By MICHAEL LAGUNA | 10/02/17 09:09:24The government is considering measures to stop the spread of mutton fish to Australia’s coastlines and is seeking to ban imports altogether, following a spate of reports of people eating the fish in Tasmania.
The government will seek to use a new parliamentary motion to ban fish mince from Australia’s waters, after a report by the Productivity Commission found the practice to be widespread in Tasmania and Victoria, where it was introduced after the federal government took control of fisheries.
It was reported on Monday that about 20 people had eaten mince in Tasmania in the past three years, prompting the Productively Responsible Fisheries Taskforce to write to the minister to say they needed urgent action to protect the public and the environment.
“Mince is an important food source for fish and has been recognised as one of the most nutritious food items in Australian society for more than 1,000 years,” the letter said.
“It is the Government’s priority to protect and manage Tasmania’s fisheries and to protect Tasmanian ecosystems and biodiversity, and to promote sustainable food production.””
The Productively Sensible Fisheries Policy has been adopted in response to the recent surge in reports of Tasmaniaians eating the mince, with some describing eating the meat as a “fool’s errand”.”
It is the Government’s priority to protect and manage Tasmania’s fisheries and to protect Tasmanian ecosystems and biodiversity, and to promote sustainable food production.”
The Productively Sensible Fisheries Policy has been adopted in response to the recent surge in reports of Tasmaniaians eating the mince, with some describing eating the meat as a “fool’s errand”.
The commission found that fish mignonette is a fish that can be found in many parts of the world and that its meat is often eaten as a snack.
It found that about 40 per cent of the fish eaten in Tasmania is mince and the meat is sometimes eaten in place of other food.
“It is clear that the introduction of mince has led to a significant increase in fish moulting in Tasmania,” the commission said.
The report recommended that the government adopt the Productive Responsible Mince and Mince Meat Act, which would require all fish products from the Tasmanian region to meet specific requirements.
The Government has indicated that it will take the report seriously, but the motion does not include specific measures to prevent the spread or consumption of moulted fish.
The Productivity Minister, Scott Emerson, said the government was also seeking to limit imports of moulin, a wild fish from the Great Barrier Reef.
“We have a strict import control regime on moulins, so we don’t import moulins or mince into Australia,” Mr Emerson told ABC radio on Monday.
He said the Tasmanians were not the only ones who were concerned about the impact of mousins on their food supply.””
The import controls are very robust and that is why it is important to keep them as tight as possible.”
He said the Tasmanians were not the only ones who were concerned about the impact of mousins on their food supply.
“As far as we know, mousin is the main food source in Tasmania, but there are a lot of other wild fish, particularly red mullet and mackerel, which are also a source of food in Tasmania that we don�t import,” he said.
He said Tasmanians should be able to eat the moults and mince without worrying about their food security.
“I can guarantee you that Tasmaniaans can eat the fish mouin,” he added.
Topics:government-and-politics,federal—state-issues,tas
