CEO report – Next steps for WA’s demersal fisheries
Well, this should be a message wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, but somehow the festive cheer has been tainted by the biggest announcement impacting commercial fishing in decades, with massive reductions in all commercial demersal fishing around the coast, including shark fishing, and total permanent bans for commercial demersal fishing on the West Coast.
Additionally, and despite our immense effort to improve processes and increase compensation considerations for fishers impacted by marine parks, the State Government has thrown us a handful of cake crumbs, with $6 million budgeted for the entire South Coast Voluntary Fisheries Adjustment Scheme (VFAS).
We have fishers hit twice by these announcements, right before Christmas, when no one is around to even ask a question. Once again, the long lost and forgotten fishers of the Greater Kimberley Marine Park have been pushed aside. Just when they thought they were finally going to be compensated for their losses, the can has been kicked down the road again to prioritize the latest hit to commercial fishing.
What’s happening and what’s next?
WAFIC has repeatedly called on the Premier and Fisheries Minister to come to the negotiating table. Both have publicly said this was a difficult decision to make, however from a fishing industry perspective, it is actually the easiest decision.
Shutting down a fishery and throwing away the key is a lot easier than actually working it through a recovery program.
Importantly, the government knows commercial fishers can work a sustainable recovery program, as demonstrated in the Gascoyne region, which is now the best performing demersal fishery in WA.
The lessons learned and the fisheries management tools used in the Gascoyne, are all replicable in WA’s other under-pressure fisheries. Why wouldn’t government want to explore a demonstrated success plan?
By comparison when the metro was closed to commercial fishers about 20 years ago and reallocated to the recreational sector, the fishery subsequently degraded to a point of near total collapse.
In fact, in every example where a commercial fishery has been closed and reallocated to the recreation sector the health of the fishery has become astronomically worse.
There is a better way to sustainably manage our fisheries, but the government needs to allow the commercial fishers and government fisheries officers to work together with adaptive fisheries management. That’s where the hard work is, and that’s where success lies!
We don’t need a reversal. We simply need a pause so government can come to the negotiating table to discuss options.
Mental Health crisis
We are acutely aware of the crisis many fishers are facing. So many stories have come to light over the past fortnight that are truly heart-breaking.
People who have just extended mortgages or purchased capital days ahead of the announcement.
Fishers leasing who are currently entitled to nothing.
Fishers who are in an area where a 50 per cent reduction is in place, with zero instruction on how that is going to be managed. No one has any understanding what they can or cannot do.
Banks are already calling in loans.
Obviously in the first instance we need real solutions, and that can only occur if the government agrees to meet and discuss options with us.
Importantly though, we all need to support one another and look out for our fellow fishers.
WAFIC has been calling on government to provide additional targeted mental health services. In the meantime, remember that your local GP can provide a mental health treatment plan which lets you claim up to 10 individual and 10 group sessions with an eligible mental health professional each calendar year, and this includes online services.
Please remember that WAFIC also has contact details on its website for a range of mental health support services. You can check it out here.
In these challenging times, it’s hard to find a silver lining, but media commentary is showing that public sentiment is generally in favour of commercial fishing. There is genuine support from a growing swell of community voices, recognising this as a fairness and equity issue.
As much as anything, this sends a strong message to government that these rushed decisions without warning or support are failing the Pub test.
There is still a road to travel here, so let’s keep going together.
Regards.
Mel