Marine Bioregional Planning
23rd April 2012
Following the Industry Submission for the Coral Sea and Temperate East available on our website under NEWS FEED, the federal government is meeting today with members of the seafood industry to provide feedback on the industry submission. Then industry is to meet with the Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to put our case directly to the Minister in an effort to keep access to important fisheries such as trawl, longline, deepwater fin fish, seacucmber and aquarium fisheries. Similarly, this will also occur for fishermen and seafood businesses impacted under the federal government's marine planning process for the Gulf of Carpentaria.
2nd December 2011
The proposed Coral Sea Conservation Zone has been released by federal Environment Minister Tony Burke. Click on the Coral Sea Conservation Zone link to see the map. QSIA along with NSW peak bodies are in the process of establishing a Reference Group to develop the Industry Submission which will seek to minimise impacts on the professional fishermen and fishing businesses who rely on commercial fishing areas designated for closure in the Coral Sea. For more information contact the office on 3262 6855.
13th November 2011
The second and final workshop of the North Marine Region Reference Group, held in Darwin on Tuesday has finalised the maps for an industry submission that will minimise impacts on commercial fishermen and still maintains a significant level of protection for the Commonwealth. The Reference Group along with the Industry Liaison Officer Andy Bodsworth will now complete the written submission which is due by the 28th of this month. Once completed the submission will be posted on our website available to members.
11th November 2011
Today, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke released the draft marine plan for the East. If you follow the links below you will see that there are currently no proposals for a marine reserve in the Fraser or Tweed AFA’s. This is good news and vindicates the hard work by many from industry in the lead up to and beyond the last federal election. However, there remains some significant issues with the draft plan that the QSIA, John Harrison of the Professional Fishermen’s Association (PFA) of NSW, Grahame Turk of the Sydney Fish Market and Trixi Maddon of the Commonwealth Fisheries Association (CFA) will continue to work through on behalf of the seafood industry. It is important that industry remain united and supportive of our NSW colleagues who will clearly bear the brunt of the proposed network of marine reserves if this draft plan remains unchanged. The process from here is the above-mentioned peak bodies will develop an industry submission to take to the Minister as part of the 90 day consultation period that seeks to minimise impacts on the commercial fishing industry. In developing this submission we will seek input from impacted businesses and ensure their issues are included. If you are impacted by the draft plan please contact QSIA to discuss. This plan does not include the Coral Sea which will be released soon. Upon release, peak bodies will be following the same process in an effort to minimise impacts on seafood businesses. The link to the draft plan is: www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/temperate-east
12th October 2011
A recent workshop in Cairns attended by fishermen and buyers of seafood from the Gulf of Carpentaria has commenced drafting an industry submission for the North Marine draft reserve network that further minimises impacts on the seafood industry and the communities that have a stake in this important primary industry food producing sector. In addition, ABARES have sent out a survey to commercial fishing license holders and seafood buyers to complete as part of the socio-economic impact assessment that will identify a value of lost fishery production and impacts on fishing businesses as well as economic and social impacts on related northern businesses and communities. A second workshop will convene in November to complete this process and ensure all impacts have been recognised and included in the industry submission. For more information on how to complete the ABARES survey contact ABARES staff on 1800 723 777 and for more information on the marine planning process contact Andy Bodsworth, Fishing Industry Liaison Officer for the North region on 03 5255 3819, mobile on 0439 602 769 and email andybods@cobaltmrm.com.au
30th August 2011
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has released the Proposed Marine Reserve Network for the North West and North regions. The maps – Cape York, Carpentaria and the Wessels are available here.
QSIA Media Release 24.08.2011- North Region
The release of the draft network means a 90 day consultation period has now begun which will see the QSIA, NTSC and the NPF engage directly with members to identify any impacts and make a submission that further minimises these impacts on commercial fishing businesses, allied industries and communities.
5th August 2011
The National Seafood Industry Alliance recently met with SEWPaC for a meeting, the purpose of which was to review the Fisheries Gear Risk Assessments (FGRA's). Just prior to the meeting notice was given that the FGRA's, a policy of the Government, was not on the agenda for revision. Industry has had the FGRA's peer reviewed and has been advising the government for some time of the flaws in the assessments and to date, it is fair to say we have been under the impression our concerns on the FGRA's will be the subject of further discussion with government in an attempt to resolve some or all of our concerns. However, the recent meeting with SEWPaC made it clear that this is not on the government's agenda which is cause of great concern. NSIA is now to meet with the Minister to see if this matter can be resolved. This will no doubt impact on the schedule for the North and East Marine bioregions.
23rd May 2011
The Commonwealth government recently released the South West Draft Bioregional Plan and Draft Marine Reserve Network. For more information on the Plan go to www.environment.gov.au and follow the links to bioregional marine planning. The release of the Draft Network starts a 90 public consultation phase where the community can have input into the proposed network. The Commonwealth Displacement Policy has also been released and is now available on the QSIA website.
Discussions with commercial fishers on the North marine region are continuing and are soon to commence in the East. More information will be provided when available.
21st January 2011
The latest advice we have just recieved from government is the release of the Displacement Policy will now be some time in February and the Draft Plan for the South West sometime in March.
6th December 2010
The National Seafood Industry Alliance recently met with federal Environment Minister Tony Burke. This was the Alliance’s first formal meeting with the Minister since the election and the opportunity to get a sense of where the commonwealth marine planning process is heading. The Minister advised the South West Marine Bioregion Draft Plan will be released late January early February 2011 preceded by the release of the government’s displacement policy. The release of the Draft Plan will initiate a 90 public consultation phase where input to the Draft Plan will be considered before the government makes final decisions on a Plan for the South West expected to be in July/August 2011. The Draft Plans for the North West and North will be released in April/May 2011 with the East region to follow later in the year.
The Minister re-affirmed his earlier commitment to work with the seafood sector to introduce a representative network of marine protected areas that minimizes impacts on the commercial fishing industry. We will naturally be watching closely the process as it develops in the South West. The NSIA has sought a review of the Government’s fisheries (gear) risk assessment that is being led by Jeff Moore, Colin Buxton and Ian Knuckey. This review will look at the government’s recommendations contained in their Risk Assessment Analysis for gear types for both highly protected areas and multiple use areas. The areas for further assessment impacting on Queensland are the Gulf of Carpentaria and West Cape York AFAs in the North, the Fraser and Tweed AFA’s and the Coral Sea in the East. Please don’t hesitate to to contact me on 0418 448 616 if you have further enquiries.
