The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, calls on Environment Minister Tony Burke to rule out permitting the super trawler to operate in Australian waters
Speaker my question is to the Environment Minister.
Minister, as you know AFMA is considering an application from Seafish Tasmania to now operate the super trawler as a mother-ship supplied by a fleet of smaller vessels.
As this is just a cynical attempt to circumvent the ban placed on the vessel last year, do you commit to honour the spirit of the ban, as well as the word, and stop this madness now.
Update:
The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, pressed the Environment Minister for the Government’s position on Seafish Tasmania’s proposal to use the super trawler as a mother-ship supplied by a fleet of smaller vessels.
The Minister’s response contained the significant admission that “on the face of it, many of the environmental issues that we were dealing with a few months ago still arise in this new proposal.”
“The Minister’s revelation that he believes there are significant environmental concerns with Seafish Tasmania’s latest proposal is a stunning development,” Mr Wilkie said.
“Today’s comments by the Minister give me heart that the super trawler Margiris will continue to be denied permission to operate in Australian waters for the foreseeable future.”
A copy of the draft Hansard transcript follows.
Mr WILKIE (Denison) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Minister, as you know, AFMA is now
considering an application from Seafish Tasmania to operate the super trawler as a
mother ship, supplied by a fleet of smaller vessels. As this is just a cynical attempt to
circumvent the ban placed on the vessel last year; do you commit to honour the spirit of
the ban, as well as the word, and to stop this madness now?
Mr BURKE (Watson—Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and
Communities) (14:23): I thank the member for Denison for the question. Members would
be aware that we had a fairly intense debate towards the end of last year with respect to
the impact that the super trawler may well have. This government unapologetically takes
great care and great caution in protecting our oceans. The issues that we were dealing
with, a few months ago now, went very much to the heart of what would be the impact of
localised depletion.
Honourable members interjecting—
The SPEAKER: Can I ask the minister to resume his seat? I am on my feet. Albo, I will
do it. Thank you. I think, with due respect to the independent member who has asked the
question, that there should be some respect shown to allow the member to actually hear
the answer to the question he has put. The minister will now be heard in silence.
Mr BURKE: Thank you. The issue of localised depletion has an impact on species that I
am responsible for under national environmental law. There are other issues that ran
around the campaign: people would discuss the size of the net and things like that, but
ultimately localised depletion and the impact on predatory species was at the core of that.
Seafish Tasmania, as well as going to AFMA, have written to me to give an indication of
this mother ship proposal that they have in place. On the face of it, many of the
environmental issues that we were dealing with a few months ago still arise in this new
proposal. What I have asked my department to do is to prepare fresh advice on the two
legal questions that they will have to answer. The first question is: is it a new fishing
activity? The second question is: is there uncertainty as to the environmental impact?
I will receive that advice from the department and I will make a call on that; but I have
written today to the company and made clear to them that depending on that advice,
which I will not pre judge, I absolutely reserve the right to make further declarations in
respect of any different ideas or uses for the vessel that come up. The tests will be the
same as they were last time: is it a new activity and is there environmental uncertainty?
If those tests are met, then a new declaration would go ahead and that would mean that
we had a situation where activities of that nature were illegal while the scientific work
was carried out.
