Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition oppose this motion. We are 100 per cent committed to a network of marine parks. Through the Commonwealth Marine Reserves Review process, we have run over 170 consultations nationwide to ensure that when we do implement marine management plans they appropriately balance conservation, recreation, commercial and Indigenous needs. Labor should have tried consulting with the communities who depend on the marine environment when they were in government. The Australian fisheries management framework is second to none. The recent ABARES fishery status reports show that no solely Commonwealth managed fisheries is subject to over-fishing. This is a significant milestone, highlighting that we should be proud of our exceptionally well-managed fisheries.