Development finally recognised in marine planning – NT Seafood Council
21 July 2017 NTSC Media Release
The Northern Territory Seafood Council commends the Australian Government on taking future growth of the seafood industry into account in its revision of zoning for the Commonwealth Marine Reserve network in the North.
‘Proposed network plans for the North released today show a genuine effort to balance the future growth of the seafood industry whilst establishing a network of marine reserves,’ said Northern Territory Seafood Council Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Katherine Winchester.
‘It is critical that future growth of the NT seafood industry is taken into account because the industry is still developing and it will bring further economic growth and opportunities for the Northern Territory.
‘Marine reserves are a complimentary measure to fisheries management arrangements and must be based on science and risk assessment to avoid having unnecessary cost and impact to the community,’ Mrs Winchester went on to say.
‘NT Seafood Council did not support the proposed plans released in 2016 after just over a decade of work as the concerns and issues we had raised, such as the economic impacts on industry had not been addressed,’ said Mrs Winchester.
‘Previous plans have failed to acknowledge future growth and needlessly locked professional fishers out of vast areas.
‘During the next 60 days we will be seeking member feedback on the draft management plans for the North Marine Reserve Network,‘ Mrs Winchester said.
Media Contact: Donna English 08 8981 5194