SCALLOP FISHERY — ABROLHOS ISLANDS AND
SHARK BAY
410. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the minister representing the Minister for Fisheries:
My question without notice is asked
on behalf of Hon Jim Chown, who is on urgent parliamentary business.
The scallop industry that fishes at
the Abrolhos Islands and Shark Bay was decimated by a west coast marine heatwave in 2012, which adversely impacted on the
Abrolhos fishery and closed the Shark Bay fishery. The fisheries,
according to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, are
back to healthy stock numbers; however, the voluntary fisheries adjustment
scheme licence fees currently equate to 50 per cent of fishing returns.
(1) Is the
minister prepared to sit down with industry representatives and discuss with
them a possible restructure of VFAS for the scallop industry?
(2) If this is possible, when would
the minister be available for such a discussion?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank Hon Jim Chown for notice of
the question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister
for Fisheries.
(1)–(2) At
the request of the minister, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development has been engaging closely with representatives of the Shark Bay and
Abrolhos Island midwest scallop fisheries about this matter. The Minister for
Fisheries anticipates receiving advice from the department shortly.