FISHERIES — LOCAL
LOBSTER PROGRAM
1118. Hon JIM CHOWN to the minister representing the Minister
for Fisheries:
Yesterday in answer to question
without notice 1085, the minister stated —
The
local lobster program is an annual program that takes place over the summer
season to Easter each year.
(1) Did the local
lobster program operate between 15 January 2018 and 22 March 2018?
(2) Yesterday,
the minister also answered —
There is no
suggestion that the program would be cancelled �
In the program currently in
operation, has the minister informed the Western Rock Lobster Council that
there will be an LLP in the future?
(3) The minister
also stated, in reply to question without notice 1085 —
The review found
it was too inaccessible to the local public and local restaurants �
Where in the report does it make such
a statement?
(4) Will the
minister table the local lobster review report?
(5) Continuing
with the minister's reply to question without notice 1085, the minister
stated —
On two occasions this year we reached
agreement � on this significant increase to local supply.
Could the minister please state what
those two agreements were, and table the agreements?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
Come
in spinner! I thank the member for the question. The Minister for Fisheries has
provided the following answer.
(1) A local
lobster program was in place from 3 December 2017 to 14 January 2018, and then
from 23 March 2018 to 15 May 2018.
(2) The most
recent local lobster program finished on 30 April 2019. The program runs over
the summer and Easter period every year, and has done so since 2016. The
program will recommence in December 2019.
(3) The review
found that significant amounts of lobster under the first three phases of the
local lobster program were retained by commercial fishermen for their own
consumption. The majority of lobsters were sold from a fisher's boat or
home. Restauranteurs identified issues with continuity of supply and the
requirement to deal with multiple suppliers.
(4) Yes. I table
the local lobster review report. The report is the final report of the
department; however, it is formatted to accommodate feedback from the Western
Rock Lobster Council. However, no feedback was provided by the Western Rock Lobster Council, despite the report being
provided to it on 28 November 2018.
(5) On 8 February 2019, the government and the Western
Rock Lobster Council reached agreement to significantly increase local supply.
Over the subsequent months, the government and the Western Rock Lobster Council
negotiated and agreed on two
proposals to deliver this increased supply. The Western Rock Lobster Council
withdrew its support for both proposals following consultation with its
members. I table the two agreements.
[See paper 3225.]