David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Abetz. Has the minister seen a report alleging that a large number of dolphins are illegally taken by Indonesian fishermen off the Western Australian coast? What is the government’s response to these claims?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge Senator Johnston’s strong advocacy within government in assisting in the fight against the scourge of illegal fishing in our northern waters. I am aware of the report to which Senator Johnston refers. Let me say clearly and categorically that I am concerned by the suggestions. Every dolphin caught by illegal Indonesian fishermen is one dolphin too many. That is just one of the many reasons that the Howard government is investing an extra $389 million in protecting our borders from fish poachers—an investment which I note that those on the other side, judging from their opposition to the new mother ship, consider to be too much.

There is no doubt that Indonesian fish poachers take dolphin—generally for bait. But there is absolutely no evidence that dolphin are being targeted, as this report asserts, because the shark stocks are running out. In fact, I am advised that, out of the 841 Indonesian vessels apprehended in the past four years, only three have been found to have dolphin on board and, interestingly enough, none of those vessels have been caught off the north-west of Australia.

Let me say this about that so-called report: this is not about dolphins; it is all about the impending decision of the Western Australian fisheries minister, Mr Ford, to try to justify the closure of the Western Australian small blacktip shark and grey mackerel fisheries. In fact, I am informed that this alleged report is nothing more than an internal working document. I invite the Western Australian government to outline when this alleged report was written, by whom, what their scientific qualifications are and whether or not there was any peer review of that document. I suggest that the document was not based on rigorous science. The allegation is that 3,650 dolphins were caught. Quick maths tells you that there are 365 days in a year and that if you multiply that by a convenient 10 then, bingo, you have the figure of 3,650. It is a lot of guesswork with no science whatsoever. I would be very interested to learn about the robustness of this alleged report.

Western Australian shark fishermen and the Northern Shark Industry Association Chairman, Rob Lowden, told the West Australian on 11 August—and he has also told me—that there is no need to shut down the Western Australian blacktip shark fishery because of illegal fishing activities. In fact, these sharks are not even targeted by the illegal fishers. The interesting thing about all of this is that when the Western Australian government leaked this alleged report to the media they presented them with a photograph which was allegedly from the department of fisheries. That is false and wrong. It also said, ‘Here is a picture of a dolphin in a net.’ Once again, that was false and wrong. The picture was from Coastwatch, and do you know what was in that net? Very sadly, it was not a dolphin but a dugong. That is what happens when a state Labor government seeks to rush out to make mischief to try to justify not backing its decisions with any science or any integrity. (Time expired)

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Could the minister further inform the Senate as to the management—or mismanagement as the case may be—of the WA fisheries by the Western Australian state government?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point made by Senator Johnston is absolutely right. Those involved in the north-western shark fishery tell me that there is no need to close that fishery. What they are telling me is that they need a management plan. It is very easy for any fisheries minister to just close down a fishery as opposed to doing the hard work and getting the science together to develop a genuine and proper fisheries management regime.

What I suggest to Mr Ford and state Labor in Western Australia—as I have pleaded with them before on these issues—is this: do not rush to the media and then embarrass yourself by putting out wrong photographs and making wrong statements. Simply pick up the phone and I, as the fisheries minister, will be more than happy to cooperate so that we get a good, sensible regime of fish management right around the country.