House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Motions Fisheries Management Act FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ACT Adjourned debate on motion of Mr Pederick: That the regulation under the Fisheries Management Act 2007, entitled General Variation, made on 27 September 2012 and laid on the table of this house on 16 October, be disallowed. (Continued from 28 November 2012.) Mr PEDERICK House of Assembly Hammond Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (11:26): I just wish to make some very few comments on the Fisheries Management Act 2007, General Variation disallowance, in regard to a regulation made under the Fisheries Management Act 2007. This regulation was made on 27 September 2012 and relates to recreational fishing limits. This regulation manages regulations around the allowable amount of razor fish, cockles and whiting that can be caught. We were certainly concerned on this side of the house. We had a different position from the government, particularly in regard to the limit on whiting, in this instance. We did not have a species-specific outcome on this at the time it was issued, but we did have that ability to do so under our policy. I note that, when the government came out with a species-specific policy of seven kilograms, I obviously was not pleased because it did not come anywhere near what we thought was a sustainable limit of 20 kilograms of whiting for recreational fishers, especially for people who go to far-flung regional areas of this state. But I will note that, following my introduction of the disallowance in this place, and the introduction by the Hon. John Dawkins in another place of a similar disallowance, the government came to the table and discussed it with me. Mehdi Doroudi, from Fisheries, who I have a great respect for, and departmental officers came to speak with me on behalf of the minister. I acknowledge that the government has moved on this issue, that we have had a compromise win, and that it has come to a limit of 10 kilograms for whiting. I am not entirely pleased that we did not get further. I had discussions with people who would be affected by this and representatives of communities such as, for example, the Mayor of Ceduna, Allan Suter, who I have a great respect for. We had some robust discussions at times around these limits, noting that commercial fisheries have to operate and that there have never been recreational fishing limits in South Australian history. However, I note the movement by the government, and I am pleased with the end result; in so saying, I move: That this item be withdrawn from the Notice Paper. Motion carried; order of the day withdrawn.