Mr TRUSS (Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) (5:37 PM) —I thank the honourable member for Corio for his contribution to the debate. This is one of those rare occasions when I can say I agree with everything that he said. We certainly share a concern about illegal and unreported fishing and a desire to have better regulatory control over some of the issues of illegal fishing that so commonly appear in our headlines these days. I thank him also for supporting the Fisheries Legislation Amendment (International Obligations and Other Matters) Bill 2005—a bill which contains a number of important amendments to the Commonwealth fisheries legislation.

The main purpose of the bill is to implement the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. The bill and the government amendments moved in the Senate will implement Australia’s international obligations under the convention and will also support the WCPFC’s efforts to manage highly migratory fish stocks. These fish stocks are important to Australia and it is important they are managed in a sustainable way.

The bill also addresses a matter which the Howard-Anderson government takes very seriously. Australia will not tolerate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Australian or international waters. The proposed amendments will give Australia greater capacity to disclose information about suspected illegal foreign fishing activities to foreign governments and intergovernmental organisations. This will assist in the global fight against IUU fishing and allow Australia to be actively involved in stamping out this criminal behaviour. The bill will also extend the existing infringement notice scheme to foreign boats found illegally fishing in Australian waters as an additional penalty and deterrent for such illegal activity. The bill also provides a number of other amendments that will enhance the Fisheries Management Act 1991 and strengthen our domestic fisheries management arrangements. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.