Call for action on super trawlers

The Abbott Government has been accused of dragging its feet when it comes to bolstering federal powers over super trawlers wanting to fish in Australian waters.

06/03/2013 NEWS: Port Lincoln saw the last of the super trawler’ the Abel Tasman, now renamed to its original name, Margiris. Pic by Ivon Perrin Pic. Supplied

The Abbott Government has been accused of dragging its feet when it comes to bolstering federal powers over super trawlers wanting to fish in Australian waters.

Senators debated a private bill yesterday that would allow the federal environment minister to call for a study into the impact of new large-scale fishing operations on marine ecosystems.

An expert panel would have up to two years to assess the science and impacts of new ventures on a case-by-case basis.

It effectively restores the now-lapsed powers Labor introduced in government to temporarily ban the controversial super trawler Abel Tasman, the largest ship of its kind to enter Australia.

But Labor senator and former fisheries minister Joe Ludwig – who has introduced this bill – says the government is not interested in toughening up powers and is stalling a vote.

“They have had months and months to put tough powers in place, like Labor had, to stop future super trawlers,” he said.

“They have squibbed it again.”

Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said that there had been significant problems in overfishing both in territorial waters and on the high seas.

“Huge industrial factory fishing vessels have been fingered ... for a lot of this destruction and overfishing in the world’s oceans,” he told parliament.

Debate on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2014 was adjourned.