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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-16 Daily Xml
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RECREATIONAL FISHING

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:03): I seek leave to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about fishing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: South Australia is well known for its fabulous fishing from rocks, boats and beaches, with a wide range of species and opportunities to cast a line for flathead—it's a bit like 'fruit fly'—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: salmon trout, tommy ruffs—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Wortley will stop entertaining the opposition!

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Sorry, Mr President. South Australia is well known for its fabulous fishing from rocks, boats and beaches with a wide range of species and opportunities to cast a line for flathead, salmon trout, tommy ruffs, King George whiting or to sink a lobster or yabby pot. It is a pastime which many people enjoy. Can the minister advise of a new development to help recreational fishers in South Australia?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:04): Thank you, Mr President, and I am sure you have already downloaded your free SA Fishing app?

The PRESIDENT: You're about to help me.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Yes, it is fabulous, I'll show you mine. It is a wonderful app, Mr President, and very easy to follow too. I thank the honourable member for his most important question. The member maybe aware that, with such a wonderful array of habitats and species in our waters, there is a fair bit of information that can help fishers make the most of their time with their rod and line, pot or whatever. South Australia's fish species are obviously a very precious resource, with the number of rules and regulations in place to ensure the sustainability of those very precious fish stocks. So, it is important that fishers can access relevant matters like size, bag limits on species and closure times throughout the year, and they need that information at their fingertips.

I am pleased to tell members that I have released a new free smartphone app to provide fishers with easy and convenient access to a wide range of information, including SA fishing rules. This is the department's first fishing-related smartphone app, and this state-of-the-art app provides fast and easy access to the state's fishing rules, regulations, area closure, size and bag limits. It also provides a one-stop shop for recreational fishers to access information on fishing in South Australia.

In addition to checking rules using the app, fishers are able to report things they see, like suspicious or illegal fishing activity, straight to Fishwatch, there and then on the spot, as well as report things like shark sightings, again there and then on the spot, and also to provide information around catch reports, which help inform our fish stock and fish locations.

Education is obviously a very core component of PIRSA's fisheries and aquaculture activity, and while there are already a variety of ways, such as through the department's website and various printed material for fishers to access, this app obviously provides a quick and easy alternative. I am advised that there are around 236,000 fishers—men, women and children—who enjoy fishing each year in our waters.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: SA fishing—it's a little green fish app.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: SA recreational fishing?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: If you just go into apps and SA fishing—it's green. He can't read a budget paper and he can't download an app either, but anyway. Bring it over here!

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: So, that's a very large cohort who—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! It's question time, not the comedy hour. The honourable minister's got the call.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —need information. With smartphones increasingly being the default source information, which we call carry around with us, this app is a convenient and highly accessible way to provide that information. It is also an attractive way to engage with young fishers.

The app provides the state government and PIRSA with the ability to send out direct alerts to subscribers, making it easier to advise on immediate rule changes or timely reminders, such as seasonal closures and opening times. South Australia's premium seafood products are not only highly sought after domestically but also around Australia and internationally. We have this great reputation, in part because South Australia is recognised as a world leader in fisheries and aquaculture management, with policy and legislation in place to protect and manage our aquatic resources, including rec fishers.

The state government's strategic priority, premium food and wine from a clean environment, enhances this reputation by capitalising on the increasing global demand for premium products, including seafood. That is why recreational fishing for some species varies on a seasonal basis. Things like area closures have been put in place, as have gear restrictions. The app even gives you pictures of gear, which is very helpful, measurement, size, etc., and bag, boat and possession limits in force. Not only does it contribute to the sustainability of the state's seafood supply but also the future of the recreational fishers, so that they can continue to follow their fabulous passion of fishing.

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