DaneCross
23-11-2005, 02:57 PM
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=73793
Govt to buy back 600 fishing licences
Wednesday Nov 23 13:41 AEST
The federal government has announced it plans to buy back about 600 commercial fishing licences as part of a $220 million package to ease pressure on fish species in Australian marine waters.
Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald said the aim of the plan was to reduce fishing pressure on 17 fisheries regarded as being under pressure.
"Today I am announcing the largest structural adjustment package ever offered to the Australian fishing industry," he told reporters.
"We want to decisively end overfishing in commonwealth waters.
"It's about making the tough decisions today so that we do have a fishing industry tomorrow."
The centrepiece of the Securing our Fishing Future package is a one-off buyback scheme worth $150 million.
It would be available to licence-holders around the country but was expected to have its greatest impact in the continent's south-east.
A further $70 million will go towards tasks such as offsetting the impact of reduced fishing activity on onshore businesses and towards a fund to generate new economic and employment activities in affected fishing ports.
"We want to reduce the number of boats and increase the number of fish," Mr Macdonald said.
"To reduce the number of boats, the commonwealth will buy back fishing licences in commonwealth fisheries.
"To increase the (numbers of) fish around, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) will be substantially reducing the allowable catch of overfished species.
Mr Macdonald said the states would be asked to follow up with cutbacks of their own.
"As part of this package, we are going to be asking, particularly NSW, Tasmania and Victoria to actually take some complementary action," he said.
Mr Macdonald said the main impact would specifically be on overfished fisheries, most notably the fisheries around the NSW, Victorian and Tasmanian coasts.
These include the eastern tuna and billfish fishery and Bass Strait central zone scallop fishery, both of which are low-return or even negative return fisheries.
The plan does not affect the southern bluefin tuna fishery, which is internationally regulated.
"We'd be hoping to achieve a very substantial reduction in the number of fishermen," he said.
"We'd be looking at a target of about half (the 1,200 commonwealth licences) that are currently there.
"It will depend on who offers those licences. It is a voluntary kind of process where it's not compulsorily forcing anyone out."
"But I think the industry is in such a state that there will be many lining up to offer their licences.
He said about 17 per cent the south-east's fishery comprised commonwealth licence holders.
There could also be some impact on supermarket prices.
"There'll be less fishermen producing less fish to the fish markets," Mr Macdonald said.
"Already, 60 per cent of the fish that we use in Australia is imported fish and I suspect that that will go up a bit with the catch of freshly caught Australian produce, particularly from the south-east fishery (likely to fall)."
He said it was difficult to predict where the impact would be felt most.
"Quite obviously fishing communities like Lakes Entrance, Portland, Eden, perhaps Ulladulla and Bermagui, perhaps Mooloolabah in Queensland, will be the ports that could have some impact in these cutbacks."
Mr Macdonald said the south-east industry fishing association approached him about six months ago seeking a buyback to get the industry back onto a sustainable level.
"My fairly extensive contact with fishermen around Australia in the last 12 months tells me that there are many of them just hanging on by their fingernails," he said.
"I think many of them will grab at this lifeline being offered to them by this government and get out with some dignity."
Govt to buy back 600 fishing licences
Wednesday Nov 23 13:41 AEST
The federal government has announced it plans to buy back about 600 commercial fishing licences as part of a $220 million package to ease pressure on fish species in Australian marine waters.
Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald said the aim of the plan was to reduce fishing pressure on 17 fisheries regarded as being under pressure.
"Today I am announcing the largest structural adjustment package ever offered to the Australian fishing industry," he told reporters.
"We want to decisively end overfishing in commonwealth waters.
"It's about making the tough decisions today so that we do have a fishing industry tomorrow."
The centrepiece of the Securing our Fishing Future package is a one-off buyback scheme worth $150 million.
It would be available to licence-holders around the country but was expected to have its greatest impact in the continent's south-east.
A further $70 million will go towards tasks such as offsetting the impact of reduced fishing activity on onshore businesses and towards a fund to generate new economic and employment activities in affected fishing ports.
"We want to reduce the number of boats and increase the number of fish," Mr Macdonald said.
"To reduce the number of boats, the commonwealth will buy back fishing licences in commonwealth fisheries.
"To increase the (numbers of) fish around, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) will be substantially reducing the allowable catch of overfished species.
Mr Macdonald said the states would be asked to follow up with cutbacks of their own.
"As part of this package, we are going to be asking, particularly NSW, Tasmania and Victoria to actually take some complementary action," he said.
Mr Macdonald said the main impact would specifically be on overfished fisheries, most notably the fisheries around the NSW, Victorian and Tasmanian coasts.
These include the eastern tuna and billfish fishery and Bass Strait central zone scallop fishery, both of which are low-return or even negative return fisheries.
The plan does not affect the southern bluefin tuna fishery, which is internationally regulated.
"We'd be hoping to achieve a very substantial reduction in the number of fishermen," he said.
"We'd be looking at a target of about half (the 1,200 commonwealth licences) that are currently there.
"It will depend on who offers those licences. It is a voluntary kind of process where it's not compulsorily forcing anyone out."
"But I think the industry is in such a state that there will be many lining up to offer their licences.
He said about 17 per cent the south-east's fishery comprised commonwealth licence holders.
There could also be some impact on supermarket prices.
"There'll be less fishermen producing less fish to the fish markets," Mr Macdonald said.
"Already, 60 per cent of the fish that we use in Australia is imported fish and I suspect that that will go up a bit with the catch of freshly caught Australian produce, particularly from the south-east fishery (likely to fall)."
He said it was difficult to predict where the impact would be felt most.
"Quite obviously fishing communities like Lakes Entrance, Portland, Eden, perhaps Ulladulla and Bermagui, perhaps Mooloolabah in Queensland, will be the ports that could have some impact in these cutbacks."
Mr Macdonald said the south-east industry fishing association approached him about six months ago seeking a buyback to get the industry back onto a sustainable level.
"My fairly extensive contact with fishermen around Australia in the last 12 months tells me that there are many of them just hanging on by their fingernails," he said.
"I think many of them will grab at this lifeline being offered to them by this government and get out with some dignity."