Recreational Fishers & Conservationists Call For Support From Federal Politicians …

… for Geelong Star proposal

Recreational fishing and conservation groups from across Australia are calling on Federal Politicians to support a new Pledge to protect Australia’s marine environment and key recreational fisheries from the Geelong Star and other super trawlers.

This Pledge offers a simple solution to the ongoing problems that the freezer factory trawler Geelong Star continues to generate.

Since it started fishing in March this year, the Geelong Star has killed numerous dolphins and seals. The management of this fishery by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is also becoming an issue. Just last week documents released under FOI revealed that an independent Chair of an important AFMA committee quit due to concerns about the way the Authority was dealing with conflicts of interest and industry influence in the Small Pelagic Fishery.

Small Pelagic Fishery Pledge

Recreational fishers and conservationists call on Australian Federal Politicians to pledge support for:

Enacting a permanent ban on the operation of factory freezer trawlers in the Small Pelagic Fishery

A factory freezer trawler is any vessel capable of machine processing and freezing small pelagic fish catch on board

33,500 petitioners’ names are being delivered to Prime Minister Abbott today in Canberra, supporting a ban on factory freezer trawlers. This follows a delivery of 75,000 petitioners’ names just three months ago.

“Public opposition to the use of industrial-scale freezer factory trawlers in Australia’s Small Pelagic Fishery remains high, yet Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck refuses to take these concerns on board. The Small Pelagic Fishery Pledge offers Federal Politicians an opportunity to be part of the solution, and to show their support for protection of our fishing, marine life and fisheries,” said Rebecca Hubbard of Environment Tasmania.

“The highest value use of the Small Pelagic Fishery is not in a few dollars per tonne for industrial scale factory trawlers, but in protecting this fish stock for supporting recreational fishers and local micro-economies that rely on healthy stocks, and for the environmental role it plays in feeding larger species like tuna,” said John Edwards of Tuna Club of Tasmania.

“In the Geelong Star’s short, yet eventful time in Australian waters, it has killed eight dolphins and four fur seals. That is 12 animals too many for the Australian community. With little confidence freezer factory trawlers can fish without causing unnecessary and unwanted harm to protected marine life, we are calling for a ban on this type of fishing in the Small Pelagic Fishery,” said Tooni Mahto, Australian Marine Conservation Society.

“The operator of the freezer factory trawler Geelong Star is continuing to damage the reputation of Australian fisheries, with recent revelations that the Independent Chair of the Small Pelagic Fishery Resource Advisory Group believes the super trawler operator has an unacceptable pecuniary interest and influence on fishery management advice,” said Jon Bryan of Tasmanian Conservation Trust. “AFMA’s current Vessel Management Plan does not provide adequate safeguards for marine mammals, the marine environment or recreational fisheries.”

“The Small Pelagic Fishery is critically important to game fishers and recreational fishers around the country. The Seafish venture will take the exploitation of Small Pelagic Fish to a level never seen before and AFMA have failed to recognise the value of these baitfish to regional recreational fishing towns. Politicians need to respond to the call to action from the constituents who they represent or they will suffer the consequences when next seeking their support at an election,” said Nobby Clark of Game Fish Tasmania Sports Fishing Club.

“The Small Pelagic Fishery Pledge offers Australian politicians the opportunity to show their support for action on protecting our fisheries, recreational fishing and marine life from factory freezer trawlers. We are surveying politicians and will be promoting their positions to the tens of thousands of Australians who care deeply about avoiding this path of industrialising our oceans”, concluded Ms Hubbard.

Rebecca Hubbard Environment Tasmania,
John Edwards, Tuna Club of Tasmania,
Nobby Clark, Gamefish Tasmania Sports Fishing Club,
Tooni Mahto, Australian Marine Conservation Society,
Jon Bryan Tasmanian Conservation Trust.