MYEFO leaves Australia without Southern Ocean patrol boat

Australian Greens spokesperson for whaling and fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, responds to MYEFO detailing that the Australian Customs Vessel (ACV) Ocean Protector has been designated as part of Operation Sovereign Borders for the next two years, despite two separate Coalition election commitments to send it to the Southern Ocean to conduct patrols.

“For the first time in over a decade Australia will no longer have a dedicated Southern Ocean patrol vessel – the Abbott government’s Mid-Year Economic Forecast has put the 150 million dollar purpose-built Antarctic patrol vessel, the ACV Ocean Protector, fairly and squarely under the control of Operation Sovereign Borders for the next two years,” said Senator Peter Whish-Wilson
“The vessel that was built at great cost for ice-riddled Antarctic patrols is now locked in to be used as a tropical water taxi off Christmas Island.

“We have the Sea Shepherd leaving soon to the do the government’s job against Japanese Whalers and a ‘purple notice’ issued against the vessel “Thunder” for plundering our waters of Patagonian toothfish – yet, the Abbott government has recklessly abandoned our sovereignty over the Southern Ocean.

“Environment Minister Hunt and Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Richard Colbeck, both made election commitments to send the ACV Ocean Protector to patrol the Southern Ocean – now with this MYEFO announcement, they have broken two promises for the price of one.

“I can’t tell if its deception, incompetence or impotence that is leading these senior figures in the Coalition to break such high-profile election commitments.

“Greg Hunt and Richard Colbeck need to wrest back control of the ACV Ocean Protector from Scott Morrison, stop abandoning Australia’s sovereignty over the Southern Ocean and act on illegal fishing and whaling in our waters,” Senator Whish-Wilson concluded.
Australian Greens spokesperson for whaling and fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson