Renamed super trawler allowed to fish

The Minister for Environment Hon Tony Burke has revealed that the Dutch-owned vessel Abel Tasman (formally the Margiris) has been granted permission to over-exploit Australian waters and to also exploit marine reserves from which Australian commercial vessels have been locked out.

The name change of the vessel was necessary for it to gain Australian registration and therefore be allowed to fish in our waters.

Commenting on the drenaming and the decision, We Fish Australia spokesperson Dale McClelland said: "The hypocrisy of this decision is galling and will be a thorn in the government’s side until the next election.

"It is now amply apparent that no consideration of impacts from the super trawler’s operations on recreational fishing has occurred at all, nor the $8 billion recreational fishing and boating generates in the Australian economy.

"As an absolute minimum the Minister for Fisheries Senator Ludwig should meet with RecFish Australia, Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation and all the state recreational fishing peak bodies and explain why recreational fishers' valid concerns have been dismissed.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has responded to community concerns about the super trawler saying he is powerless to stop it, instead introducing a series of conditions to minimise the impact of the trawler on listed threatened species.

Recfish Australia says that while it's good to see Minister Burke using his powers to act, the conditions put in place will not stop this super trawler (or others) destroying our marine life and fisheries. They say:
• The conditions do nothing to address the concerns of conservationists and recreational or commercial fishers about local over exploitation of fish stocks

• Most of the conditions are standard for all trawlers -- such as management plans for sea birds - but this does not stop protected bird species being caught in the first place

• The conditions allow up to 10 seals to be killed every day, if more are killed then a simple 'review' is triggered and the trawler is required to move 50 nautical miles. Trawlers can cover these distances in a few hours and given marine wildlife such as seals, dolphins and turtles are highly mobile this does nothing to protect them.

• The conditions do not address the flow-on effect of localised depletion of fish stocks on the marine environment or the flow-on effects to other marine wildlife who may lose their food source such as penguins, tuna, seals, whales and dolphins.

Recfish says that it is now time for Joe Ludwig to use his powers as Fisheries Minister to stop super trawlers destroying our fisheries -- he should use his powers under section 91 of the Fisheries Management Act, which allow him to take action in 'exceptional circumstances' like this to ban super trawlers from our waters.

(We believe that the ship has been renamed Abel Tasman because the name S.S. Rape and Pillage was no longer available -- Ed)