Australian seafood industry defends its sustainability

The seafood industry has called on Australian and Queensland governments to defend their fisheries management regimes to end public confusion over sustainability and ensure long-term security of supply.

"Australia in general and Queensland in particular have implemented world's best practice fisheries management regimes that ensure major fisheries are sustainable, yet they allow environmental lobbyists to regularly attack commercial fisheries management without any public response," said Michael Gardner, president of the Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA).

"Governments need to step forward and speak up for fisheries, stating clearly that our fisheries are sustainable and defending their management of this important food resource," he said.

Concerns about sustainability were having an impact at all levels, Gardner said, adding that unless government defended the success of their fisheries management, access to seafood resources could be lost because of pressure from environmental lobbyists to close large areas to fishing.

"Queensland already has a larger area closed to fishing than any other similar region of populated coastline in the world, thanks to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park," he said.

A third of Queensland is closed to all fishing and two-thirds are closed to one or more forms of commercial fishing, he added.