Reducing red tape for the tuna industry
Regulation of the southern bluefin tuna industry is being streamlined under the Change@SA 90 day project 'Reducing red tape for the tuna industry' government initiative.
Work is now underway to facilitate this process, including the review of environmental monitoring programs and chemical assessment processes.
The Change@SA 90 day project was initiated in response to a number of concerns presented by Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association (ASBTIA) related to the current regulatory processes for the tuna industry. ASBTIA indicated these concerns resulted in substantial costs and unacceptable time delays in administration of tuna licences by the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) and EPA.
Through this project, the process of issuing of licences will be refined and shortened.
The aim is to provide the tuna fisherman adequate time to prepare their catch for market, and it will also ensure that the coastal waters surrounding Port Lincoln are managed in an ecologically sustainable way.
Stage 1 of the project was complete in June 2013 which identified reforms of implementing immediate process changes, as well as identifying longer-term regulatory reforms for further investigation by PIRSA and EPA.
This project is aligned to the strategic priority Premium Food and Wine from our Clean Environment, and entails collaboration between PIRSA, EPA and the peak tuna industry body.
