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Darren Chester and commercial fishermen warn Victorians to face higher seafood prices amid marine park plan

Darren Chester warns Victorians will face higher seafood prices if the Albanese government expands Marine Parks, threatening Gippsland's commercial fishery and increasing reliance on imports.

By news@gippsland - 11th March 2025 - Back to News

Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says Victorians will be paying more for fish and chips if the Albanese government's illogical plan to create more Marine Parks is allowed to proceed. Mr Chester is supporting commercial fishermen in Gippsland who have warned that consumers will be forced to buy more imported products under the plan to close high catch areas in the Beagle Marine Park.

Darren Chester warns that closing high-catch areas in Beagle Marine Park threatens Gippsland's shark fishery, reducing viable fishing zones and endangering 1,600 tonnes of local flake supply annually

Protect local fisheries

Mr Chester said, "As a nation, we have two choices with wild catch seafood. We either harvest our own with world-class and sustainable fishery management or import more products from countries with poorer environmental protocols."

"We have a highly regulated and sustainable commercial fishery off the coast of Victoria and Tasmania, but it will be viable if the Labor-Greens keep combining to ban fishing with more Marine Parks."

"The Southern Shark Industry Alliance has my full support, and the Coalition is working to disallow the proposal, which would increase our reliance on imports and destroy family-owned fishing businesses," Mr Chester said.

Shark fishery threatened

Mr Chester said the SSIA had advised that the planned closure of high catch areas in the Beagle Marine Park locks shark fishing out of the only fishing grounds in eastern Bass Strait not covered by offshore wind zoning overlays.

There is a small amount of space between the Gippsland wind zone and this new marine park, but it is not large enough to fish in. This poses a significant threat to the viability of the shark fishery, which supplies approximately 1,600 tonnes of local flake annually.

Pictures from Darren Chester MP website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com