SA: Ban on River Murray fishers upheld by High Court

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2004
SA: Ban on River Murray fishers upheld by High Court

ADELAIDE, April 30 AAP - A group of 18 professional gillnet fishers banned by the South
Australian government from fishing in the River Murray failed in the High Court today
to have the ban overturned.

The ban was introduced in June last year, with the government offering industry restructuring
payments totalling $3.1 million to the 30 licensed gillnet fishers affected.

The payments have been accepted by 12 of them, with the other 18 challenging the ban.

Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Minister Rory McEwen said today's High Court decision
to uphold the ban vindicated the government's position.

"There's clear community support for the ban and the government acted legally in every
respect," Mr McEwen said in a statement.

"Net fishing for native species in the River Murray is no longer acceptable."

Mr McEwen said that although the deadline for the government's payments to the fishers
had passed, he would write to the 18 who initially refused the offer to give them another
chance to take it up.

AAP scl/hu/tnf

KEYWORD: GILLNET

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