Ausmarine editorial – October 2009

More depressing news about the Australian fishing industry passed over my desk just before I wrote this in the first week of September.

The first, and most distressing item was in the form of a letter from an old friend, Brian Bienke Snr. Brian has spent more than half a century in the East Coast and Northern Prawn fisheries. Indeed, he was one of the real pioneers of the Gulf fishery.

Brian, followed by his son, Brian Jnr and his wife Irene have done well from the fishing industry but they have also contributed strongly to it. They have been heavily involved in industry association and management committee affairs, among others. Their family company, Adele Fisheries, is the quintessential long-term, sustainable, environmentally sound operation of which there are many in the industry.

Sadly, though, Brian Snr advised me that, after more than fifty years, the Bienke family had been forced out of the industry. They have sold their magnificent boat to Spencer Gulf and will now just be passive investors in property.

Their departure from the industry they know and love has been caused, almost completely, by the depredations of the malevolent, envious bureaucrats who now control the industry. They not only control it but are relentlessly eliminating the industry following their own economically and culturally destructive, barely hidden agenda.

The Bienkes were a tough, strong and resourceful family. That even they have been driven out shows what the wider industry is up against. Their departure from the industry will benefit no one except, perhaps, the lucky buyer of their boat.

Next was more bad news from the Western Rock Lobster Fishery, of which you will learn more next month. My colleague, Dr Walter Starck, has been retained by a group of Western Australian lobster fishermen to assist them in fighting a government proposed “effort reduction”. This, if it is allowed to proceed will put even more fishermen out of business.

Again, the rationale of the responsible bureaucrats is “scientific”. As Dr Starck is revealing to the industry and the Western Australian Government, that “science” is not only spurious but very carelessly applied. Yet again, the real agenda of the bureaucrats concerned is not terribly well concealed. The elimination of another highly productive sector of the fishing industry appears to be a major objective.

Finally, a press release arrived from the indefatigable Senator Ron Boswell. Senator Boswell is one the fishing industry’s rare friends in the Federal Parliament.

Senator Boswell warns the industry to be alert to the Federal Government’s East Coast Marine Bioregional Planning process. The East Coast Marine Bio-region covers 2.4 million square kilometres and includes all Commonwealth waters from the eastern side of Cape York to the New South Wales – Victorian border.

We used to joke that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) believed that the Barrier Reef extended from Daru to Coolangatta. This unfortunately is no joke and their grasping is far worse than anyone ever imagined.

In cahoots with the extremist American based PEW Environment group, the green zealots of GBRMPA are now obviously hoping to totally eliminate the vital food producing fishing industry from the entire eastern side of Australia and well out to sea from there.

This is all extremely distressing news. The Federal and state governments tend to believe the green zealots because they hear no contrary argument from the fishing industry. A small group of Western Australian lobstermen are uniting and fighting with assistance from Dr Starck. Most others, unfortunately, remain supine.

The simple fact is that if you don’t fight, you lose. Australia needs a strong prosperous fishing industry. That is important for a host of well known reasons. The industry must support Senator Boswell and do so quickly. If it doesn’t there will be very little left of the industry in as few as three years. That would be very sad indeed.

Neil Baird

Editor-in-Chief

Comments

Wayne Linklater

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A very sad situation indeed and one that I know well. My family have been in the boatbuilding and fishing industries for several generations, in fact our family traces back to Norway! We have sold out our NSW and Queensland interests and now, sadly are no longer in either industry.

My sons and daughters who though they would be in the industry are left with having to find anything else to do and in this economic state, this is hard to do. My wife is working in the oyster processing industry but that is also under attack by the Federal Government with its new seafood wage regulations.

These new regulations will be effective in crippling many seafood processors with the flow on effect going to the catching sector. By and large, the government is seeking, as you say, to cripple a great industry. I have been involved in lobbying governments before and am now feeling that it may be the time to attack again.

Anyway, another great article no matter how dissapointing the content may be.

Tuesday 01 December 2009, 11:46

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Geoffc3

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A very perceptive observation of fisheries "managers" by Walter Starck. His description of urban conservationist s/greens in same article is very perceptive.

Keep up the good work Walter and Neil. Australia badly needs to wake up.


The third element is an academic/research system which produces volumes of certified experts in things about which little is actually known and most of what we think we know is wrong. Along with a fictitious expertise, the products of the degree mills are indoctrinated with a politically correct eco-salvationis t ethos. However, there is rarely any formal training at all in the philosophy and ethics of science. Although their degree indicates they are Doctors of Philosophy, their training is that of a technician, not a philosopher. Their only prospect of employment is a position either funded or required by government. It may be noted that a position is not the same as a job. The latter requires some level of output, the former only involves occupancy of a space.

Monday 21 December 2009, 16:13

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