Senator Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, has congratulated the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) for implementing seven red tape busting initiatives, with another 18 initiatives under consultation with stakeholders or in the process of being implemented.
This effort towards reducing the regulatory burden for fishers was highlighted in today’s rural and regional affairs senate estimates committee.
“The regulatory reduction work of AFMA is having a positive impact on the fishing industry, with many initiatives already implemented including those to streamline permit conditions, automate or simplify licensing procedures and improvements to AFMA’s online licensing website ‘GoFish’,” Senator Colbeck said.
“The Coalition promised to reduce the cost of unnecessary or inefficient regulation imposed on individuals, business and community organisations by at least A$1 billion a year. We have more than doubled our target, removing more than A$2 billion of compliance costs.
“Through industry and the Commonwealth fisheries regulator AFMA working together, streamlined and cost effective solutions have been developed to ensure that the fisheries sector is supported and adequately regulated without being unnecessarily constrained.
“Our number one priority remains the sustainability of our fisheries and ensuring a good supply of fresh seafood for current and future generations. This does not need to come at an unnecessary cost to industry.”
