Super Trawler Senate Inquiry Hears of Diminishing Transparency

Recreational fishers and conservationists called for Senators to respond to the overwhelming public opposition to industrial scale freezer factory trawlers in Australia’s Small Pelagic Fishery in a public hearing today in Hobart for the Senate Inquiry into “The environmental, social and economic impacts of large-capacity fishing vessels commonly known as ‘supertrawlers’ operating in Australia’s marine jurisdiction”. Over 10,500 individual submissions were made to the Inquiry opposing supertrawlers in our Small Pelagic Fishery.

“The introduction of super trawlers into our Small Pelagic Fishery has been the most controversial fishing issue in recent Australian history, with strong opposition from a broad cross-section of the community across the breadth of the country. It’s about time that Senators hear from their constituents just how important this issue is,” said Rebecca Hubbard of Environment Tasmania.

“Tasmanian recreational fishers have observed firsthand the failure of the Small Pelagic Fishery after intensive fishing, on more than one occasion. Our fishing records track the declining catch of tuna parallel to the increasing catch of redbait in the early 2000’s. Yet AFMA and the Coalition Government continue to ignore our warnings about the threat that industrial factory freezer trawlers pose to the small pelagic fishery, and the socially and economically valuable gamefish industry that relies on it,” said Nobby Clark of Tasmanian GameFish Sports Fishing Club.

“The Australian community expects AFMA and the Australian Government to sustainably manage our publicly owned fishery resource to their expectations, and yet the super trawler Geelong Star hasn’t stopped killing protected species and targeting recreational fishing hotspots,” said Jon Bryan of Tasmanian Conservation Trust.

“AFMA have increasingly restricted public access to meaningful engagement in the management of the Small Pelagic Fishery, whilst also ignoring concerns from independent officials that industry is having an undue influence. This fishery has been plagued by controversy and corruption and it’s high time that the Senate understand the extent of the problems,” said Mr Bryan.

“We hope that the Senate will see for themselves the broad groundswell of opposition to large factory freezer trawlers, and support a permanent ban on all factory freezer trawlers from the Small Pelagic Fishery,” concluded Ms Hubbard.

Rebecca Hubbard, Environment Tasmania,
Nobby Clark, Gamefish Tasmania Sports Fishing Club,
Jon Bryan, Tasmanian Conservation Trust.