- Removing statutory safeguards against overfishing and environmental harm. Commercial interests will be able to make decisions on catch limits, when and how fishing occurs.
- Weakened environmental protections. Decision-makers could legally ignore the broader impacts of fishing on the public or the marine environment when setting catch limits, putting marine health at greater risk.
- Less monitoring and transparency by allowing cameras on commercial boats to be turned off at certain times and restricting public access to footage. Some meaningful changes only occurred due to earlier footage being made public.
- Increased wastage by permitting more dead fish to be thrown overboard with poor reporting oversight. This would jeopardise the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and discourage a transition to more selective fishing methods.
- Limited public say. Allow the Minister to set catch limits for up to five years with limited public consultation. Restricting the public’s ability to legally challenge Ministerial decisions. The 20-day restriction is unrealistic and unacceptable.
