Australian Greens Act to Close ‘Super-Trawler 2.0’ Legal Loop-Hole

The Australian Greens will move a motion in the Senate on Tuesday the 26th of February calling on Environment Minister Tony Burke to fix his mistakes and ensure the ‘super-trawler’ can’t operate in the Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF) until Burke’s own Commonwealth-funded independent expert panel are able to finish their scientific research.

“Our legal advice found, that at present there’s nothing to prohibit the operation of the ‘super- trawler’ as a floating factory freezer vessel if AFMA approves the trawler proponent Seafish’s application in the next 6 weeks.

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson stated it was unacceptable that Minister Burke had not dealt with this possibility since his decision in November.

“I have repeatedly pointed out to Minister Burke the loopholes in his initial decision to prevent the ‘super –trawler’ and he has reassured me that if there was problem he would deal with it.

“Meanwhile, as I found out at Senate Estimates, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority is potentially just weeks away from making a decision on the proposal to operate the FV Margiris as a floating factory freezer.

“Using the vessel as a floating factory does nothing to address the key issue of localised depletion and the lack of research around the setting of the quota.

“Following the Greens questioning at Estimates earlier this week we now know that an expert panel has been appointed and funded to examine the impacts of operating industrial scale factory-freezer vessels in the SPF.

“It makes no sense to allow Seafish to work within the SPF with the Margiris, and up to five smaller vessels while the scientific work remains unfinished.

“The Greens are calling on Minister Burke to immediately issue a declaration that permanently closes existing loopholes, to ensure the such vessels are kept out of the SPF until the scientific work is done.”
Senator Peter Whish-Wilson