Super trawler banished

[bugman]

Is it possible a government minister saw commonsense.

Surely not !!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-1...awlers/4254626

The super trawler Abel Tasman will be prevented from fishing in Australian waters until new scientific research is carried out, in a bid to appease community concern about the ship.

Cabinet signed off on the plan last night in the face of growing unrest on the Labor backbench which would have culminated in a private member's bill being put forward to ban the trawler.

Seafish Tasmania brought the trawler to Australia to fish for a near 18,000-tonne quota of jack mackerel and redbait.

Environment Minister Tony Burke had already imposed restrictions on the trawler to try to limit the number of dolphins, seals and sea lions being caught.

But now he says he will introduce legislation to Parliament today that will extend his legal powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC), allowing him to order more scientific research to assess the impact of the trawler on Australia's oceans.

What do you think of the Government's decision? Have your say.
"There has never been a fishing vessel of this capacity in Australia before and the EPBC Act needs to be updated so that it can deal with it," Mr Burke said.

"If we get this wrong there are risks to the environment, to commercial operators and to everyone who loves fishing and they are risks I am not prepared to take."

Mr Burke says the legislation will give him the power to stop the Abel Tasman fishing in Commonwealth waters for up to two years while an expert panel is set up to assess the environmental impact.

Destructive or sustainable?

The size of the Margiris, now named Abel Tasman, has sparked fears it will decimate fish stocks.

But Australia's fishing regulator says the trawler's quota is based on sound science.

So will the super trawler devastate a region, or will its catch be a drop in the ocean?

ABC News Online takes a look at both sides of the debate here.


He says research will be undertaken in an "open and transparent" way to restore public confidence in the process.

Mr Burke says the issue was not the size of the ship's fishing quota but rather its ability to stay for an extended period of time in the same area which increases the risk of large-scale localised by-catch.

The Abel Tasman was seeking approval from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority to operate in Australia.

Chief executive James Findlay has previously defended the Abel Tasman, arguing there was no reason to single out this particular ship.

"With catch limits in place, there is no evidence that larger boats pose a higher risk to either the fish stock or the broader marine ecosystem," Mr Findlay wrote last week.

"The net on this boat is similar in size to nets currently operating in the Australian fishing fleet - the only reason the boat is so much larger than other fishing boats is that it has the factory and freezer storage on board."

'Unprecedented campaign'
The ship's presence in Australia has sparked a fierce campaign from conservation and community groups, including GetUp!.

Its environmental campaign director, Paul Oosting, has welcomed the Government's intervention.

"This super trawler would not have just killed fish, it would also have killed a significant number of protected species," he said.

"For example, under the proposed conditions for fishing the super trawler could have legally killed up to 10 seals a day.

"That is not acceptable."

The Abel Tasman is operated by a joint venture between Seafish Tasmania and a Dutch fishing company.

Seafish Tasmania has a quota of nearly 17,800 tonnes for the 2012-13 financial year out of a total quota in the fishery of 36,300 tonnes.

[tropicrows]

The super trawler Abel Tasman will be prevented from fishing in Australian waters until new scientific research is carried out, in a bid to appease community concern about the ship.

This is good news, however the "super trawler Abel Tasman" should be paying for the research to be done (or at least some of it) if it wants to fish in our waters. I still don't know who and when a license was granted to catch 18,000-tonne quota of jack mackerel and redbait in the first place. Was it the present government.

[TREVELLY]

The paper had a poll with over 600 votes already and 90% said yes a good idea to ban it pending proper two year sustainability review.

It's not totally gone but lets hope sense does prevail and it does disappear from our shores.

Pillage and plunder was it's aim and at the root level taking the food for everything else.

Strangely I see the biggest risk as fish but the review/govt. see the biggest risk turtles, seals and penguins.

[Todddo]

I actually went wooohooo out loud on the train ride home when I read this!
If the research proves the sea life wont be affected by the trawler then by all means do it (99% chance the research comes back supporting our thoughts and suspicions).
Good to hear common sense finally prevailed.

[Triple]

"concerned sarcasm voice" So does the new legislation give them enough power to stop recreational fishing whenever they want for up to two years until a scientific study has been completed?

[Qlder1]

This was purely driven by the public outcry, so well done to everyone who had there say. I think the pollies might have actually got a fright here....

I am now thinking should I send emails to those same pollies retracting all the nasty things I have sent them over the last few weeks...

[Greg P]

Triple you are right on the money there. Rec fishos prepare to be reamed

Thats why the Tassie bucky beaver was high fivin. They may have potentially stopped this trawler but the implications of this legislation is mind boggling. - Not happy !!!

[PinHead]

great news the trawler has been stopped..but..does that company still have that catch quota?

[Mick77]

Just heard about this on JJJ. Fantastic news and good to see that the power of numbers has prevailed. Some 50k plus emails requesting it be banned.

The 'rape and pillage' mentallity of some people and corperations needs to be stopped at all costs.

How good an artificial reef would this thing make? Greenpeace, are you listening?

[finga]

I actually went wooohooo out loud on the train ride home when I read this!
If the research proves the sea life wont be affected by the trawler then by all means do it (99% chance the research comes back supporting our thoughts and suspicions).
Good to hear common sense finally prevailed.

Well if there is enough biomass to allow this trawler then there has to be enough biomass to drop all bans, increase bag sizes, reduce size limits, get rid of every green zone and the Coral Sea Marine Park thingo is not needed.
Well that's my take on it.
Sorry Barry

[Linedropper]

Good news.

I'm taking bets on how long it is before the owners/operators of the death machine start taking legal action against the Government for lost earnings and costs.

[nigelr]

Yup Linedropper, they're talking compo already.......
And the greens and greenpeace are claiming a victory for their worshippers.......delusional desperadoes.
Was mums, dads and kids taking the time to have their say that made this happen, IMHO.

[wayno60]

561030_10151059972177971_1624999967_n.jpgAttachment 84084......................

[TREVELLY]

So what are the sneaky greens and Labour up to:-

But the Government faces an uphill battle to get the legislation through, after the Coalition's decision to vote against the move.
"The bill is a Trojan horse now that we've actually seen the words," manager of Opposition business Christopher Pyne told the ABC.
"It allows the minister to ban any fishing in Australia of any kind - recreational fishing, charter fishing, commercial fishing - on the basis of the minister deciding it has a "social impact".




"So this bill... is the Greens fantasy writ large, where if they can create any kind of campaign... a Labor minister will buckle and close down the fishing industry."

[Greg P]

All you blokes high giving this need to read between the lines. They could make any species off limits with this legislation. Snapper, pear lies, reds whatever they deem an issue without the data to decide, we will be out of the pool for two years.

People power ? Bullshit ! If that is the case why are our troops not home now? That's what the majority of people want but not even up for discussion. I smell a green deal and just shows more incompetence from this government. If the science was questionable they should never have given the ok.