Marine parks threaten supply of Australian seafood

Jobs go, communities impacted, more imported seafood

The National Seafood Industry Alliance (NSIA) will next week present to parliamentarians, five refined proposals to the Commonwealth Government’s marine reserve networks.

The Commonwealth Government’s marine plans that are currently on the table will have a significant impact on the future of Australia’s commercial fishing industry and more broadly will directly affect ninety communities all around Australia’s coastline.

It is important for parliamentarians to hear about the full range of impacts and costs the current plans will have before making their own policy decisions.

The Commonwealth State and Territory commercial fishing industries have prepared comprehensive proposals for the South-west, North-west, North, Coral Sea and Temperate East Commonwealth Marine Reserve Networks.

These proposals will minimise the impacts and costs to the commercial fishing industry, government and communities.

"Commercial fishing activities are already tightly regulated and these will be impacted further by the Government’s marine plans. Australia already imports over 70 per cent of seafood, we need to ensure that Australians will continue to have access to premium local seafood," said Trixi Madon, chief executive officer of the Commonwealth Fisheries Association.

The briefing will take place at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday May 29 from 12pm to 1pm. The presentation slides will also be available on the NSIA website at www.seafoodforaustralia.com.au after the presentation. The industry proposals are available HERE.

KEY POINTS

- There are already over 200 Marine Protected Areas in Australia designated by State, Territory and Commonwealth Governments, including the South-east Marine Reserve Network that was established in 2007.

The NSIA says Australia’s commercial fishing, pearling and aquaculture industry is worth more than $2 billion annually, but this figure does not include the value of other activity and employment associated with the harvesting sector, eg, processing, repairs and maintenance, retail and restaurant sales.

A 2009 World Bank study found that 80% of the total value of wild catch seafood production is created during activities through the processing and supply chain.

The NSIA is investing substantial resources in responding to the Government’s proposals for new Marine Reserve Networks in the:

• South-west, that calls for 40.8% of this one region to be made a reserve;

• North-west, calls for 35% of the region;

• North, calls for 19% of the region;

• East Temperate, calls for 25.3%; and

• Coral Sea, where the Government wants to claim 100% of the region.

The Coral Sea Marine Reserve alone as proposed by the Fishing Industry is a massive 958,023 sq kms – an area twice the size of the world’s largest existing marine reserve. Nearly 20% of this area will exclude all commercial fishing.

The NSIA believes the Government proposals, across all regions:

• Will render many fishing businesses unprofitable and will immediately close some fishing businesses;

• Fail to acknowledge the impact on Australia’s food security by reducing the supply of local seafood from sustainable fisheries;

• Fail to appreciate the much larger cumulative impact on the Australian Fishing Industry as a whole;

• Will benefit foreign fisheries importing fish into Australia many of which may not be subject to the same high sustainability and ecosystem protection standards that apply to Australian fisheries;

• Fail to detail the substantial cost to government (taxpayers) of the implementation, on-going management, monitoring, research and enforcement of the Marine Reserve Networks.

It is in every Australian’s interest to have a viable Australian commercial fishing industry to supply them a sustainable local food source now, and in the future, and says NSIA:

• Continue to provide employment in the regions;

• Be a vital part of the economy and social fabric of many small remote coastal communities;

• Generate export income;

• Lower the Government’s assistance costs to the fishing industry; and

• Allows for fisheries development into the future and flexibility in responding to climate change.

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Marine parks threaten supply of Australian seafood

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