Australian fisheries authority under fire over overspend

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The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has come under fire over plans to increase management costs in the South-East Trawl Fishery by 19 percent.  

The South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association (SETFIA) has hit out at the move, claiming that while half of the cost increase is an increase in the budget, the remainder is the recovery of a budgetary blow-out. AFMA attributed the budget overspend to "overheads", but SETFIA questioned why the cost of processing log books or research projects could not be correctly planned. AFMA finally admitted that it had mistakenly not returned approximately AU$200,000 (US$215,000) in fish sales revenue from a fisheries research trip.

The return of this money would have almost totally offset the AU$214,447 overspend. Whille admitting a mistake, AFMA has stated that the money is unlikely to be returned until the next financial year.

According to SETFIA, the average trawl vessel with a crew of two to three will now pay AU$56,000 for its licence and quota, of which AU$3,800 will be the money that AFMA incorrectly overcharged. Any fisherman who does not or cannot pay will have their licence suspended and will not be allowed to fish.

"Imagine the electricity company overcharging you $3,800, admitting it but then refusing to return it, instead crediting it to next year's bill," says Tom Bibby, SETFIA's chairman. "If you don't pay, they will cut off the power."

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