The Victorian Scallop Fishermen’s Association Inc, President Steve Melissakis, Commented on the the release of the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for the Victorian Ocean Scallop Fishery.
Our historical consultation and outspoken efforts to make a visible and clear link between Seismic activity and the depletion and damage to our traditional Scallop grounds has only ever gained superficial recognition.
The impact of this Seismic activity on Scallop stocks and in fact to other fisheries does not seem to gain the recognition and observance it deserves from Regulatory bodies and Government.
We refute the methodology and process of assessment as outlined in the Victorian Fisheries Authority, recent call for industry submissions.
The Scallop Fishermen’s Association Inc, once again has no option, but to accept the highly reduced TACC for the 2018/19 scallop season.
Mr Melissa’s stated, our protest is visible, and needs to be made public.
For the record…we state again that our industry was promised a sustainable Scallop quota with the reduction of our licences. The Victorian Fisheries Authority was delivered a sustainable and profitable Scallop Fishery to manage as the custodians and managers of our Victorian industry.
The reality is that the findings of the survey, when released in March 2018, should show that Scallop stocks are seriously impacted, as a direct result of the continued Seismic bombardment of our scallop beds over the last 15 years.
They are not as a result of over fishing in the East Gippsland Scallop beds, the abundance surveys will show viable commercial scallop numbers, but will not make the co relationship to seismic activity, that affects Scallop reproduction.
The following links, detail the pdf chain in this seasons TACC.