The Bill includes a wide range of changes to the Fisheries Act 1996 including to catch limit settings, discards, deemed value rates, availability of camera recordings and the time limit for lodging judicial review applications.

“It’s now 40 years since the quota management system was introduced,” said EDS Policy Director Raewyn Peart.

“It’s based on outdated 1980s thinking, is no longer fit-for-purpose and requires substantive reform.

“The Fisheries Amendment Bill does little to address the deep-seated problems in the system which EDS identified in its 2018 report ‘Voices from the Sea’.

“Instead it seeks to reduce checks and balances on decision-making, bypass environmental matters, and restrict the public’s ability to hold the Minister of Fisheries to account.

“In particular, the Bill excludes consideration of sustainability and environmental principles when setting the total allowable catch, but allows social, cultural and economic factors to be taken into account.

“This will increase risk to our fish stocks, and enable ongoing environmental degradation from fishing activities, including trawling.

“This is highly concerning when our fish stocks are facing rapidly warming oceans, frequent marine heatwaves and increasing severe weather events. Without robust, precautionary management we are likely to see more stock collapses and a declining industry.

“EDS sees so little merit in the Bill that we are asking MPs to withdraw it or vote it down at the second reading.

“In its place, the government should establish an independent fisheries inquiry tasked with developing an integrated reform package that will secure our fisheries for the future,” concluded Ms Peart.