Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

It is important that the Senate notes the resolution on illegal fishing agreed by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly on 16 February this year—important because the Howard government needs to recognise that the Northern Territory, like the other states and territories, is tired of this government’s inability or unwillingness to act against illegal fishing in Australian waters. Not unexpectedly, the Northern Territory’s resolution concerns Australia’s northern waters, waters that are being systematically pillaged by illegal fishers.

The Northern Territory Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, Mr Vatskalis, noted during debate on the illegal fishing resolution that illegal incursions threaten our fishing resources, our biosecurity and our sovereignty. He also informed the assembly that the Territory’s entreaties to the Commonwealth to take action against illegal fishers have gone largely unanswered. Dozens of suspected illegal fishers are sighted in Australian waters each day; only a fraction of these are ever intercepted. Among those, most are subject to the Howard government’s catch and release policy.

The concerns expressed by the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly are not held in isolation. The Northern Territory Seafood Council has said its members are concerned about the threat illegal fishing poses to the future of the industry in the north. The Western Australian government and the Western Australian fishing industry have expressed similar concerns. Federal Labor, through the shadow minister for agriculture and fisheries, Mr Gavan O’Connor, has long insisted that the Howard government take firm action against the plundering of our waters.

How has the Howard government responded? In the main, with empty words. The former fisheries minister, Senator Ian Macdonald, has copped enough of a bagging without my joining in—in my view, much of the criticism of his performance has been justified. I do not think he cared too little about the threat of illegal fishing but I do not think he got the support he needed from his colleagues to take effective action.

Senator Scullion is another member of the government who I have no doubt shares the frustration of the Northern Territory Labor government, the fishing industry and federal Labor with the Howard government’s lack of resolve on illegal fishing. Senator Scullion talks a big game in the Territory but utters not a peep of protest against his government’s inaction here in Canberra.

Senator Abetz is the direct beneficiary of Senator Macdonald’s dumping from the ministry. It is yet to be seen if the industry will benefit from his appointment. More to the point, it is yet to be seen if he will do any more to tackle illegal fishing than his predecessor. He has dumped, I might say, on Senator Macdonald already by conceding that the Howard government’s approach to illegal fishing has failed. What Senator Abetz has failed to do, however, is explain how he will do better.

I encourage Senator Abetz to respond to the Northern Territory resolution in a positive manner. The minister must begin by acknowledging the deep frustration held by the states and territories and the fishing industry relating to the Howard government’s failure to tackle illegal fishing. The Northern Territory wants the Prime Minister to convene a summit of relevant ministers and stakeholders to develop a national strategy. The Howard government’s approach to illegal fishing is not working—even Senator Abetz acknowledges the fact. I want to know whether Senator Abetz will take that proposal—that is, the proposal of the Northern Territory assembly—to the Prime Minister and work with his state and territory ministerial counterparts on a national plan. I would like to know, if he is not intending to do that, then why not? Why will he not work with those colleagues, as they request?