Kakadu National Park, but also that the experience of Kakadu National Park and all other barramundi recreational fishing areas in the Northern Territory is heightened and able to be enjoyed equally by all Territorians.
Page 1798
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I have had representations from amateur fishing organisations. Indeed, I met yesterday, in company with the Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment, with representatives from the Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern Territory. I can advise the House that they are not very happy vegemites.
Page 1796
The draft plan of management for Kakadu National Park proposes further restrictions on amateur fishermen and their ability to use the park. The Amateur Fishermen's Association of the Northern Territory raised a number of issues with us. The first was continued access to parts of the park, especially those areas of the East Alligator upstream of the ramp which the Kakadu National Park Board of Management proposes to close under the draft plan of management. Other issues are the reduction of the bag limit from 5 fish to 2, the proposed banning of competitions within the park, and the need for permits in certain sections, without which access will be denied to amateur fishermen in their own boats.
Together, these issues pose a very serious problem in that, through a number of initiatives, this government has made every effort to conserve the stocks of barramundi in the Northern Territory. Those initiatives have included the closure of the Daly and Roper Rivers to commercial fishermen. The aim was, of course, to enhance the experience of both Northern Territory-based amateur fishermen and the increasingly large numbers of interstate and overseas recreational fishermen the Northern Territory attracts. Members will recall that, in this year's budget, the Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment announced a program whereby the Northern Territory government, in conjunction with pastoralists, will provide access to a number of fishing spots to which access has previously been difficult to obtain or denied. This was intended not only to enhance the fishing experience, but also to conserve the stocks by increasing the number of available fishing locations.
These proposed limitations and closures at Kakadu National Park will again force the amateur fishing effort into smaller areas or increase the effort on areas such as the Mary River system which the Northern Territory government has taken great pains to conserve to the extent this year of spending a considerable amount on preventing further saltwater intrusion. Relocation, because of the forced reduction of effort in one river system, will increase the effort on the Daly River, the effort on the Roper River, the effort on the McArthur River and, closer to Darwin and of greater concern, the effort on the Mary River system. Apparently, the reason given by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency for further reducing the effort in Kakadu National Park is to conserve fish stocks. A recent survey at Yellow Waters by scientists of my department revealed that fish stocks are so large that there may be some stress, and this may be a cause of some incidence of red spot that they found. Recently, Professor Carl Walker from the University of British Columbia, a world-renowned expert on fish stock numbers assessment, reviewed the data used by my department to assess fish stocks of the Northern Territory. He assessed the barramundi stocks and the methodology used in our assessments as being fairly healthy.
Amateur fishermen at Jabiru have called a public meeting - I believe it is for a week tomorrow - to discuss the draft plan of management. I will be sending out officers of my department to observe that meeting and to provide technical advice. We cannot entertain a situation where one river system is protected to the exclusion of all others, and protected in a manner that bears no justification in science and in fact. Not only will the Amateur Fishermen's Association be conducting a public meeting at Jabiru next week, but its officers will also be flying to Canberra to make direct representations to ANCA and to Senator Robert Hill and others about the draft plan of management. Those representations will be supported by RecFish Australia, the peak recreational fishing body in Australia, which shares the concerns of the avid fishermen of the Northern Territory.
Page 1797
Finally, I think it is an indictment that the draft plan of management itself is very difficult to obtain. In fact, I understand that 10 copies at a time are transported from Jabiru to Darwin. The promulgation of this draft plan has been, let us say, not as wide and all-encompassing as it might have been. If ANCA wants informed and detailed comment on the draft plan of management, one would think it incumbent on that agency to ensure the relevant documents are available to all who wish to peruse them. I will be making representations to Senator Hill in relation to this draft plan of management to ensure not only that Northern Territory amateur fishermen retain their rights of access to Kakadu National Park, but also that the experience of Kakadu National Park and all other barramundi recreational fishing areas in the Northern Territory is heightened and able to be enjoyed equally by all Territorians.
Page 1798
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016