Question Time

Vessel Monitoring Systems

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries on the topic of vessel monitoring systems.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: The South Australian Marine Scalefish Fishery has been declared by the commonwealth government to be an approved wildlife trade operation under part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 until 7 December 2026, effectively granting export approval under the EPBC Act. However, of particular note, these conditions include the transition to electronic reporting, implementation of vessel monitoring systems, a review of bycatch and discarding reporting measures, and species-specific reporting for all catch of species listed by the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. My questions to the minister are:

1. Did the minister consult the Marine Fishers Association prior to her department signing off on an export agreement, which mandates the use of vessel monitoring systems in the South Australian marine scale fishery and, if not, why not?

2. Can the minister confirm that the information that is retrieved via the vessel monitoring systems will be kept confidential?

3. Can the minister outline the compliance benefits that vessel monitoring systems bring to the industry that isn't already achieved in the current compliance and electronic reporting regime?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:25): I thank the honourable member for her question. Vessel monitoring systems are already in use across several South Australian fisheries, including the northern zone rock lobster, southern zone abalone, sardine and giant crab. I am advised that it has proven to be a useful and successful tool in these industries.

I am advised that at a commonwealth level VMS has been a useful tool in giving compliance teams the ability to monitor vessels digitally, leading to efficiencies that can potentially flow through the cost-recovery process. VMS implementation in our state has the potential to reduce the compliance effort required to monitor the commercial fisheries by giving PIRSA a proven tool to be able to monitor vessels more efficiently. The implementation costs of the VMS units will be covered by a grant from Commonwealth Parks Australia, meaning there will be no up-front cost to industry to implement VMS.

I understand that PIRSA has recently undertaken a consultation process with each of the commercial fishing sectors where it is proposed that VMS will be introduced. Once I have received and considered the advice from PIRSA on its proposal I will be able to speak further on this matter. However, I think it's worth perhaps putting a little bit more of the context.

The commercial fishery sector is a significant contributor to the South Australian economy. In 2021-22, $207 million was contributed to South Australia's GDP and $432 million to gross state product. To futureproof the management of the state's fisheries resources, PIRSA has invested in the digital transformation of electronic catch and disposal records, known as ECDRs, and electronic catch and effort logbooks, or e-logbooks. This ensures simple, timely and accurate submission of fishing data to PIRSA.

As part of this digital transformation, PIRSA is exploring other technologies to increase operational efficiencies, to gather real-time fishing and spatial data for accurate resource management and meet growing community expectations regarding sustainable fisheries. Vessel monitoring systems (VMS) are one such technology that can meet these requirements.

A VMS is a computer-based system that allows the position, speed and direction of vessels to be automatically transmitted from a vessel and analysed from shore. VMS is widely used by the commercial fishing industry globally and is currently on all commonwealth and Queensland commercial fishing vessels, and to varying and increasing degrees in other jurisdictions. PIRSA is now proposing to implement VMS across the remaining offshore commercial fisheries in South Australia.

There are fisheries not included in this initial implementation plan. These are the Lakes and Coorong, Lake Eyre Basin, river and vongole fisheries. This is because of their relatively restricted or inland spatial fishing grounds or area of operation. At this stage, the charter boat fishery is also excluded because of its recreational fishing focus. It is possible that in the future some of these fisheries may be considered for VMS, although they are not currently under consideration.

PIRSA considers VMS to be an adaptable, contemporary fisheries management tool for commercial fishing vessels in South Australia. The initial purchase and installation of the VMS on vessels will be the responsibility of PIRSA through a funding grant of Commonwealth Parks Australia, and ongoing management costs will be determined as we go forward. PIRSA has held meetings with members of several industry sectors and acknowledged that the initial communication process could have been improved. To rectify this issue, PIRSA has coordinated discussions with individual commercial fisheries to explore the implementation of VMS. I think it's fair to say that—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —the discussion around VMS has been in place and ongoing for a number of years; however, in terms of the proposal to introduce it and the dates that it was proposed to be introduced, that is where the communication fell down, and to further explore some of the concerns.

PIRSA has now completed the individual meetings with industry, which took place between 30 November 2023 and 7 March 2024. Meetings were held with the blue crab, Gulf St Vincent prawn, Spencer Gulf and West Coast prawn, central zone abalone, western zone abalone, marine scalefish and the southern zone rock lobster, independently chaired at the request of industry at each of those fisheries. Specific discussion topics included the ability for more targeted and cost-effective compliance programs, as well as enhanced scientific spatial data that can be obtained for fine-scale fish stock and zone management purposes.

Industry representatives were also given access to the proposed model of VMS units to be implemented on their industry vessels, and I am advised that they were surprised at their small size, ease of use and ease of installation. All industry representatives were advised that the implementation of VMS within their respective industries will be cost neutral, and the costs associated with VMS will be offset by efficiencies in compliance. Now that all the meetings have concluded, a briefing will be provided to me, as minister, to make a decision on the implementation of VMS on commercial vessels in South Australia.