Question On Notice No. 73 asked in the Legislative Council on 20 June 2017 by Hon Diane Evers
Question Directed to the: Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Fisheries
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the ongoing bycatch of a protected species, fleshy-footed shearwater, in Zone 1 of the South Coast Purse-Seine Fishery, and ask:
(a) was an observer program reintroduced into this fishery during the March to April special management period;
(b) why was it deemed necessary to reintroduce an observer program in this fishery; and
(c) what was the daily number of fishery-reported shearwater mortalities for each day, between 1 March and 30 April 2017?
Answered on 22 August 2017
(a) Yes
(b) It was initiated to inform future decision making regarding potential interactions between flesh-footed shearwaters and purse seine fishing operations in King George Sound, Albany.
(c) The daily number of fishery-reported shearwater mortalities reported by fishers between 1 March and 30 April 2017 varied between 0 and 8. Total fishing related mortalities for the period was 40.