Illegal Fishing Rhetoric Not Enough

Member for Lingiari and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs Warren Snowdon said today the promise of funding for Aboriginal sea rangers to help out in the illegal fishing crisis appeared to be a cruel hoax.

Mr Snowdon said Federal Fisheries Minister Senator Abetz seemed to have pulled off a smoke and mirrors act worthy of the Great Houdini, leaving ranger groups high and dry and still dependent on CDEP.

'Before the Budget, the Minister talked up the idea of funding ranger groups to play an important part in fighting illegal fishing,' he said.

'My earlier concern was that the money would be used strategically and on the advice of the rangers' peak body, the Northern Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Managers Alliance (NAILSMA).

'Now it appears that the bulk of this piddling $9 million over four years may not get anywhere near a single Aboriginal ranger's pay packet.

'After keeping ranger groups dangling for months and months, despite their professionalism, their enthusiasm and their success rate the Government now may be saying it doesn't want them to play a part in surveillance and reporting of illegal fishers.

'I understand the money is being allocated to the North Australian Quarantine Strategy specifically for quarantine inspections.

'Some ranger groups might get contract work to do these inspections, although even that is not clear at this stage.

'We need to know how much will actually go into Aboriginal rangers' wages and whether there is any money for equipment, training and other costs.

'The Government wants people to get off CDEP and go to work, but it has offered little more thanempty promises to the sea rangers who are already doing a job of national importance on CDEP wages.

'These ranger groups and their communities need certainty, they need to know precisely what this funding is for and they need real wages for real jobs.

'The last thing they need is more flowery rhetoric,' Mr Snowdon said.

2006-05-11