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

The Stop the Trawler Alliance today welcomed news that the factory freezer supertrawler Geelong Star has left Australian waters. But without permanent protection from the operation of factory freezer trawlers in the Small Pelagic Fishery in place, fears remain over a possible expansion of what has surely been the most controversial fishery in recent Australian history.

“The Geelong Star has gone for now but when will it, or factory freezer trawlers like it, be back? – the fishery has not been closed and quotas still exist” said Ginny Gerlach, of Environment Tasmania,

“It is imperative that our Federal Government acknowledge the overwhelming community sentiment on industrializing our Small Pelagic Fishery and introduce a permanent ban on the operation of factory freezer trawlers in the Small Pelagic Fishery”

“Let’s not open our fishery resources and marine environment up for raiding by foreign interests – our oceans are worth more than that” said Mrs Gerlach.

“The relief that recreational fishers, ocean lovers, tourism-dependent businesses and coastal communities have expressed tells us clearly that if government acted on behalf of the constituents who own our fishery resources, rather than the Geelong Star’s foreign owners, they would not allow this vessel or any others like it back into Australian waters” said Adrian Meder, of the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

“It appears that the Geelong Star caught almost it’s entire Blue Mackerel catch allowance according to AMFA catch records – however this information is not up to date yet. The power and efficiency of these massive industrial vessels and having the Geelong Star focusing the fishing effort in only a very small area of the fishery off southern New South Wales and Victoria – demonstrates that our concerns around localized depletion of the small pelagic fishery are very real” said Nobby Clark, recreational fishing spokesman for the Stop the Trawler Alliance.

The Stop the Trawler Alliance has yet to determine whether the Geelong Star is set to return to our shores but it leaves in its wake a raft of questions and we call on AFMA for clarification about the future of factory freezer trawlers in the Small Pelagic Fishery.
Ginny Gerlach, of Environment Tasmania