Dr. Cecil Beamish:

The recommendation is to look at an implementation strategy. We have been doing that both in the Department and with our Minister. We have not created a document for publication. However, we have been working internally on a strategy to deal with these. It is easy to go through the recommendations and talk about them and what consideration is going into them. It is quite clear, however, that we and others will not be able to do everything immediately and clear the backlog. There are a limited number of people who work in this area. The Legislature will take some time to do a whole new aquaculture framework. It tends to be a high-interest group activity. I am sure there will be a lot of amendments and adjustments when we are doing it. The report is quite open about that. It recognises that some things are longer-term than others.

Anything that we can adopt relatively quickly, get in place and that will drive the clearing of the backlog is being done. We have started work on things like developing electronic systems and e-licensing with our IT people. We have also started work on a draft aquaculture management information system that would do an e-mapping system. However, we are a long way from being in a position to have anything that would be capable of being issued and relied upon in a legal process. All the things listed that can be started and moved along are being looked at and we are trying to be move them along. The report does not say that everything has to be done. The ones with the timelines are the backlog. That is accepted and that challenge is being taken up.