Get used to farmed fish, urges top bureaucrat

QUEENSLANDERS should expect to eat more farmed rather than fresh fish in the coming years, as current wild fishing regulations will be unable to keep up with the rapidly growing population.

It comes as a State Government committee continues to debate controversial new laws around commercial and recreational fishing, some of which came into effect at the start of this month.

Deputy Director-general of Fisheries Graeme Bolton told a committee hearing into the new fishing laws that consumer demand will mean more and more fish will be produced through aquaculture farms.

“One of the key things to note is that the world population is growing significantly and our current level through the wild-caught fisheries will not be enough to support the need for protein,” he said.

“So, a key response to that is going to be aquaculture. It’s not about one over the other, they’re both needed and they’ll both be required.”

It comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced last month that Tasmanian seafood producer Tassal was set to open a major new aquaculture facility north of Mackay. Aquaculture farms already produce a significant amount of fish consumed in Queensland, making up 38 per cent in 2017-18.

The new fishing laws include “no take” periods on certain seafood species, new limits on the size and amount of seafood that can be taken, and tough new penalties for those who are found to be fishing illegally.