Mrs WEST (11:16 AM) —I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the Fisheries Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 1998 . My electorate of Bowman encompasses the beautiful Moreton Bay, which is one of Australia's foremost environmental areas, on the doorstep to south-east Queensland. It also supports an important fishing and boating community and is a gateway to the waters of the Australian fishing zone.

The bay itself is recognised as one of the most significant breeding grounds in Australia for a variety of fish, crustaceans and marine life. The bay also boasts a substantial colony of dugong and a large population of dolphins. However, with increased usage of the bay for recreational, tourism and industrial purposes, it is important that proper management of the bay and beyond be considered.

The proposed amendment to the Fisheries Management Act 1991 will prohibit the commercial taking of black marlin and blue marlin in the Australian fishing zone. The government's amendment has been introduced in response to disputes between recreational or charter operators, who fish for black marlin and blue marlin, and commercial long-line operators, who take the species as by-catch. This legislation fulfils our 1996 election promise to impose a mandatory ban on the taking of black marlin and blue marlin if and when the voluntary code proved to be ineffective. The decision is one that protects both the long-term future of the fishing industry as a whole and the viability of the recreational and charter industries.

Black marlin and blue marlin are prized by game fishers but are occasionally caught by commercial fishing operators. Both the game fishing industry and the commercial fishing industry are valuable, and this government is providing a framework in which they can coexist, complementing each other rather than working against each other.

Although black marlin and blue marlin have little value for commercial operators as there is no domestic or export market for them, these species are the basis for the viability of charter operators. Commercial fishing operators who catch black marlin and blue marlin will be required by law to return them to the sea, whether the fish are dead or alive. The penalty for breaking the law will be a fine of up to $13,750. Charter boat operators, recreational fishermen and the holders of scientific permits will be exempt from the prohibition.

Many fishermen are responsible and respect our waters. Some have contacted my office, concerned for the future viability of the southern Moreton Bay environs. One charter boat operator in my electorate, who is a member of the Game Fishing Association in Queensland, said he was pleased to see that this government had listened to, and acted upon, his concerns and the concerns of the industry. On several occasions my constituent has expressed concern about the open slaughter of black marlin and blue marlin and the apparent lack of respect for the voluntary ban. This charter boat operator, like many others in my electorate, was concerned that this kind of slaughter would send all the charter operators to the wall.

When charter boat operators have built their businesses on the basis that black, blue and, in some cases, striped marlin are available, we must do everything within our power to keep this industry viable and to prevent further depletion of marlin stocks. We have listened to these concerns, and I welcome moves by this government to legislate to ensure the future of this industry and the future of these small businesses.

Another of the major problems in my electorate has been the continuous threat of unlimited access to all varieties of sea life. It would seem that some fishermen have little regard for the future viability of the bay. As reported in the Courier-Mail recently, excessive takes of prawns have been dealt with effectively in the local courts. I would like to take this opportunity to applaud the Queensland Department of Primary Industries' Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol, who are cracking down on people disobeying fishing laws by prawn trawling in closed waters.

The proposed amendments to the Prawn Export Charge Act 1995, the Prawn Boat Levy Act 1995 and the Prawn Export Promotion Act 1995 further protect the prawn industry. They implement a decision by this government to cease the prawn boat levy and the prawn export charge as of 1 January 1998. The acts introduced by the previous government give legal force to a government industry scheme to promote Australian sea-caught prawns in overseas markets using the funds raised.

While I strongly support moves for industry and government to join forces to promote the local product, I cannot and do not support a levy which, from all available research, is not supported by the majority of levy payers. The Australian Prawn Promotion Association recommended that the rate of the boat levy be zero and the amount of export charge be 2c a kilogram. Of the 66 per cent response rate to an industry plebiscite, 85 per cent of prawn operators opposed the levies. Only 46 operators said they supported the levies, compared with 266 who voted against them. If this levy is simply adding a financial burden to prawn operators—an average of $800 per year—I applaud the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy (Mr Anderson) on his decision to abolish the prawn boat levy and the prawn export charge.

As I have outlined today, and on many other occasions in this House, I welcome moves to protect fish stocks and the marine environment. I also welcome and support the government's policy to remove unwanted and unnecessary levies from our primary industries. I commend the bill to the House.