A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry examining the 13-year-delay in commencing legislation to protect Indigenous cultural fishing has handed down its findings.
In its report released on Monday, it found that the government had “failed to effect the will of parliament” by not commencing the legislation, known as section 21AA of the Fisheries Management Amendment Act.
It also found compliance activity and prosecutions against Indigenous people for practising cultural fishing were “unacceptable and creating perverse outcomes” that were inconsistent with the government’s own Closing the Gap targets.
The inquiry’s chair, Mark Banasiak MLC, said it was clear a comprehensive training package was needed to better educate NSW Fisheries compliance officers about cultural fishing.
“To make sure that when they’re dealing with this issue of cultural fishing that it’s done in a respectful way and that compliance is done in a respectful way,” he said.
“Because clearly, that hasn’t been happening.”
The report called for an independent review of the culture within the fisheries compliance division of the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) to identify any cultural problems and implement necessary changes.
The inquiry held two public hearings earlier this year and received dozens of submissions from stakeholders.
During the inquiry, Indigenous fishers detailed their experiences of targeting and harassment by compliance officers on the NSW South Coast.
In response to that evidence, the report recommended the NSW DPI immediately cease all surveillance and prosecutions of Aboriginal cultural fishers.