Mr  J. BULL (Sunbury) — It is always great to follow the member for Essendon. It gives me great pleasure to rise and contribute to the debate on the Fisheries Amendment Bill 2015. Yet again this is a bill that delivers on an election commitment, which is a common theme this year.

Some of my finest childhood memories are of fishing with my dad. Whenever he had time off work he would take me and my brothers and sisters fishing, and more often than not in Port Phillip Bay, like so many Victorians. This was good quality family time. Port Phillip Bay — or the bay, as many know it — is a great source of many terrific memories. As recreational fishers we learnt a great deal about the health and management of the bay from a very young age. I think these are really important lessons for those who want to get into the fishing industry and for those who enjoy going fishing. Things like size limits and a bag limits, and taking only what you require — they are very important lessons and I think great lessons to learn from a young age.

My brothers and sisters and family and friends always stood for getting together in summer. We were lucky enough to have grandparents who had a holiday house on the Bellarine Peninsula at St Leonards. I am sure that many members and people in the gallery know of the place. We would often spend long summers fishing and enjoying the fruits of the bay, as did so many Victorians. If you looked right across the bay — and it is a wonderful Victorian asset — you would see people come in to boat ramps and exchange stories about what they caught. The member for Dandenong was probably standing there regaling people with tales of the toadies she referenced in her speech and of the size of the toadies that stole her bait. These were terrific times, and I am sure that many members in the house and many Victorians right across the state can think about the great times they have had fishing. I can see those on the other side thinking about it as well.

This bill is about ensuring that recreational catches are increased and therefore that there is an increase in the number of people who want to fish and become involved in the fishing industry. The bill provides for the long-term viability, health and sustainability of recreational fishing in the bay. As I mentioned, I am one of 750 000 recreational fishers in this state, but fishing is not just a hobby. It contributes $2.3 billion to our social and economic wellbeing, particularly in country Victoria. That is a figure that will grow, and this bill is designed to assist and enhance the number of recreational fishers in the state.

On reflection it is hard to measure the social and emotional benefits that fishing provides to families and friends. One of those pastimes that is often undervalued is taking the boat out and trying your luck fishing with family and friends. You may be someone who takes a boat out off the boat ramp, or you may be someone who fishes from a pier. We are very lucky to
have — —

Ms Williams interjected.

Mr J. BULL — The member for Dandenong says she prefers the boat. I am with her on that.

This bill forms part of our plan, as I mentioned earlier, to increase the number of anglers in Victoria to 1 million by 2020. The Target One Million plan will see increased fish stocks, support for local clubs, improved access and facilities and the removal of netting from Port Phillip Bay — the primary purpose of the bill. The bill will deliver on the government’s Target One Million election commitment to remove all commercial netting from Port Phillip Bay by 31 March 2020.

Victorian Labor’s recreational fishing policy states that it will halt commercial netting in Port Phillip Bay and Corio Bay, increasing fish stocks for recreational anglers, and that is what this bill is designed to do. The policy outlines that a sliding cap will be implemented on a commercial catch basis based on the average catch over the previous three years and that the government will offer a clean and fair exit strategy for licence-holders. In my view we certainly achieve that.

The bill before us implements an election commitment, which I have already mentioned, with some changes following extensive consultation with commercial fishers. It sets a clear path to remove commercial netting from Port Phillip Bay, and in my view it provides adequate and just compensation payments for those who rely heavily on the industry. The reduction in the commercial catch is expected to increase catch rates and the size of fish and also reduce spatial competition. This will enhance recreational fishing opportunities in Port Phillip Bay for many Victorians, with the potential to attract visitors from outside the bay. The phase-out of netting in Port Phillip Bay will take place over an eight-year period, beginning today.

In my view this bill achieves a balance of increasing fish stocks and ensuring that those who currently rely on Port Phillip Bay — those who hold licences — are fairly compensated, which is important. They need to be able to look after their families and look at ways to diversify and move into other areas as they go forward. After extensive consultation with industry the government has agreed to provide a revised package of $27 million, which forms part of this compensation. This will provide fairer compensation and better recognition for the individual investment and loss of income of licence-holders. Overall with this bill we are moving toward establishing a bay that will last for generations, and I am confident that Target One Million will be achieved by 2020.

The government recognises that this decision impacts a number of people’s lives, as I have just mentioned, and that fishing is more than just a business or a workplace. We understand, and it is important to recognise, that for many of these operators this is an important bill, but it is also an important bill for the 750 000 Victorians who currently fish and are involved in the angling industry and the many more who will hopefully come to it from here on in. This bill provides a fair and reasonable compensation package for those who currently hold netting licences, with an ample period for transition out of the current arrangements. It will ensure that stocks in the bay are protected and that the recreational angling industry thrives and grows whilst ensuring sustainable and protected Port Phillip and Corio bays.

I would like to think that in years to come members in this house and people in the gallery will one day be out fishing and look back on today and the bill before the house this evening and think of the importance of ensuring that our fish stocks are maintained and enhanced and of all the great things that fishing brings to families and communities, especially for those around Port Phillip and Corio bays and for those on the coast. It is also important for those from rural and regional Victoria, who may fish locally on the Murray, in lakes or in places like that, but it is worth noting that a lot of these people travel for holidays. They see family and friends and come fishing in what are the very beautiful Port Phillip and Corio bays. I would like to think that my children, who are yet to be born, can one day reflect on this bill in this place, and with those comments I commend the bill to the house.