MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3 OCTOBER 2020

DOWN but not out is the sentiment across the Queensland seafood industry.

‘This industry never fails to amaze me and just because an incompetent government has released some of the worst fisheries legislation in living memory does not mean the argument or advocacy stops’ said Allan Bobbermen, Chair of the Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA).

‘The industry will be watching the implementation of these draconian reforms by this Government very closely indeed. They passed these reforms without listening to commercial fishers and the industry as a whole. They were intent on passing these reforms no matter what the industry told them and it will be too late down the track to count the cost and the lasting impact on this industry; by then it will be too late to reverse the economic consequences.

‘I have spoken to members and commercial fishers across the State and its particularly important that every day, hardworking Queenslanders expect to have access to fresh local seafood. What we are going to see under these mindless reforms is less local caught seafood, fewer local family owned businesses and a massive influx of investors from the big end of town.

‘This so-called reform process will increase seafood imports as quota managed fisheries cap (with no justification) our ability to fish and utilise a resource that we access on behalf of the community in a sustainable way.

‘This is an industry that knows how to fight because they have been operating under investment warnings – meaning commercial fisheries are warned by government that any expansion of fishing effort or increased investment may not be recognised during fisheries reforms. I don’t know what other industry could run their businesses under such a burden for decades.

‘Queenslanders who think that this doesn’t affect them need to read the fine print in the actions of this Government on such a valuable industry; look at their past and current actions to glean an idea of what a future under this Government will look like. Whether we are talking about farmers or commercial fishers this Government chooses to target with its so-called sustainable reforms, there is nothing more certain than this current Government are business and job destroyers’ said Mr Bobbermen.

If commercial fishers want to continue the fight and want to know how please contact Lesley Powell at Milburns Law on 0417 256 333 or [email protected].

ENDS

Media contacts:

• Allan Bobbermen, QSIA Chair, Mobile 0458 546 300
• Eric Perez, QSIA Chief Executive Officer, Mobile 0414 631 353 [email protected]

Additional resources:

MR_Responding to Fisheries Reform_3 Oct 2020

MR_Anything but reform_30 Sept 2020