THE Far North’s commercial fishing operators are leading the way in sustainable practices, according to a new report.
Fish stocks in the Coral Sea, Northern Prawn and Torres Straits fisheries were all classed as being at healthy levels in the report that examined 93 fish stocks in offshore waters controlled by the Federal Government.
While there is not enough known about some species to judge their health, prawns, rock lobster and spanish mackeral were among the species classed as being sustainably fished in Far Northern waters.
The Northern Prawn Fishery is also in good shape, which came as no surprise to Austral Fisheries general manager Andy Prendergast.
He said an industry overhaul in 2007 saw the number of trawlers operating in the region fall dramatically to 52 boats.
“This vastly improved the economics of the industry and the protection of the fishery,” he said.
Mr Prendergast said the report was also good news for seafood fans.
“Customers can be very confident we’ve got one of most sustainable fisheries on the planet,” he said.
In the Torres Strait fishery, 37.8 tonnes of coral trout were caught last year and 78 tonnes of spanish mackerel well below their respective quotas.
Queensland Seafood Industry Association chief executive Scott Wiseman said the report was encouraging for the industry.
“Healthy waterways are the lifeblood of the fishing industry so this report reaffirms a lot of hard work put in by the industry. It’s a shared resource we’re accessing on behalf of the greater community,” he said.
“Consumers can be 100 per cent confident the produce they’re buying, if it’s local-caught seafood, is coming from some of the best waters in the world and fished with the best and most sustainable practices.”
Parliamentary secretary for agriculture, Richard Colbeck, said the latest report showed claims of overfishing and mismanagement by some conservation groups and others were incorrect.
“The report is a clear endorsement of Australia’s science-based fishing industry and shows that previous attacks on the industry were unwarranted,” he said.
– from Cairns Post