Congratulations Minister McVeigh: TOR for Review of Fisheries in Qld

[Macks forever]

Terms of Reference for the review of Queensland's fisheries

The Queensland Government has announced a review of fisheries management in Queensland. The aim is to modernise and simplify fisheries management systems, cut red tape, and maintain and improve environmental sustainability. This will provide the flexibility for industry to prosper, ensure recreational and traditional fishers have reasonable access to the resource, and ensure our lifestyle is maintained.

What is to be achieved?

Vision

Fisheries management systems and processes that are simple, robust, responsive and flexible in delivering sustainably managed fisheries for the benefit of Queenslanders.
Objectives

The review has two main objectives:

• To develop fisheries systems and processes that:
  
  • provide for future management to achieve an appropriate balance between environmental and economic use while providing for broader social enjoyment by the community
  • facilitate the settings to support economically viable commercial fishing businesses that provide to the maximum extent possible for market forces to determine industry outcomes within established environmental parameters
  • reduce complexity
  • improve management flexibility
  • take a risk-based approach to fisheries management and regulation
  • establish mechanisms to allow fisheries to be managed at the appropriate level eg. statewide, regionally and/or locally.
  
  
• To develop a new, simplified regulatory framework, including administrative arrangements that meet the challenges and demands of the community and how it expects fisheries to be managed.

In scope

• All legislative provisions of the Fisheries Act 1994, including appropriate reference to freshwater issues and aquaculture, which is currently under review through a separate process.

Out of scope, but relevant to the review

• Marine parks, while acknowledging the overall impacts of marine parks on fishing
• Boating safety
• Native Title
• Marine transport issues

Deliverable

• A policy framework that outlines a path for achieving simplified, transparent, appropriate fisheries management for consideration by Government.

Who will take part in it?

Stakeholders

There will be a number of key stakeholders in the review, including:

• commercial fishers
• recreational fishers
• traditional fishers
• charter and tourism operators
• seafood marketers
• conservation sector representatives
• other relevant participants (e.g. aquaculture, freshwater fishing) as necessary
• government agencies at local, state and Commonwealth level
• academics and researchers
• the Queensland community.

How it will be achieved?

Initially, the Government will commission an appropriate independent specialist to examine fisheries management arrangements across Queensland, in other jurisdictions, establish a suite of principles to guide fisheries management and recommend alternative arrangements for Queensland.
Stakeholder consultation will be undertaken throughout the process. A final suite of recommendations will then be presented to Government for consideration (through the Agriculture Committee of Cabinet).
When it will be achieved?

The timeframe for finalisation of review recommendations is nine months. It is anticipated the recommendations for a future framework that outlines a path for achieving simplified, transparent, appropriate fisheries management will be presented to Government for consideration by December 2014.
NB: In recognition of the need for ongoing management of the fishery, the Government reserves the right to progress urgent initiatives, such as those necessary to maintain export accreditation, during the review.

[Macks forever]

I am going out on a limb here but I believe possible congratulations are in order. I asked Mark Robinson a question previously on here in another thread. Would there be an independent reviewer? Mark did not respond but it is now included in the TOR.
the Government will commission an appropriate independent specialist

I expect (not necessarily believe) that this means that the government will go outside of Qld to find someone with genuine international respect who has not been part of fisheries management in Qld nor has been paid by fisheries management in the past. Anything less will be unacceptable.
My congratulations are conditional on this.

There are few other things in the TOR that need a bit of tidying and clarification as well, but unless the lead reviewer is reputable and appropriate with no links to Fisheries Qld or specific stakeholders, then there is no hope.

[Mike Delisser]

If you take protest rallies, meetings, and protest convoys as a guide, the most concerning issue for rec-anglers over the last few years has been the Moreton & Hervey Bay green zones and the GBRMP, all of which is not included in the "Review of Fisheries in Qld" I remember when in opposition the LNP even told us it was the single biggest issue facing rec-anglers.......what the hell has happened to change that?

[Macks forever]

My apologies Mike. I got a little excited when I saw that the minister might be listening. I have modified to say "possible" congratulations as you can see. But it is a big change none the less to include the word "independent". There is a huge leap, and a huge leap of faith, to think that the minister will actually engage a truly respected internationally accredited reviewer, AND give them free reign, AND allow them to write the report and recommendations they like, AND not let the Agricultural committee water it down for political purposes, AND implement all the findings (unlike the Burns Inquiry where they just cherry picked the easy ones), AND AND AND etc etc etc.......

I live in hope but it must all start with a clean out of philosophy and regime in Fisheries Qld. Those things that you mentioned, especially the flaws in the Moreton and Hervey Bay marine parks were not the work of parks people, they were the result of direct meddling and interferance by Fisheries Qld.

If you take protest rallies, meetings, and protest convoys as a guide, the most concerning issue for rec-anglers over the last few years has been the Moreton & Hervey Bay green zones and the GBRMP, all of which is not included in the "Review of Fisheries in Qld" I remember when in opposition the LNP even told us it was the single biggest issue facing rec-anglers.......what the hell has happened to change that?

[rayken1938]

Copy of letter being circulated among some stocking groups. Had to split it as its too longCheers
Ray
From: David Cook [mailto:davecook@bigpond.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 18 March 2014 4:08 PM
To: Network for Sustainable Fishing
Subject: Review of Fisheries Management in Queensland - A request for you


Firstly my apologies for any double posting, but this message must get out this week as policy and plans are being made in high places.You would obviously like fishing in Queensland to be productive, vibrant and harmonious, and cause minimal harm to our large iconic marine animals, so please read on. This is a convenient opportunity for you to lend your support today by sending a quick, already drafted email to the appropriate authorities as indicated below. The opportunity is here for you to just cut, adopt or adapt as you like, paste and send.It is no news to you that Queensland ’s inshore fisheries are declining and almost certainly the worst managed in Australia . But it does not have to be this way. Around many estuaries our inshore fish and crab resources are heavily depleted and some large, iconic species are at risk of localised extinction. Dugong, turtle and our few remaining inshore dolphin are at risk.As you will know there is conflict on our waterways and at our boat ramps and an ever rising tide of frustration over years of poor fisheries management. Commercial fishers recognize there are too many fishers chasing ever fewer fish and crabs in our estuaries and along our spectacular coastlines.It is well past time to for politicians to take appropriate action fix this mess.Please do recall:-The Network for Sustainable Fishing (NSF) is about awareness of our fishery facts, whether proven scientifically or just ‘fairly obvious’. It will be too late for some of our more vulnerable inshore fish stocks if we wait for the “fairly obvious” to be proven scientifically before we act. We have the experience, the basic knowledge and the courage of our convictions to act now before it is too late.NSF is about doing something to help sustain and repair inshore ecosystems, rebuild biodiversity and help fish stocks recover. The requirements for this to occur include our immediate focus: “developing the political will to improve the management and operation of Queensland ’s inshore fisheries such that stocks reach and are sustained at levels of abundance and production similar to the 1970’s”.So, what needs to be done this week and how can YOU help?Firstly and most importantly, please circulate this on your own networks. This first mailing will reach several hundred people, with your help we can reach many thousands. After all we are said to have 750,000 people fishing our waters annually.On 6 March, Minister for Ag. Fisheries and Forestry, Dr John McVeigh, announced there would be a full review of fisheries management in Queensland . We have been asking for this for years, thank goodness he has listened and is prepared to act.Now it has been suggested that this should only be an internal review. If this is the case, history will be repeating itself: no real progress will be made. Fresh independent and appropriate specialist knowledge, skills and experience are sorely needed.Please would YOU email Dr McVeigh with something along the following lines; please do cut, adapt and paste as you see fit. All the material necessary to back up your request can be readily accessed from the hyperlinked references in the table following the draft letter.

[rayken1938]

second half
To: agriculture@ministerial.qld.gov.au; policychair@lnp.org.au;president@lnp.org.au; bruce.mills@ministerial.qld.gov.au;Subject: Support for full independent review of fisheries management in QLD“Dear Dr McVeigh,Congratulations on your recent announcement of a full review of fisheries management in Queensland . This is an area long neglected and one in need of urgent attention.Many people are aware we are missing out on valuable economic and recreational opportunities by allowing our inshore fisheries to be progressively degraded.There are very real risks of the numbers of certain estuary and inshore fish species continuing to drop so low in certain areas that they may never recover. There are already reports of this occurring in some places.Please do ensure the Fisheries Management Review is adequately funded and fully independent of the current administration. If you can do this, it will be a sound investment, very popular and may prove to be one of your most important achievements.”End of suggested draft – over to you to do as you see fit!How to conveniently access relevant reference materialRelevant reports, summaries and correspondence are available from the website of Fishers for Conservation, www.ffc.org.au . Most can be accessed here using shortened bit.ly URLs, provided in the table below.We are also at www.Facebook.com/SustianableFishing, if you are a Facebook subscriber, please pay a visit and “Like” us ... if you do.

Date	Title		Bit.ly hyperlink
2014.01.31	Submission to GBRMPA on draft Strategic Assessment and Planning Report		http://bit.ly/1iEYegt
2013.11.30	Letter to Minister John McVeigh: Serious concerns remain over netting of grey mackerel and other inshore species		http://bit.ly/1lFDFBh
2013.01.12	‘Summary Letter’ to QLD Premier, Ministers, and Asst. Ministers, Member for Cairns and (local) Member for Cook Electorate: Overfishing of inshore waters and declining inshore fish stocks impacting the environment, fishing sectors, tourism, recreation and local food security		http://bit.ly/1d34os4 download from same link as above
2013.02.11	Letter to Minister McVeigh. Towards a sustainable future: twelve management changes required to the East Coast Gillnet Fishery ... to assist recovery ...		http://bit.ly/1d34os4
2013 April May June July September October December issues	The inconvenient truth about unsustainable gillnetting in the GBRMP (Fish & Boat monthly series of articles) . Links to: April, Is our inshore fishery sustainable? May, A closer look at our inshore fishery June, Misinformed, misguided and downright unsustainable. Links to following are pending: July: Gillnetting in the GBRMP: recommendations for urgent change September: Grey mackerel sustainably fished? October: Minister’s admission a shocker! December: Concerns over minister’s latest reply		http://bit.ly/1fL4eVb,
2012.03.12	Report to UNESCO, The depleted inshore fisheries of GBRMP need urgent management change (incl. replies to the main furphies often repeated in relation to the levels of production of our seafoods etc.)		http://bit.ly/1fVSPha
2012.11.20	NSF end of year report to Douglas LMAC (download)		http://bit.ly/1d3ysDO
2012.08.26	A community campaign for sustainable inshore fishing. Incl. main points from 18 key scientific papers / reports		http://bit.ly/1eohAGh
2012.08.28	Bones of Contention: improved management of inshore fisheries in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park would benefit fishing and tourism sectors in FNQ		http://bit.ly/1n0zoNj
2012.05	Recreational Drag Netting flier/poster		http://bit.ly/1gBxMAN
2011.10.19	Submission to DSEWPAC from NSF FNQ on the current (2011) assessment of the ECIFF		link to be repaired
2011.04.06	The urgent need to reverse the decline of fish stocks and other iconic marine life in the inshore waters of the GBRMP		http://bit.ly/1irtznG
2010.08.01	A Review of Concerns relating to the offshore gillnet fishery in the inshore waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in relation to the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries, with recommendations for early intervention		http://bit.ly/1gWjf43
2008.11.25	Possible collapse of a grey mackerel population and the decline of a grey mackerel fishery in the GBRMP		http://bit.ly/1gjHwzD
2008.10.31	Independent assessment of ECIFF by Gunn, Mere & Stevens		http://bit.ly/MwRENo
Also:
2014.02.23	Recreational prawn drag netting in FNQ: a destructive fishing method when used in fish nursery grounds, first draft	http://bit.ly/1n19mcN
2014.02.13	By-catch casualties from recreational drag netting for prawns in the GBRMP FNQ: sustainable fishing or not? PowerPoint presentation	http://bit.ly/1o90FtW
2014 in prep (April)	2nd Draft: Grey mackerel gillnet fishing in the GBRWHA falls short of ESD requirements	to be posted soon

This is a valuable opportunity to support a very worthy cause and make your voice heard.Any support you can provide will be worthwhile.Kind regards,David C. Cook BSc(Hons1 Zool) Post-grad Dp Fisheries Mgt., QLD Coxswain, PADI DivemasterCoastal Fisheries Specialist (Indo-Pacific)Moderator, Network for Sustainable Fishing, FNQ"Triple bottom line benefits for all fishing sectors"Why not check out our new community page at Facebook.com/SustainableFishing?...... and our publications at Fishers for Conservation, www.ffc.org.au,e.g. on grey mackerel (2008) at http://bit.ly/1gjHwzD;...... on our gillnet concerns (2010) at http://bit.ly/1gWjf43;...... for background (2012) to our campaign for sustainable fishing at http://bit.ly/1eohAGh;...... for recommended changes to the QLD gillnet fishery (2012) at http://bit.ly/1n0zoNj; ...... and for prawn drag netting as destructive fishing, draft only: http://bit.ly/1n19mcN;"All truth passes through three stages:first it is rediculed, second it is violently opposed,third it is accepted as being self-evident."...19th. Century Philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer.47 Marlin Drive, Wonga BeachQueensland, 4873 AustraliaTel: (+61) 7 4098 7998[IMG]resource://skype_ff_extension-at-jetpack/skype_ff_extension/data/call_skype_logo.png[/IMG](+61) 7 4098 7998E-mail: davecook@bigpond.com
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[Macks forever]

Thank you Rayken.

I wish I was as eloquent as Mr Cook.

I suggest everyone use Mr Cook's valuable information and contact the minister directly on this matter.

This will either be a momentous once-in-a-lifetime change to fisheries management in Qld, or just another report to sit on the shelf. The ball is in your court; and the minister's.

[Macks forever]

I have 2 comments to make about the review but I will post them under 2 separate threads.
Firstly I again congratulate the minister for his commitment to the fisheries review and his now announced appointment of Mr Glenn Hurry as the lead reviewer. Professor Hurry has a well deserved international reputation and we can only hope that the minister accepts and delivers on the final report, and does not leave it to collect dust on the shelf like so many other reports. Or worse still, as with the Burns inquiry, pick the eyes out of it and do the easy stuff to make the government look better while not having the courage to make real change.