Key points:
- Fishing Families WA (FFWA) strongly rejects Premier Mark McGowan and Fisheries Minister David Kelly's claims today that proposed changes are necessary to increase local rock lobster supplies.
- The rock lobster industry is supportive of increasing local supply, and has put multiple proposals to Government on ways to increase supply to the domestic market, but the Government has not engaged with us.
- The Government has put too much red tape around the local lobster program which has made it very difficult for fishermen to sell into the domestic market. The problem is local retailers are putting on mark-ups of 100 per cent.
- The licences that the Government is issuing to itself are export licences, exactly the same as the existing licences. So the product under proposed changes is in no way restricted to the domestic market.
- Industry can help Mr Kelly deliver on his stated benefits of cheaper and more significant domestic supply, as well as increased tourism, if he would work with us and give us six months to put together a considered package.
- These goals can be achieved without state ownership, asset dilution and destroying fishing families' lives.
- There are many other industries which export to China that the WA government doesn't have a problem with.
- The rock lobster industry is united in fighting David Kelly's proposed changes while they include state ownership and asset dilution, which will impact hundreds of family run businesses, the sustainability of the industry, and thousands of regional jobs.
- FFWA will continue to fight on behalf of fishing families who have not been consulted about the changes, and for which there is no sound justification.
Fishing Families WA today strongly rejected Minister David Kelly's claims that his controversial changes to the rock lobster fishing industry are needed to increase local rock lobster supplies.
The rock lobster industry has put multiple proposals to Government to significantly increase local supply, to which it has never responded, including in September 2017, submitting a proposal for a permanent Local Lobster Program which would have resulted in four times more lobsters at more affordable prices than are on the local market right now.
FFWA spokesperson Brad Arnup said the rock lobster industry would welcome an increase to local supply, but not at the expense of diluting the entire industry and handing over 17 per cent to the state government.
"It is extremely frustrating to hear the Premier and Fisheries Minister talk about the need to increase local supply when they blocked our multiple attempts to do so just 16 months ago. We always have been supportive of, and remain supportive of, increasing local supply," Mr Arnup said.
"The reality is that there are many industries in WA which export a significant amount of their supply to China, like abalone, wheat, iron ore and gas. The Government doesn't have a problem with that. It is where the market is. What they are trying to do is nationalise more than 17 per cent of the industry to achieve this, which will be devastating for our fishing families and our industry, that has been carefully built up over 70 years and multi generations, is the backbone of many small towns on the WA coast, and a recognised world leader in sustainability.
"The Premier today has accused industry of going back on a signed agreement. This isn't true. The WRLC signed a non-binding term sheet which it has now rejected. The reality is that there is no agreement from industry as there has been no consultation with industry. The impact of these changes could be decades on fishers and their families, so it needs to be done with proper consultation," Mr Arnup said.
FFWA is aligned with the Western Rock Lobster Industry Council, and fully supports its efforts to prevent this nationalisation. FFWA has been inundated with support from those in the rock lobster industry and other primary producers, both in WA and around Australia. Donations to fund the campaign are increasing daily. FFWA will hold meetings up and down the WA coastline this week with professional fishing associations, it has been conducting meetings with WA politicians, and will continue an advertising campaign targeting Mr Kelly's changes.
Website: https://fishingfamilieswa.org.au/
