Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-11-28 Daily Xml

Contents

NORTHERN ZONE ROCK LOBSTER FISHERY

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): I have a further supplementary question. The minister misses my point. If in the future the fishery is unsustainable, will it just be addressed by a reduction in quota? Clearly, the industry has said to you they are worried—

The PRESIDENT: There's no debate.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: —that not enough effort had been taken out, so what is your solution? Just to reduce their quota at some point in the future?

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) (14:35): We don't believe we've got a problem and therefore we don't need a solution. We don't believe we've got a problem; we have done the very best science on this. It is fair, it is reasonable, it is transparent, and the northern rock lobster zone is not able to provide us with any evidence that our calculations are incorrect or insufficient. They disagree with us, and I accept that, but they are in fact not able to provide us with any additional or new evidence. As I said, we monitor year in, year out, and we will consider any implications as they arise.