Shadow Minister for Recreational Fishing, Gerard Maley, says the Gunner Labor Government has completely failed recreational fishers after the Northern Land Council (NLC) announced mandatory permits for access to thousands of kilometres of NT coastline.
“Just weeks before the August 2020 election, the Gunner Government signed a $10 million agreement with the Northern Land Council to guarantee access to Aboriginal-owned NT coastal waters until at least the end of 2022, while consultation with Traditional Owners continued.
“This shock announcement of the lock out of the Finniss River, Mini Mini system and hundreds of kilometres of intertidal zones, plus a permit to access thousands of kilometres of coastline shows a complete breakdown in negotiations between the NLC and the Gunner Government.
“The introduction of these permits is being described as the thin edge of the wedge, and the Gunner Government has serious questions to answer, particularly around the $10 million committed last August for the Blue Mud Bay Implementation Action Plan. How has that plan progressed, if at all, given the current situation?
“Northern Territory fishers require certainty.
“The Gunner Government has sensationally failed to secure long-term fishing access, and can’t even keep its commitment to negotiate adequately. Recreational fishers have been abandoned by Labor,” said Mr Maley.