Riverland to Lose its only Fisheries Compliance Officer?

	Extract from Hansard Legislative Council 18 November 1999

Ian Gilfillan Australian Democrats Member of the Legislative Council		Parliament Index 1999 Spring Session Index Browse by Subject About the SA Parliament Hansard on line

The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney- General, representing the Minister for Primary Industries, a question about a River Murray fisheries compliance officer.

The Hon. IAN GILFILLAN: In the Murray Pioneer of Friday 12 November there is an article entitled `Fisheries officer role under review', and I shall quote some paragraphs from it as follows:

Mr Webb was in the area for only 12 months and was the first to be appointed to the region in three years.

Fisheries compliance manager, Brian Hemming, said this week that because there were not enough compliance officers in the state the positions had to be reviewed annually so areas of the highest priority would be covered.

When you have a compliance officer, people are conscious of his daily routine and it makes the level of compliance more manageable. If you don't have that full-time presence, you are pushing the whole battle of trying to prevent illegal fishing up hill.

A lack of funding is the major reason the River Murray is not policed properly. If the government was to introduce a recreational fishing licence for all inland waters, the problem would be solved.

I asked a question on 8 July this year regarding River Murray fishing and some problems relating to it and the Attorney brought back an answer from the Deputy Premier and Minister for Primary Industries, and I quote from point 4 of that very answer as follows:

The number of persons prosecuted for fisheries offences in any year has varied in accordance with the presence of fishing compliance officers on a permanent basis. For example, in the first month of operation the officer currently located at Berri issued nine enforcement actions, including the compilation of one prosecution brief and the retrieval of 14 illegal devices from the River Murray. Since the opening of the Berri office at least 100 illegal devices have been retrieved from the river, which are not related to commercial licence holders. A few expiations have been issued. However, in the majority of cases the offender is never located.

The reason why offenders are never located is that there is a dramatic shortfall in the number of compliance officers currently on the river. There is just one who is currently placed. At a Walkers Flat meeting which I attended some weeks ago and which I mentioned in this Council, the Director of Fisheries, Dr Garry Morgan, consulting with his staff, said in answer to my question that at least four compliance officers were needed. This is the Director of Fisheries saying the same thing.

Given the overwhelming evidence indicating the importance of compliance officers in protecting and supervising fishing and the taking of native fish from the River Murray, will the minister guarantee the continuance of the currently appointed compliance officer? As the commercial fishers' licences fund that one compliance officer, will he consider instituting a form of recreational fisher licence to fund more compliance officers, at least to the number which his own director, Dr Garry Morgan, asks for, namely four compliance officers?

The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN (Attorney-General): I will refer the question and bring back a reply.