A Tasmanian parliamentary committee will examine the decision to close the sand flathead fishery across south-east Tasmania, launching a short inquiry into how and why the ban was put in place.
The House of Assembly’s Government Administration Committee B announced the inquiry today.
It will review the closure of recreational sand flathead fishing between Whale Head and Cape Pillar, which took effect on March 1.
The seven-member committee, chaired by Labor MP Meg Brown, will look at the science behind the decision, the consultation process and the legal powers used to authorise it.
“The committee has commenced its work and resolved to operate as a short inquiry, targeting specific stakeholders to whom the terms of reference apply,” Brown said.
She said targeted stakeholders would be invited to make written submissions before public hearings were held.
The closure covers the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, the Derwent River and Frederick Henry and Norfolk bays.
Those waters account for about 57% of the state’s sand flathead catch.
Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce announced the closure in February.
He cited Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) research showing stocks had fallen to critical levels in the south-east.
IMAS found only one in 100 fish in the zone now exceed 35 centimetres, with breeding potential in some areas down to about 5% of unfished levels.
“The science is clear, and we must listen to it,” Pearce said.
The committee’s terms of reference cover the stock assessment, the environmental, social and economic impacts of the closure and alternative management options.
Members will also examine the use of the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 to authorise the shutdown.
They will consider what evidence would be needed before the fishery could reopen.
Recreational fishing body TARFish has questioned the decision, saying it was made without proper consultation and calling for a 12-month pause and an independent review.
Labor’s Janie Finlay, who will sit on the committee, has said warnings from IMAS about declining stocks had been ignored for years.
