FISHING: CORIO BAY

8 June 2010 COUNCIL

Mr KAVANAGH (Western Victoria) -- My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Agriculture in his capacity as fisheries minister and relates to Corio Bay. I have recently been visited in my Geelong office by several local fishermen who have decades of experience fishing in Corio Bay. They told me that over recent years they have seen fish stocks almost wiped out in Corio Bay, which is a fish nursery for the whole of the greater bay. These fishermen blame excessive commercial fishing in Corio Bay and state that catches are now a small fraction of what they were around a decade ago. It seems that the permanent ban on line fishing in Western Port may be one factor detrimentally affecting fish levels in Corio Bay.

The destruction of fishing in Corio Bay will have consequences far beyond those to be inflicted on people who make their living directly from catching and selling its fish. It will have knock-on effects for those in a range of industries, such as boat hire businesses, and would be detrimental to tourism generally as well as to the recreational opportunities available to local residents.

I do not by any means seek a permanent ban on commercial fishing in Corio Bay. I am seeking from the minister action to protect and rebuild Corio Bay's remaining fish stocks to ensure they are managed in a sustainable manner.

This would seem likely to involve instituting a temporary pause on commercial fishing in Corio Bay, perhaps requiring compensation for those whose livelihoods would be affected, and regulating future fishing in a way that ensures fish survive in Corio Bay and remain available for future generations.