NSW Government’s new abalone taskforce appointed

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The independent taskforce established by the NSW Government to review the future direction of the abalone industry has begun work.

It will examine the current state of the fishery in NSW, and the factors which have led to a decline in stocks, and will also develop future strategies for a sustainable, viable abalone industry.

The taskforce will review the reductions in the Total Allowable Catch for commercial fishers, and the bag limits for recreational fishers, which were introduced in July.

It will be chaired by Dr John Keniry, who is also Chairman of the Ministerial Advisory Council for Primary Industry Science.

Dr Keniry is well qualified for the position, and serves on a number of other boards. He is currently Chairman of Ridley Corporation Ltd, a director of the Australian Farm Institute, and a board member of the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

Dr Keniry will soon be sending out a paper inviting comments from stakeholders affected by the decline in abalone numbers. The taskforce will also begin meeting with commercial, recreational and indigenous fishing representatives and fisheries specialists to obtain their input.

The other members appointed to the taskforce are:

Steve Bunney, a member of the commercial abalone industry for the past 20 years
Mel Brown, a recreational abalone fisher and member of the Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing
Adam Brady, the CEO of the Wollongong Aquaculture Aboriginal Corporation

The taskforce is due to report to the NSW Government in October.

The education program to inform recreational fishers of the new abalone limits has been extended to October 10, to cover the NSW school holidays.

The State Government is working closely with the abalone industry to provide better protection measures for the fishery.

They include increased fines for illegal fishing, surveillance and compliance programs to stamp out abalone theft, a hotline to report illegal fishing, and ongoing research into the effects of the Perkinsus parasite.

The State Government has also invested in a new Fisheries patrol boat to carry out surveillance work, which will be deployed on the South Coast later this year.