Marine Scalefish Fishery

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:08): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister tell the chamber about the announcement of the marine scalefish fishery blueprint to be funded by the Malinauskas government?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:08): I thank the honourable member for his question. I was very pleased, while I was in Port Lincoln last week for country cabinet, to announce that the government will fund the development of a marine scalefish fishery industry blueprint to be led by industry for industry. It will be an important piece of work for a sector that has undergone enormous change and its fair share of difficulty in recent times.

The former government's marine scalefish reform fundamentally changed the way the fishery operates, reducing the number of licences from over 300 to around 200 through a voluntary licence surrender program, and introducing individual transferrable quota for the remaining licence holders on the four key species, namely, King George whiting, snapper, southern calamari and southern garfish.

The aftermath of the reform has been difficult for many licence holders and made more difficult by the need for the snapper fishery to remain closed due to its depleted status. The Malinauskas government recognises these difficulties and has continued fee relief support for the sector upon the former government's four-year fee period of relief expiring in 2023-24, with an additional $1.55 million over three years for quota holders in the fishery.

A further $2.4 million in fee relief was provided as a result of the need to continue the closure of the snapper fishery. The fee relief for snapper quota holders will continue until the expiry of the current ban in mid-2026. There will be more to say about the future of the snapper fishery closer to 2026, when we see the results of the substantial research projects that were funded from the $5 million Snapper Science Program that was announced at the time of the extended closure.

The industry blueprint steering committee will bring together key industry figures, chaired by the Hon. Pat Conlon, the former chair of the Marine Fishers Association, to map out the future of the fishery, develop a plan for sustainability and profitability of this hugely important sector, which is one of the oldest industries in our state and one that continues to provide fresh seafood that generations of South Australians have enjoyed.

The scope of the proposed blueprint will be focused on high-level strategic issues to foster and progress the strategic development of South Australia's commercial MSF. It is anticipated that the blueprint will particularly focus on the next five years but also describe the longer term vision for the marine scalefish fishery. Feedback so far from the Marine Fishers Association and the South Australian Professional Fishers Association and other industry members who will be involved is positive, and I look forward to the development of the blueprint setting the course for the future of this important fishery.