1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Now, you'll recall a few weeks ago we spoke to 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: both AFANT and the Guided Fisher's Association. I believe it 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: was about concerns around gil Knitting. Now there was a 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: forum held last Friday with hundreds of Territorians turning out 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: to raise concerns and talk about some of the issues 6 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: facing our reck fishers. Now David Girovolo, the CEO of AFAT, 7 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 1: joins me in the studio right now. Good morning to you, David. 8 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, and good morning listeners. 9 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time this morning. Now, mate, 10 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: what came out of that forum last week? 11 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:35,240 Speaker 3: So the forum last week was a huge event, over 12 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 3: two hundred people. There, many leading business people in the 13 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 3: Northern Territory And this actually came about after the business 14 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 3: community looked at what was going on, looked at the 15 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 3: messages a fan it's been sending out about wanting to 16 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:53,480 Speaker 3: see serious reform in the Barrow Mundy fishery, and said, well, 17 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 3: let's put on a big event and let's show that 18 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 3: there is a lot of support in the business community, 19 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 3: in the recreational fishing industry, but in the Northern Territory 20 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 3: community more. 21 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 2: Generally to see change. It was a great event. 22 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 3: We had some interstate and local speakers there and it 23 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 3: was a great opportunity to really make the case and 24 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 3: to see why change and the phasing out or the 25 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 3: removal of gilnetting for Barramundy is the thing that makes 26 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 3: sense for the future of the Northern Territory. 27 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: How are those discussions progressing with the Northern Territory government 28 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: around the gilnetting Because you and I first spoke about this, 29 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: it's probably like three weeks ago, maybe longer. 30 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, it's something we've been talking to both parties 31 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 3: for probably coming up to six weeks now, and of 32 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 3: course it's something that has been along the long term 33 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 3: agenda for a long time as well with the review 34 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 3: and everything else that's been happening in this fishery look. 35 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 3: I think Friday sent a very clear message that if 36 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 3: the parties were worried about business confidence being upset by 37 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 3: picking and saying we want to support the recreational fishing 38 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 3: and tourism industry and the thousands of jobs and the 39 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 3: hundreds of millions of dollars that brings to the territory 40 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 3: over concerns around management changes or wholesale changes to the 41 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 3: small barrel mundy commercial fishery. That business is absolutely clear 42 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 3: that they want to see support for recreational fishing and 43 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 3: fishing tourism because they know the value and the jobs 44 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 3: that brings to the territory. 45 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: So what policy changes does aff and other supporters of 46 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: the phasing out of gill netting really what do you 47 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: want to see and how urgently do we need to 48 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: see it. 49 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 3: So what we've been engaged with the parties about both parties, 50 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 3: and we've had a really lost counter of the number 51 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 3: of meetings that we've had with both sides now about 52 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 3: this is we would like to see all commercial barrel 53 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 3: mundy guil netting phased out in the next term of government, 54 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 3: similar to what has happened on the East Coast of Queensland. 55 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 3: And we believe that should commence immediately with closing the 56 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 3: Daily River and the Ropa River to commercial barrelmundy netting 57 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 3: from next year, from next season, and then progress that 58 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 3: phase out over that term of government, allowing for a 59 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 3: transition in the fishery, allowing for the use of line 60 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 3: cort or other new methods that are non gill net 61 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 3: methods we want to see. We're not against there being 62 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 3: a supply of premium truly socially, culturally, economically and ecologically 63 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 3: sustainable barramundy for people to buy on their plates. But 64 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 3: it has to be a premium product and it can't 65 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,519 Speaker 3: be taking large quantities of fish out of the catchments 66 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 3: and rivers that are the focus for recreational and tourism fishing. 67 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: I think I'd seen on nine Newstar and when they 68 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: reported on this that in Queensland there was money raised 69 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: to actually buy those commercial fishing licenses or those gill 70 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: netting licenses off the license holders in Queensland. I mean 71 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: here in the Northern Territory. Would it be a situation 72 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: where the Northern Territory government needs to buy those back 73 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: or what do you think would need to happen. 74 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I think that's certainly the way that fisheries 75 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 3: are adjusted when they're adjusted for different reasons, and we've 76 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 3: seen them be adjusted for environmental reasons, and certainly in Queensland, 77 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 3: the Queensland government has stumped up a significant amount of 78 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 3: money and there has been some money provided by the 79 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 3: Conwealth government to look at monitoring threatened. 80 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 2: Protect an endangered species better. 81 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 3: It is absolutely the case, and we would one hundred 82 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 3: percent support fair compensation for license holders, noting that unlike 83 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 3: in Queensland, where there were mar and par businesses up 84 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,679 Speaker 3: and down the coastline, two hundred families involved in the fishery, 85 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 3: here we have fourteen licenses. Seventy percent of those licenses, 86 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 3: or ten of those licenses are owned by one interstate company. 87 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 3: And it's not the case that there are hundreds of 88 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 3: people employed or have been intergenerationally employed in this fishery. 89 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 3: But regardless of that, there should be fair compensation, fair warning, 90 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 3: fair transition, and also opportunities to retrain people so that 91 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 3: they can continue to have jobs either in other commercial 92 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 3: fisheries or in other areas if that's what they want 93 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 3: to do. 94 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 1: In terms of those fourteen licenses and the majority of 95 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 1: them being held by an interstate business, you know, to 96 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: a lot of people listening this morning, they're going to 97 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: be thinking, why is the government digging their heels in 98 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: over this when you know you're not talking about sort 99 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: of into generational businesses like you maybe were in Queensland 100 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: when they were in a similar situation. 101 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 3: Well, look, I think we've been really clear since the 102 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 3: start of the season when we said that the new 103 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 3: rules that were brought in December weren't adequate. When we 104 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 3: saw interim rules rushed in in the first week of 105 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 3: the season in February, and then when there was a 106 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 3: failure to bring in catchment based quotas that it was 107 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 3: really clear that there was a need for long term change. 108 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 3: I'm not sure necessary that anyone's digging their heels in 109 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 3: over this. I think what we're having is constructive conversations 110 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 3: about reform for the future. However, if the government or 111 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 3: if the opposition chooses to dig their heels in over 112 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 3: this issue, then I think that would be the wrong decision. 113 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 3: I think they need to look at the job. They 114 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 3: need to look at the value in recreational fishing. They 115 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:07,239 Speaker 3: need to look at the opportunity for genuine sustainable reform 116 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 3: to bring in traditional owners and Aboriginal people into the 117 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 3: barrel mundy fishery which is happening in their waters, and 118 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 3: really look at changing this for the better for the future, 119 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 3: and saying, rather than just allowing a death of a 120 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 3: thousand cuts or this piecemeal, change's, let's design it from 121 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 3: Let's reimagine and redesign this and get it right. 122 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: So, really, I guess is what the recreational is what 123 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 1: our fans after, and other reck fishers and others you know, 124 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: others that are obviously out there on our waters. Really 125 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: what you're after is a commitment from both the government 126 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: and the CLP to come forward with their policies and 127 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: really outline to voters those vote and fish exactly what 128 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: they're going to do. 129 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:54,799 Speaker 2: Look absolutely, that is absolutely the case. 130 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 3: What we've put to them is quite a detailed plan 131 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 3: for how to get there, but it fun ndamentally is 132 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 3: premised around if we want to have a bright fishing 133 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 3: future for recreational fishing, we want to see what was 134 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 3: in twenty nineteen a two hundred and seventy million dollar 135 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 3: recreational fishery, not just Barro money, but overall grow to 136 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 3: a half a billion dollar fishery by twenty thirty. We 137 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 3: want to step up and see the potential of recreational 138 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 3: fishing to meet the economic challenges and contribute to the 139 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 3: future of the territory. That this is a cornerstone policy. 140 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 3: Phase out the gill nets begin next year by stopping 141 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 3: the gill netting in the daily and the roper and 142 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 3: let's get on with building a bright future that makes 143 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 3: sense for the Territory. 144 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: Now, David, before I let you go this morning, I 145 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: know the government earlier this week announced five hundred thousand 146 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: dollars for reck fishing different grants as I understand it, 147 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: up to fifteen thousand dollars. 148 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 2: Is this a good thing? 149 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: Oh? 150 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 3: Look, the NT fishing grants are something that we've been 151 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 3: really passionate about. Our fan designed this with the government 152 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 3: a number of years ago. It's been funded since twenty 153 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 3: eighteen and it is a great way for the community, 154 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 3: for the fishing clubs to be able to get funding 155 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 3: for the events that really do impact on the community. 156 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 3: And also it's funded a number of sustainability projects, research 157 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 3: and monitoring, but also things like improvements to infrastructure at 158 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 3: the Palmerston Lakes. It is a great initiative and we're 159 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 3: really pleased to see this continue to be funded into 160 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 3: the future. 161 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: David. Much else going on at the moment that we 162 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: should be aware of. 163 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 3: Oh look, I think the other thing that probably is 164 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 3: a little bit disappointing at the moment is we've seen 165 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 3: a campaign out from the seafood industry saying that there's 166 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 3: misinformation and mistruths out there, and you know, the information 167 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 3: they're putting out there is that there's only one fifth 168 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 3: of the harvestable Barylmundy stock is being taken. But they're 169 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 3: using really outdated data that they're not acknowledging the fact 170 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 3: that the pie has shrunk. You know, we've all heard 171 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 3: in the last twelve months or more that up to 172 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 3: fifty percent of their catch has been displaced. But that 173 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 3: number that they're using assumes that all of those areas 174 00:08:58,760 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 3: are still open, which they're not. 175 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 2: In addition to which. 176 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 3: The government adopted new targets last year, not to say 177 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 3: that we only want to leave forty percent of the 178 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 3: fish in the water, which is what they call, you know, 179 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 3: quote unquote sustainable, but we've got wreck fishing, tourism and 180 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 3: traditional fishing that requires high levels of abundance eighty percent 181 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 3: of fish in the water, and those numbers also don't 182 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 3: account for that. 183 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 2: So I think it's a really difficult space right now. 184 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 2: There's a lot of numbers being thrown around, and we 185 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 2: always want to get away from this. 186 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 3: We want to move towards a bright future, and that's 187 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 3: why overall we're saying, you get rid of the gill 188 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,439 Speaker 3: nets in the barrel Munday fishery, you start again, you 189 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 3: back a bright future for recreational fishing, tourism, fishing, traditional fishing, 190 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 3: and you can create a new sustainable commercial fishery that 191 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 3: will provide high end barrowmundy because let's face it, people 192 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 3: are not coming to the territory to eat barrow mundy, 193 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 3: and barrow mundy are not iconic on the plate. They 194 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 3: come to the territory to go fishing for barrel mundy, 195 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 3: and they're iconic because there are great fishing species. 196 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: Well, David Tirovolo, it's always really good to catch up 197 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 1: with you. I think we might have to catch up 198 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: a bit more often in the lead into the election. Mate. 199 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: Sounds like fishing is definitely going to be high on 200 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: the agenda as well as we head to August. 201 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 2: Thanks, I look forward to Katie. Thank you, Good on you.