Burke bolts on marine park areas

The Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Forestery, Senator Richard Colbeck, says Australia’s $2 billion fishing sector was being treated with complete contempt by Environment Minister Tony Burke yet again -- given only 30 days to review management plans for his huge, unscientific ocean grab.

Mr Burke was trying to bolt through the management plans associated with the lock up of swathes of ocean around Australia, Senator Colbeck said.

"The Australian fishing industry has been given just 30 days to comment on these management plans despite their reach and impact,” he said.

"Many operators are affected by the plan in more than one bioregion and some of them in all bioregions.

"How can they possibly examine the detail of the impact around the entire Australian EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and comment in just 30 days?"

Senator Colbeck said industry groups had quite rightly asked for 90 days, which would allow time to properly review and comment on the proposed management plans. "And where is Fishing Minister Joe Ludwig’s passionate defence of his portfolio?" said Senator Colbeck. "I bet he hasn’t gone fishing, but certainly missing in action as usual."

"This is an industry which provides 16,000 jobs for Australians. It is about time that Tony Burke and his government started listening to a productive sector and not their Green Coalition partners, who seem intent on shutting industry down and locking Australians out of their own country.”