But the Liberals’ claim that they are fighting against illegal fishing has been supported by Tuna Boat Owners Association president Brian Jeffriess.

“The tuna industry is not really in the business of asking the government for money … so the actual grants announced have limited affected on us; it is an industry that has been around for a while,” he said about the grants fisheries minister Eric Abetz announced during his visit to Port Lincoln.

But Mr Jeffriess said the government was doing a good job dealing with tuna overcatches.

According to recent national media reports an investigation had found that over 20 years Japanese fishers hid an $8 billion southern bluefin tuna overcatch, and it was believed that this amount had been underestimated.

Mr Jeffriess said when there was an international problem the tuna industry needed the Federal Government to act in Australia’s interests, and it had.

He said the first thing that had happened was in 2006 Japan’s quota was halved to 3000 tonnes for five years and after this time a review would take place.

“That was the important first step.

“The extent of the overcatch is still to really be debated and that’s still to come.”

But Mr Jeffriess said the overcatch had “damaged tuna stock” and he was unsure when the reports would be debated.

At the recent Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna conference Australian delegates called for further independent reports.

A report from the conference stated: “Australia continues to question why the catches reported in Japan’s national reports can vary so widely from the amount of SBT that is sold in the markets in Japan.”