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Labor Forces State’S Seafood Profits InterstateNew South Wales is cashing in on the Victorian Labor Government’s inability to manage its seafood industry, Member for Gippsland Province Philip Davis said today. By Phillip Davis - 10th November 2004 - Back to News Mr Davis said a Moama based yabby farm had recently advertised in a country Victorian newspaper for local yabbies, free from PrimeSafe seafood safety fees.
This means Victorian yabbies can be sold to interstate farms, which could then be sold back to the Victorian restaurant trade.
Mr Davis said there was a valuable niche in the yabby restaurant market since 57 of Victoria’s 60 farms had been forced out of supplying yabbies for human consumption since the PrimeSafe legislation was introduced.
"We now have this ridiculous situation where our restaurants can be supplied with Victorian yabbies from an interstate farm," Mr Davis said.
"Instead of selling direct to the restaurant trade, yabby growers will now act as the middle man and miss out on vital revenue."
Mr Davis said the New South Wales Labor Government had exempt yabby farms from regular audits, resulting in lower overheads than Victorian growers.
He said the South Australian Labor Government had exempt yabby farms from the PrimeSafe legislation completely, because it understood there was no risk of contamination in trading live yabbies.
"In Victoria, those overheads which include the annual PrimeSafe fees and regular auditing have been too hefty for all but three yabby growers supplying live yabbies to the restaurant trade," Mr Davis said.
"Interstate entrepreneurs have taken advantage of Victoria’s yabby growers being regulated out of existence, and will now make a profit from the Bracks Government’s stupidity."
Mr Davis said yabbies were fetching high prices at up-market restaurants since the Victorian supply had all but dried up as a result of the PrimeSafe laws.
"It’s tragic that our interstate competitors are able to cash in on the decimation of our seafood industry, which could have been halted if only some assistance was forthcoming from the ever-silent Agriculture Minister Bob Cameron," Mr Davis said.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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