Farewell Super Trawler … and the questions remain …

‘Bycatch’ of the Super Trawler … a whale shark …

Tasmanian Senator Peter Whish-Wilson has put out a Media Release detailing the apparent exit of Super Trawler, Geelong Star …

And the question still remains … was Geelong Star responsible for the Basslink outage? What is your view on what caused the Basslink failure? (includes links to earlier articles by specialist Kelvin Jones …)

Super Trawler Geelong Star leaves Australian waters in mysterious circumstances
Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson

Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson welcomes the news that the factory-freezer vessel Geelong Star has left Australian waters.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “This situation is bizarre. The fisheries authority has posted a mysterious statement on their website about the Geelong Star no longer being in Australian waters. They haven’t said when it left, where it is has gone and if it is coming back.

“This has come totally out of the blue. I definitely welcome the news. I don’t want these large factory fishing vessels operating in the small pelagic fishery in Australian waters at all.

“It’s not good enough for AFMA to issue a statement with so little information. A simple check of the Marine Traffic website shows the Geelong Star is off the coast of South Africa.

“AFMA should be upfront to the Australian people about whether the Geelong Star is coming back.” Senator Whish-Wilson.

*Lindsay Tuffin has been a journo for nearly five decades, mainly in Aus, and Pomland …

• Stop The Trawler Alliance Alliance says good riddance to Geelong Star … but for how long?

• Peter Whish-Wilson: Australian dolphins safe from Super Trawler. Loch Ness monster now at risk

• Andrea Dawkins: Duplicitous Liberals Wave Off Super Trawler

• Mark Shelton: Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish

RELATED …

• Councillor’s attack on Environment Tasmania supporters unacceptable

• Andrew Wyminga in Comments: The Geelong Star (perhaps soon to be renamed once again and as it nears South Africa the “Faf du Plessis” might be considered) can no longer roam at sea without its transponder being turned on. In Australia it was the only sizable commercial vessel that had an exemption and therefore could not be tracked. We welcome its departure and feel safer knowing where it is …

EARLIER on Tasmanian Times: • John Hawkins: The Great Plunder …

NOVEMBER 24 …

• Stop the Trawler Alliance: Now it’s time to ban them forever …