Lucky_Phill
20-03-2003, 11:08 AM
Primary Industries & Rural Communities, Henry Palaszczuk
17/03/03
Negotiations to re-open USA market for Qld prawns
The State Government believes negotiations with United States authorities to re-open their market to wild-caught prawns from Queensland and Torres Strait waters could be successfully concluded next month, Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said today.
Mr Palaszczuk said the US had overtaken Japan as the world's biggest importer of prawns with imports totalling more than US$3.7 billion annually, but the market had been closed to Queensland wild-caught prawns since 1996.
"Although Japan will continue to be Australia's largest export market for prawns, the US will provide an attractive market," Mr Palaszczuk said.
"The talks to re-open the US market for Queensland prawns follow the State Government's move to standardise the commercial fishing equipment (turtle excluder devices or TEDs) that minimise the risk to turtles from trawling."
"Queensland's east coast trawl fishery and the Torres Strait are TED compliant."
Torres Strait fisheries are jointly managed by the Commonwealth and the Queensland Government.
In 1996, the US stopped prawn imports from fisheries not using TEDs.
Mr Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government, through the Department of Primary Industries' Queensland Fisheries Service, and the Commonwealth department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia have opened negotiations with the US Department of State.
Mr Palaszczuk said industry, through the Queensland Seafood Industry Association and Queensland Seafood Marketers' Association, had played a key role in working to re-open the US market.
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3239 3004
So much for cutting back on the wild caught prawns and heading towards Aquaculture :( :'(
17/03/03
Negotiations to re-open USA market for Qld prawns
The State Government believes negotiations with United States authorities to re-open their market to wild-caught prawns from Queensland and Torres Strait waters could be successfully concluded next month, Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said today.
Mr Palaszczuk said the US had overtaken Japan as the world's biggest importer of prawns with imports totalling more than US$3.7 billion annually, but the market had been closed to Queensland wild-caught prawns since 1996.
"Although Japan will continue to be Australia's largest export market for prawns, the US will provide an attractive market," Mr Palaszczuk said.
"The talks to re-open the US market for Queensland prawns follow the State Government's move to standardise the commercial fishing equipment (turtle excluder devices or TEDs) that minimise the risk to turtles from trawling."
"Queensland's east coast trawl fishery and the Torres Strait are TED compliant."
Torres Strait fisheries are jointly managed by the Commonwealth and the Queensland Government.
In 1996, the US stopped prawn imports from fisheries not using TEDs.
Mr Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government, through the Department of Primary Industries' Queensland Fisheries Service, and the Commonwealth department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia have opened negotiations with the US Department of State.
Mr Palaszczuk said industry, through the Queensland Seafood Industry Association and Queensland Seafood Marketers' Association, had played a key role in working to re-open the US market.
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3239 3004
So much for cutting back on the wild caught prawns and heading towards Aquaculture :( :'(