Tuna industry warns SA to be wary of jobs and economic figures, given an oil spill in Bight would decimate fishing sectors
THE projection of more than 1000 jobs and billions in revenue from oil exploration in the Great Australian Bight is “irresponsible” as a potential spill will decimate the state’s world-renowned fishing industry.
- Explanation: Why oil drilling divides South Australia
- Proponents: We’d create 1500 jobs, billions in revenue
- Opponents: Those boons are exaggerated and not worth the risk
THE projection of more than 1000 jobs and billions of dollars in revenue from oil exploration in the Great Australian Bight is “irresponsible” as a potential spill will decimate the state’s world-renowned fishing industry.
Tuna Association of SA chief executive Brian Jeffriess said while the figures were “impressive” there was still no environmental report on the risks and consequences of a spill.
“The reality is in our case you could triple the (fishing) quota tomorrow and we’d produce the same result, but it would be irresponsible to do so,” Mr Jeffriess said.
“The consequences of an oil spill would be devastating for the whole of the Eyre Peninusla and to some extent SA, so to publish this before the environmental and economic impacts on other industries are known, is just irresponsible.”
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association this week stated oil exploration could generate up to $7.7 billion in tax revenue per year and create thousands of jobs across four decades.
Mr Jeffriess said The Bight was vitally important to the $400 million bluefin tuna industry, which directly employs more than 800 people.
“About 90 per cent of global tuna stock swim through The Bight and stay there to feed for up to six months of the year,” Mr Jeffriess said.
“If there was an accident … the timeline to recover from something like that is about 10 years, because the fish don’t spawn until they’re eight years old.
“But we’re not just talking about tuna, the sardine fishery is the largest volume fishery of any kind in Australia.
“The fishery relies on larvae produced each year in the various spawning areas on the west coast through to the Gulf.”
Norwegian company Equinor planned to drill in The Bight at the end of next year, subject to approval by the federal regulator NOPSEMA.
Energy giants BP and Chevron shelved their plans in 2016 and 2017.
Mr Jeffries said the Association had been involved in discussions with oil giants for more than five years and “to their credit” Equinor had potential compensation plans for various industries.
“Whatever the settlement and promises are, we’re not interested” he said.
“The loser in this would be the thousands of families on the Eyre Peninsula that are reliant on these industries.
“What’s been built here is an innovative global industry and is the largest aquaculture exporter in Australia.”
