Economy
Unlikely Alliance Announces Historic Rally to Send Margiris a Message
Fishers and conservationists are uniting in their call for no super trawlers in a rally to be held on Saturday 15 September at 11am on Parliament House Lawn in Hobart, as new concerns arise about bycatch and impacts on local fishing.
“Allowing this fishing factory to kill 10 seals a day is totally unacceptable,” said Rebecca Hubbard, Marine Coordinator, Environment Tasmania. “The Federal government has continued to ignore the serious threats posed by this ship to recreational fishers, our commercial fishing industry and our marine life.”
“Every day new questions about the validity of the process, the science behind the fishery, and its impacts arise,” continued Ms Hubbard. “The potential for this super trawler to have a devastating impact on well-established local fishing industries such as the sardine fishery are just starting to be revealed, and it is clear that Australia is not ready, and does not want, super trawlers in our waters.”
“All game fishing sectors across Australia respect the great work our marine scientists do, but it has become most apparent that there is a lack of independent funding for marine studies which include recreational issues, without relying on the commercial fishing industry funding, which could be seen as bias.
This current research is critical for all Australians and yet the only way they can do it is by going fishing in super trawlers,” said Neil Nobby Clark, President of the Tuna Club of Tasmania.
“If the recreational sector had been contributing to the scientists work, I highly doubt they would be supporting the introduction of this super trawler.
We’re calling on all the game fishers in Tasmania to stand up and come to this rally, and show our politicians, we are willing to do more, to stop this super trawler from fishing in our waters,” concluded Mr Clark.
Speakers will be announced close to the date.
For scientific commentary,
• “One fish, two fish, red fish blue fish: science doesn’t support the super trawler” from Research Professor Jessica Meeuwig:
http://theconversation.edu.au/one-fish-two-fish-red-fish-blue-fish-science-doesnt-support-the-super-trawler-9143
• For the media release of the South Australian Sardine Industry Association regarding their concerns about the bycatch of sardines by the super trawler:
http://stopthetrawler.net/unseen-bycatch-impacts-on-commercial-fisheries/#.UEgFmqPef3A
• Senator Peter Whish-Wilson on the Super Trawler:
http://www.4bc.com.au/blogs/4bc-blog/supertrawler-troubles/20120904-25cct.html
• And, from the Anonymous Reads Alot … Download, The Hidden Science Behind the Quota: … That’s the recommended and precautionary estimate that the authors of the “general background” didn’t want to you to calculate for yourselves. This is the value they ignored, the value they don’t want you to know. What’s the impact? The AFMA used the 140,000t to set a recommended biological catch of 10,600t of jack mackerel (that 7.5% of the spawning mass) – the total allowable catch (TAC), aka quota, is 10,100t. This quota, supported by the 7 scientists, is 42% of the precautionary estimate of 24,000t of jack mackerel spawning biomass. That’s double the maximum 20% exploitation rate internationally recognised as sustainable and set by the AFMA’s Harvest Rules.
The_Hidden_Science_behind_the_Quota.pdf
• Mercury: Angling icon slams Margiris
HELEN KEMPTON | September 06, 2012 12.06pm
Rex Hunt, who once fronted his own fishing show, has again spoken out against the FV Margiris.
FISHING celebrity Rex Hunt wants federal MPs to “stop the madness” and ban the FV Margiris from operating in Australian waters.
Mr Hunt, who was famous for kissing and releasing the fish he caught on his TV program, has written to all Australian senators in support of Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson’s motion to stop the super trawler.
Already a vocal critic of the vessel, the angling icon tells senators in his letter that the southern bluefin tuna eats the same species the super trawler will be targeting – jack mackerel and redbait.
“To target a direct food source of the tuna, which is now regenerating after a shocking decline, is environment damage to the extreme,” Mr Hunt says in his letter.
“I hope you can consider supporting the upcoming disallowance motion to stop this madness.”
Senator Whish-Wilson has also called on his parliamentary colleagues to back his anti-Margiris motion.
“If (Environment) Minister Tony Burke hasn’t got the spine to stand up for the marine environment, and to take on the Dutch super trawler, then the parliament must take direct action,” Senator Whish-Wilson said in a statement.
“The only way to stop this monster trawler from potentially depleting our local fish stocks and threatening marine life, such as seals, dolphins and penguins, is for the Senate to disallow and suspend the fishing quota when parliament sits next week.”
Government backbencher Melissa Parke, from Western Australia, plans to introduce a Private Member’s Bill opposing the trawler in the House of Representatives. The Bill is now being drafted.
• GREENS WRITE TO SOUTH-EASTERN STATES: STOP THE TRAWLER
Pressure Grows to Support Senate Disallowance Motion
Kim Booth MP
Greens Primary Industries spokesperson
Thursday, 6 September 2012
The Tasmanian Greens have today written to all southern and eastern Australian states except South Australia urging them to put pressure on the Federal Fisheries Minister Joe Ludwig to stop the super trawler FV Margiris operating in Australian waters.
Greens Primary Industries spokesperson Kim Booth said the move followed steps taken by the Tasmanian Lower House and the South Australian Labor Government to write to the Minister expressing opposition to the trawler.
“The Greens warmly welcome the South Australian Government’s decision to follow Tasmania’s lead in writing to the Minister Ludwig, and now we’re urging to all other states and territories to get on board.”
“Today we have written to all southern and eastern Australian states except South Australia to argue the case for why Australia needs to send the super trawler packing.”
“Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland would be particularly affected by the operations of this ocean depleting vessel, which threatens to do to our fisheries what it has done in other parts of the world.”
“If we can secure the support of all six governments, it will put considerable pressure on Labor and Liberal Senators ahead of the vote on the Australian Greens’ disallowance motion in the Senate next week.”
“Opposition to the super trawler comes from all sectors of the community ranging from environment groups, recreational and commercial fishers, scientists and the broader public.”
“Whilst approval for the venture rests entirely with the Commonwealth government the impact of this super trawler, if allowed to operate, will not be felt just in Commonwealth waters,” Mr Booth said
NOTE: Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson’s motion to disallow the Small Pelagic Fishery Total Allowable Catch Was debated on the 22nd August 2012 and is scheduled to be voted on when the Senate next sits on the 10th September 2012.
Download: Letter to from Greens Primary Industries spokesperson Kim Booth MP to New South Wales Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson MP. Identical letters were sent to Western Australia, Victoria and Queensland:
Sep06_Letter_from_Kim_Booth_to_NSW_Government_ATTACH.pdf