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Seafood TerritoryThe Northern Territory’s fishing industry is always on show, with an armada of vessels anchored at the city’s Duck Pond mooring basin. The anchorage, just a few hundred metres from the city centre, features trawlers that make their way out to the Gulf of Carpentaria in search of tiger and banana prawns. There are the longliners who travel hundreds of nautical miles into the Timor Sea to fish for gold band and saddletail snapper. And there are boats whose crews frequent the coastline targeting the Territory’s signature species, barramundi and king threadfin. The combined waters of the Arafura and Timor seas bordering the Northern Territory create enormous economic opportunities for commercial, recreational and traditional Indigenous fishermen alike. While recreational fishermen and Aborigines take to the rivers and billabongs of the Top End, commercial fishers ply the river entrances and the Territory’s 800km coastline, while others travel considerable distances from their Darwin base. The commercial sector includes harvesting wild catch, fisheries and aquaculture as well as the processing, trade and retailing of seafood. Seafood processing and retail industries support the commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors, supporting the supply of seafood to consumers in the Territory, in southern Australia and overseas. In 2010–11, the total value of Territory fishing (wild catch fish, wild catch crustaceans including the Commonwealth-managed Northern Prawn Fishery, wild catch mollusc and echinoderms and aquaculture) production is estimated at $128.1 million. The Northern Prawn Fishery, lying off the coast of northern Australia, is the Territory’s most valuable fishery. The value of managed fisheries, excluding the Northern Prawn Fishery, and aquaculture in the Territory in 2008–09 was $58.8 million. While the NT’s fish stocks are highly sustainable and in many cases under-utilised, the value of production of fisheries in the Territory has tended to fluctuate over time due to environmental conditions and consumer demand. Eight Territory wild-harvest fisheries have undergone assessment by the Commonwealth under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. All these fisheries have been awarded the highest level of accreditation, meaning that Territory fisheries are healthy, well managed and ecologically sustainable, and product harvested from these fisheries can be exported. Fisheries that have undergone this assessment include shark and mackerel, aquarium, demersal fish, fin fish trawl, mud crab, Timor Reef and trepang fisheries. Fishing tourism is also important to the Territory’s economy. In 2010–11, 28,640 people participated in guided fishing tourism excursions. Approximately 77 per cent of that number were from interstate, 3 per cent from overseas and 20 per cent resided in the Territory. Recreational fishing is a popular pastime for local Territorians, with more participants per head of population than anywhere else in Australia. A survey in 2001 indicated that people in the Territory spent 1.9 million hours fishing in that year. Barramundi is the species favoured by recreational anglers, with interstate and international visitors specifically coming to the Territory to catch this iconic species. Other species caught include black jewfish, golden snapper, tricky snapper, red emperor, mangrove jack, king threadfin and saratoga. The results of a comprehensive survey of recreational fishing in the Territory are due to be published in 2012. It is expected that the results will indicate the growing significance of recreational fishing in the Territory and will provide an important foundation upon which to base future management decisions. The Territory fisheries industry is largely dependent on economic conditions in interstate and international markets. Currently the sale of crustaceans, including the Northern Prawn Fishery and mud crabs, for 2010–11 is estimated to be $77 million. Fish (barramundi, shark, gold band snapper, other snappers, threadfin salmon, mackerel, jewfish) were valued at $25 million. The aquaculture sector was valued at $25.7 million in 2010–11, with pearling the most valuable of the aquaculture industries in the Territory accounting for about 75 per cent of the value. Darwin based Paspaley Pearls is the world leader in the production and sales of South Sea Pearls. Barramundi aquaculture is a growing industry, with a number of farms in operation outside Darwin producing quality fish for the local market and for export to southern capitals. The year ahead will also see some important management changes in the offshore snapper fisheries that operate in the Arafura Sea. Flexible and sustainable fisheries harvest frameworks will be implemented by the Territory Government to encourage long-term development and investment in these fisheries. The value of Territory fisheries production has increased by about 50 per cent in the five years since 2003–04. Over the past decade, important changes have occurred in fisheries management. The Territory Government uses various strategies to ensure equitable resource sharing continues between commercial and recreational fishers. Components of that resource strategy include voluntary and compulsory reductions in the number of fishing licences, a voluntary buyback of coastal netting licences, gear restrictions, seasonal closures, river closures and minimum size limits. The Territory Government believes these measures will ensure the future sustainability of this important resource, and local seafood consumers will continue to see fresh fish and prawns offered for sale from the boats anchored at Darwin’s picturesque Duck Pond mooring basin. “Recreational fishing is a popular pastime for local Territorians, with more participants per head of population than anywhere else in Australia.” Industry Supporting DefenceThe Northern Territory is entering a new era of opportunity as an increasing number of Australia’s new Defence Force platforms are strategically based in the Territory. Recent announcements by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and US President Barrack Obama, regarding an increased US presence in Australia for training, suggest there are exciting opportunities ahead for industry. The increased US presence will involve an initial deployment of 250 Marines and will increase to 2500 over the coming years. Marines will exercise and train on a rotational basis with members of the Australian Defence Force. Selected equipment and supplies will be pre-positioned in the Territory to facilitate exercises and training. It is estimated that 11 per cent of Australia’s total permanent ADF personnel are based in the Territory. The defence population including dependents has risen from 6200 in June 1992 to an estimated 15,034 in June 2010. The defence community makes up approximately 6.5 per cent of the total Territory population. Defence expenditure in the Territory is estimated to be $1.3 billion. Headquarters Northern Command (NORCOM), based at Larrakeyah Barracks in Darwin, commands and synchronises ADF and whole of government operations in northern Australia, along with border protection operations along Australia’s northern maritime approaches. The Army has concentrated the majority of its armoured fighting vehicles at Robertson Barracks, including ASLAV light armoured vehicles, the M113 armoured personnel carrier, the Bushmaster armoured personnel carrier, and 70 per cent of the Army’s Abrams main battle tanks. These are complemented by a wide variety of field vehicles, trailers and artillery. The Army has also based 77 per cent of its fleet of Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopters at Robertson Barracks. The Abrams and Tigers bring with them major new infrastructure, including simulators. The primary Royal Australian Navy (RAN) presence in the Territory is the Armidale Class patrol boat fleet, headquartered at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin. A total of 70 per cent of Australia’s Armidale patrol boats call Darwin their home port and significant infrastructure development to provide accommodation for the fleet was completed in March 2010. The main presence of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is at RAAF Base Tindal near Katherine, 300km south of Darwin. The RAAF operates F/A18 Hornet fighter planes, which will eventually be replaced by the F35 Joint Strike Fighter. RAAF Base Darwin is home to No. 396 Combat Support Wing, which provides the Air Force and Combat Support Group with a diverse range of combat support and fixed base services including ongoing support to the bare bases in northern Australia. RAAF operates the Delamere Air Weapons Range close to its Tindal airbase. The Delamere Air Weapons Range is used for RAAF and an increasing number of international defence force operational training exercises. The range has been upgraded to provide a high level of automated instrumentation and forms part of the Australian United States Joint Combined Training Capability (JCTC) initiative. The JCTC also incorporates the Army’s Mount Bundy Training Range and the Bradshaw Field Training Area (BFTA) at Timber Creek. BFTA allows operations for up to 7000 troops, making it one of the largest field training areas in the Pacific region. The Australia–US Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap near Alice Springs is a major element of international global ballistic missile early warning and intelligence monitoring systems. Major defence operations are a regular feature of the defence presence within the Territory. These operations provide a significant boost to the local economy through supply and support contracts and increased visitor numbers. Multinational exercise Pitch Black and naval exercises such as Kakadu and Singaroo are held regularly. Pitch Black is the major air exercise conducted in Australia and includes participation by the air forces of France, Singapore, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Industry in the NT has long supported the defence and oil and gas sectors. Industry consists of small and medium enterprises, few of which are solely dependent on defence as their prime source of income. Industry is currently engaged in defence activities including logistics support; armoured vehicle maintenance; field vehicle and trailer maintenance; electronics design and systems development; communications system support; radar systems operations; signals monitoring; provision of aircraft for towing and logistics; ship maintenance, repair and modification; underwater training systems and construction services. The ADF needs local industry to increase its capacity to support its sophisticated military vehicles and systems. Small businesses have been advised to form clusters to strengthen their expertise and capacity to embark on joint venture engagements with prime contractors holding maintenance contracts. To support the increasing number of opportunities and attract high value clients, the Northern Territory Government has developed the Defence Support Hub, which is a 53 hectare industrial park close to Robertson Barracks. The Defence Support Hub will enable prime contractors and SMEs that deliver valuable support to defence, in particular the Army, to establish strategic clusters close to their client. The location of the Defence Support Hub not only provides easy access to Robertson Barracks but is also situated within minutes of East Arm Port, the City of Palmerston, Darwin International Airport and the Berrimah Railway Freight Terminal. The Northern Territory Government developed a Defence Support Industry Strategy, the aim of which is to develop a strong, sustainable and growing defence support industry with capability aligned to the needs of defence. Directory: layouts -> download.aspx?SourceUrl= -> publications -> Documents Documents -> Cover Story Documents -> Cover story Documents -> Cover story layouts -> Factors on the basis of which import or export duty and other measures in respect of trade in goods are applied layouts -> Curriculum vitae (updated April 2016 ) layouts -> Periodic Vehicle Inspection for Emissions and Roadworthiness layouts -> Namas Proposal – nama seeking Support for Preparation Title of Mitigation Action Download 117.28 Kb. Share with your friends:
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