Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Does the minister recall the Treasurer’s boast in his budget night address that:

We expect to double the number of fishing vessels apprehended in Australia’s northern waters ...

Can the minister confirm that last year Coastwatch recorded the sighting of 13,018 suspected illegal fishing vessels in Australian waters? That is an average of 35 illegal fishing vessels a day. Is the minister aware that the Australian Fisheries Management Authority has revealed that this new funding will lead to the apprehension of an average of two illegal fishing vessels each day? Now that we have been told how you will deal with two illegal fishing vessels each day, what will be done about the other 33?

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