Grievance Debate

Rock Lobster Fishing Industry

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (16:50): I rise today with concern for the rock lobster industry in South Australia. As many of us would know, China is our largest trading partner and has been a boon for the commodity sector in South Australia. Our primary producers have geared up their properties, the types and varietals that they were going to grow. It was riding on the back of the free trade agreement back in 2015. We have had issues with barley, livestock feed, red meat, wine, rock lobster and timber.

What we have seen today really is concerning. We have had the Premier of China, Li Qiang, visit South Australia over the weekend, and more broadly he has travelled from one side of the nation to the other, looking at rebuilding trade relations. What we saw in South Australia was that the Premier was prepared to talk about pandas, but the trade minister was not present—not present with our largest trading partner. I think it is outrageous that he was either excluded—not worthy, not capable—or not invited.

It would be good to know that something of such importance in South Australia had a minister, a representative for South Australia, as well as the Premier, dealing with rekindling that friendship, that relationship, with our largest trading partner. We have seen over time that trade tariffs have impacted significantly. The question I asked the minister today was: did he attend any of the functions with the Premier, Li Qiang, as part of a delegation to talk about trade, to talk about reinstating what is the last piece of the puzzle, live rock lobster exports? He said no and sat back down. There was no preamble, there was no concern—just 'no'.

Obviously, he is not happy he was not there. I am sure the lobster industry is not happy that he was not there. I am sure that if the Premier had any good news—Good News Pete—he would have jumped up and said, 'Yes, we had a discussion about lobster, and we are looking to rekindle that relationship for a commodity that is so very important.' Again, in South Australia the value of that rock lobster has dropped from $150 million per annum down to $79 million. That is a significant loss. As I said in the question, an average family fishing business has lost between $1.5 million and $1.8 million through the course of these trade barriers.

There is no sensible reason for these sanctions to continue, so I am hoping that if anyone with a listening ear of influence into the Chinese export sector is listening—if Siri is listening, if anyone is listening—please give our South Australian lobster fishermen respect and consideration for reinstating a full trade ability, as we once had under the free trade agreement.

The $400 million gross product that has gone missing from the lobster industry is a huge concern not only to our economy but to the regional fishing economy. Those fishermen almost put their lives on the line every day they go out and deal with collecting, harvesting and catching lobster to put on tables around the world. It is a world-class product. There is nothing more that can be stated.

What we see in South Australia, from Ceduna in the northern zone to Port MacDonnell in the southern zone, is that those lobster fishermen are doing it tough. They have invested heavily to accommodate that growing trade, the growing opportunities for putting lobster into the Chinese restaurants and onto the Chinese tables. It is a premium product. Yes, it is expensive, but the world, and particularly China, is calling out for South Australian lobster to be put back onto its tables.

What I must say at the moment is that the lobster industry is at a turning point. We have a world-class product, we have a journey that for lobster fishermen has been varied in the last four years. We have boats sitting in ports unused, we have licences that are being transferred or sold due to hardship, we have fleets of ships that now do not have licences attached to them, and so they continue to sell those licences. But the rot did not just stop with China. The rot stopped with marine parks, COVID, planes, trade barriers, and the industry is afloat but only just.