Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 23 June 2022
Antarctic toothfish plunderer met with protests in Hobart
This morning, a group of activists climbed onto the mooring line of the Antarctic toothfish plunderer, Antarctic Discovery and hung a banner on the vessel revealing its true nature as an Antarctic destroyer, not an Antarctic discoverer.
19-year-old Billie Raffety from the Huon Valley suspended herself from the vessel’s mooring line to protest the presence of the vessel in the supposed Antarctic gateway city of Hobart. Dock workers and vessel crew untied the line and dropped Billie Raffety into the water where she was picked up by the other activists involved in the protest.
The vessel, owned by Hobart-based Australian Longline, has just returned from smashing the sub-Antarctic toothfish populations off Australia’s World Heritage-listed Macquarie, Heard and McDonald Islands.
“This vessel, despite efforts to appear sustainable, is targeting a species that is sold as a ‘luxury’ product. Antarctic and Patagonian toothfish is not a sustainable fishery providing food security to the globe. Rather, they are a status meal in five-star hotels and fancy restaurants, decimating a species we know little about,” said Bob Brown Foundation Antarctic Campaigner Alistair Allan.
“The toothfish industry touts their Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic operations as one of the world’s most regulated fisheries, but with most of the Earth’s fisheries in rapid decline or near collapse, we cannot trust that the toothfish is not destined for the same fate. This fish is red listed by NGOs due to its position as an apex predator and overfishing in the 80s and 90s. It is a fish we should not be pillaging.”
“The Antarctic Discovery, or rather, Antarctic Destroyer, is responsible for deep sea devastation and disturbance of the Southern Ocean. Australian Longline vessels can set as many as 60,000 hooks on tens of kilometres of lines. These skewers rake the delicate Southern Ocean ecosystem, catching anything in their path. Using 60,000 hooks in one of the world’s last wild places is obscene,” said Billie Raffety.
“Hobart claims to be an Antarctic custodian but how can this be when we allow such destructive vessels in our port? In a very short amount of time, industrial whaling and sealing took both species to the brink of extinction in the Antarctic. We cannot allow the same to happen to toothfish. The public has a right to know that Hobart is being used as a base for expanding the looting of the Antarctic,” said Alistair Allan.
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 24 June 2022
Peaceful protest met with dangerous cold-water plunge
Yesterday, a Bob Brown Foundation protester climbed onto the mooring line of the Antarctic toothfish plunderer Antarctic Discovery and hung a banner on the vessel revealing its true nature as an Antarctic destroyer, not an Antarctic discoverer.
19-year-old Billie Raffety from the Huon Valley suspended herself from the vessel’s mooring line to protest the presence of the vessel in Hobart / nipaluna.
As is too often the case, this peaceful protest was met with aggression and dangerous responses from both TasPorts and the crew of the Australian Longline vessel, Antarctic Discovery.
Without warning or communication, the crew and TasPorts workers dropped the mooring line of the vessel with Billie, fully clothed and in heavy harnesses and with multiple ropes and equipment, into the freezing Hobart winter waters.
No effort was made by either TasPorts or the crew of the Australian Longline vessel to assist Billie who was breathing heavily from the shock of being dunked into the cold harbour.
“Our Police Liaison officer clearly explained to the TasPorts staff that it would be extremely dangerous to drop the mooring line as this would result in the potential entanglement of our volunteer if she was dropped into the water still attached to the line and surrounded by the ropes, rigging and hardware she had used to climb the mooring line,” said Bob Brown Foundation Antarctic campaigner Alistair Allan.
“One of the TasPorts workers was even heard asking, “What if she can’t swim?” This fundamental safety consideration was ignored, along with a whole range of other safety procedures that TasPorts must have around preventing a ‘person overboard’ scenario.”
“TasPorts staff did nothing to respond to this ‘person overboard’ situation. No life ring or floatation device was deployed, and no effort was made to offer any assistance to Billie who was in the cold water of the harbour, potentially entangled in rigging and ropes.”
“Fortunately, our boat was close at hand and managed to safely retrieve Billie from the water. She was extremely cold and shocked at the complete disregard shown for her safety by TasPorts staff and the crew of the Antarctic Discovery.”
Not only does Australian Longline show complete disregard for the health of the Antarctic ecosystem that they plunder, but it also turns out the public’s safety is of no consequence either.”
Bob Brown Foundation has filed an official statement with Tasmanian police regarding the reckless actions of both TasPorts and Australian Longline and has written to the CEOs of both organisations demanding an explanation for their dangerous behaviour.
