Tension Grows In Australia Awaiting Bluefin Quota Decisionff

Source: Port Lincoln Times

Southern bluefin tuna fishers will find out next week if their quota will return to 2009 levels in what has been deemed as “the most important meeting ever” in the association’s history.

Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association chief executive officer Brian Jeffriess and six other industry representatives will travel to Bali this week for Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) meetings.

The conference held from October 6 to 13, will discuss the possible return of tuna quota for the industry over a three-year period from 2012-2014.

In 2009 in response to overfishing by the Japanese, a 1500-ton cut was imposed on fishers, cutting the total quota from 5665 tons to just over 4000 tons for the industry.

Delegations from Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, European Union, Philippines, and South Africa plus representatives from international conservation groups will attend the upcoming meetings.

“As this is the most important CCSBT ever since it started in 1994, over 100 delegates will attend,” Mr. Jeffriess said.

Mr. Jeffriess said new scientific assessments indicated tuna stocks were much stronger than previously modeled, which pointed to a higher quota level to at least give back to each country the quota they lost in 2009.

He said the only question was how much the quota should be increased at each three-year step along the way to 2035.

“While this may appear a long way off, this planning is required to justify the investment of tens of millions of dollars in new science, in new boats, in staff training, in marketing etcetera,” he said.

The Australian Tuna Association has submitted an independent study to the federal government that shows that if Australia regains the quota it lost in 2009 over the three years 2012-14, it will create 950 new jobs in South Australia.

“Most importantly, increasing the quota now by at least that amount for 2012-2014 is consistent with the scientific analysis.”

Mr. Jeffriess said there would always be people who opposed quota increases, and there would always be people who wanted an even larger increase.

“The responsible approach is to be balanced and we are asking for no more than the quota we lost in 2009,” he said.

Mr. Jeffriess said the focus should also be on “celebrating” the strength of the tuna stock and its future, not just concentrating on “who was right or wrong in 2009”.

He said the meeting would be important to the credibility of the Australian government on natural resource management issues.

“Everyone in the process, including both industry and government, agreed to follow the new scientific models. Now the models point to a quota increase - there can’t be any ‘yes buts’ from anyone in the process.”

He said if quota was not increased to at least the 2009 level then it would be a failure of public policy making.

“This strong tuna stock represents a major opportunity for Eyre Peninsula and Australia. It is not just a sustainable stock, and the extra jobs and economic activity, it is the confidence to invest for the future - including in the new technology, equipment, and expertise required to farm offshore in the new tuna ranching zone.”