Senator SHERRY (1:14 PM) —I will be brief. I rise to support the Fisheries Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 1998. There has been a general discussion around the theme of fish conservation, and this bill deals with important environmental and conservation measures in respect to marlin fishing. It is on that theme I will make a couple of brief comments.

As Senator Murphy has said, and as Senator Forshaw also has said, it is of great concern to Labor that the moneys allocated for fisheries management and research in this country have been cut—and cut substantially. And we will deal with the cut to the fisheries research area in another piece of legislation.

Fishing is often referred to as `farming in the dark'. I think that is quite apt, because one of the great difficulties we have is knowing the true extent and detail of the resource which is, in a sense, being farmed or fished. Unfortunately, the history of the management of fisheries right around the world—the overfishing of resources, the failure to conserve particular stocks of fish, and the failure to conserve at a sustainable level world fishing stocks—is a very, very sorry one. Australia is fortunate in one regard; that is, we are one of the few countries in the world that does have at least a half-decent chance of getting it right.

In the context of fisheries funding for management and research, I also note that this government has refused to fund Recfish, the national recreational fishing body in this country; that there was also a significant cut in the last budget.

One has to ask of course: what has happened to the National Party? The National Party were the doormat of the coalition. If this were a piece of legislation dealing with the management and conservation of something associated with pig meat, cattle, wool or wheat, the National Party would be fighting hard; it would be protesting very loudly. But when it comes to fishing, the National Party, the doormat of the coalition, it has disap peared. Its members are obviously off deep-sea diving somewhere.

Senator Forshaw —They have squibbed it.

Senator SHERRY —They have squibbed it, that is right. I think it is a particularly sad and sorry saga when the poor old National Party has squibbed it on this very important issue.

Senator Conroy —Squidded it.

Senator SHERRY —Squidded it, as Senator Conroy has interjected. The total dominance of the Liberal Party with their economic rational approach in the fishing area, I think, is of deep regret. We should be increasing resources available to fisheries management and research in this country.

I will conclude my remarks by once again saying: where is the National Party on this very fundamentally important rural and regional issue? It is significant to jobs in rural and regional areas. Once again, the National Party is found wanting—the doormat of the coalition—under the doormat.