Statement: Court of Appeal Outcome on Commercial Fisheries Reform

8 Jun 2018

This is a good outcome today for the vast majority of fishers who have already adjusted their businesses and are taking advantage of the new arrangements, which came into effect on 1 December 2017.

The decision today also reaffirms the NSW Government’s careful approach to implementation of the reform and validates the recommendation from the Parliamentary Inquiry (commenced in December 2016) that the NSW Government proceeds to reform the State’s commercial fishing industry.

We now have three independent acknowledgments that we are doing what is right and doing it the right way.

This court case involved one single fisher - the reforms commenced for all other fishers in NSW on 1 December 2017.

The NSW Government is focused on helping fishers optimise their businesses under the new arrangements, and protecting fisheries resources to ensure future sustainability of the industry.

As a result of these historic reforms, fishing businesses in NSW are more valuable, viable, secure and less prone to Government intervention.

The vast majority of fishers are getting on with the job - they are reinvesting in their businesses and have a positive future ahead.

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