Mr LANHUPUY - 1994-12-01
Mr Speaker, the minister will be aware of repeated expressions of concern among Aboriginal people concerning fisheries management, illegal fishing and over-fishing. To ensure that these concerns are heard and communication is improved between Aboriginal people and other sections of the fishing industry, will the minister move to ensure that Aboriginal people are represented on the management advisory committees of the relevant fisheries?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the advisory committees established in relation to specific fisheries are for the Timor box fishery and the shark fishery. We rely on the people involved in those fisheries. In terms of Aboriginal consultation, we have set up a consultative committee with the Anindilyakwa Land Council that is working very well at the moment. The intention is to expand that consultation further to other communities around the coast. In the next couple of weeks, I will be visiting the Tiwi Land Council to discuss concerns that it has in relation to the fisheries in the waters surrounding the Tiwi Islands. I and the Fisheries Division intend to continue the consultation process we have established with various Aboriginal communities. I do not intend to place Aboriginal people or their representatives on the fishery industry advisory councils because they relate to specific fisheries and, as I said in relation to the shark fishery, the mackerel fishery and the demersal fishery, we want people with particular expertise in those fisheries. Aboriginal concerns will be addressed through the consultative committee that has been established with the Anindilyakwa Land Council, consultations that we will be having with the Tiwi Land Council and consultations we intend to have and advisory committees we intend to establish with the other communities around the coast.
Page 374
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the advisory committees established in relation to specific fisheries are for the Timor box fishery and the shark fishery. We rely on the people involved in those fisheries. In terms of Aboriginal consultation, we have set up a consultative committee with the Anindilyakwa Land Council that is working very well at the moment. The intention is to expand that consultation further to other communities around the coast. In the next couple of weeks, I will be visiting the Tiwi Land Council to discuss concerns that it has in relation to the fisheries in the waters surrounding the Tiwi Islands. I and the Fisheries Division intend to continue the consultation process we have established with various Aboriginal communities. I do not intend to place Aboriginal people or their representatives on the fishery industry advisory councils because they relate to specific fisheries and, as I said in relation to the shark fishery, the mackerel fishery and the demersal fishery, we want people with particular expertise in those fisheries. Aboriginal concerns will be addressed through the consultative committee that has been established with the Anindilyakwa Land Council, consultations that we will be having with the Tiwi Land Council and consultations we intend to have and advisory committees we intend to establish with the other communities around the coast.
Page 374
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016