Voting for a Coalition Government risks bringing back the Supertrawler and ending new funding for independent science in the Small Pelagic Fishery.
Today in the Senate the Coalition voted against a joint motion from Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson and Labor Senator Lin Thorp that would have ensured that approximately $1M of funding for independent fisheries science into the risks of industrial scale fishing would continue.
Senator Whish-Wilson said the motion called for the maintenance of both the temporary two-year ban and the research funding required to investigate environmental impacts of the operation of large mid water trawl freezer vessels – like the supertrawler FV Margiris – in the Small Pelagic Fishery(SPF).
“Recreational fishers, environment groups, and the tens of thousands of Australians who signed petitions and protested against the supertrawler are justifiably concerned about the risks to our fisheries and marine ecosystems,” Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said.
Senator Whish-Wilson questioned if the Coalition would bring back the supertrawler and end new funding for independent science in the SPF if they gained government.
“A new Federal Environment Minister could quickly overturn the existing ban and revoke the attached research funding and I was disappointed to see Tasmanian Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck speaking out against today’s motion,” Senator Whish-Wilson said.
“Why didn’t Senator Colbeck take the opportunity to stand up for Tasmania and ensure the science funding needed to resolve uncertainties in the SPF – such as the threat of localised depletion – was secure?
“The Australian Fisheries Management Authority’s own Resource Assessment Group agreed in January 2013 that more research was needed in the SPF,” he concluded.
• Kim Booth: Do the Tasmanian Liberals still oppose supertrawlers?
