Ghost Gear Initiative - The new $25.1 million Ghost Net and Marine Debris Initiative

Question

1. The new initiative has a domestic component of $20.6 million and an international component of $4.5 million. Can the government provide a further breakdown of how the $20.6 million domestic component is allocated across the expanded Indigenous Ranger program, in-water retrievals, technology, and regional recycling hubs? 2. Is this $25.1 million entirely new money, or does it draw in whole or in part from existing Marine Parks budgets or other pre-committed funding lines? 3. The previous Ghost Net Initiative included a $3 million Ghost Nets Innovative Solutions grant program. Will the new Ghost Nets and Marine Debris Initiative include a grants component? a. If so, when will grant guidelines be published and applications open? What will the funding pool be for the grants? 4. The new initiative expands coverage to Western Australia, the Torres Strait and the Arafura and Timor seas. a. How many additional Ranger groups are expected to be supported under the expanded initiative? b. Are there any Ranger groups who were previously funded, who will not receive funding through the new Ghost Nets and Marine Debris Initiative? 5. The government has stated that a new regional ghost nets monitoring program will be created in partnership with Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste through the Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action program, with the goal of improving identifi cation of ghost net hotspots and supporting a regional plan to deal with them. a. What are the timelines and milestones for this monitoring program over the four years of the initiative? b. Does the government have measurable targets for the number of ghost nets identifi ed or intercepted through this international collaboration? c. Is there an expectation of a quantifi able reduction in ghost nets entering Australian waters as a result of this program, and if so, over what timeframe? d. Will the initiative adopt a lifecycle approach to fi shing and aquaculture gear - including design standards, marking, tracking and end of life disposal?

Answer

Please see the attached answer.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• SQ26-000698.pdf (opens in a new tab)