King Islanders fear marine consequences of gas exploration companies’ seismic testing

A local community is giving a hostile reception to companies looking for gas reserves, amid fears seismic blasting will destroy their fishing industry. LATEST >>

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A TASMANIAN island community whose waters have attracted gas exploration companies has held its biggest ever public protest in opposition to the seismic blasting used to analyse the sea bed.

Fishermen, surfers and other residents held a protest in Currie on Thursday.

Two oil companies are looking for reserves in King Island’s waters – US company ConocoPhillips, which has started seismic testing in the Otway Basin, and Beach Energy, which has applied to seismic blast 74km to the east of the Bass Strait island.

ConocoPhillips said its environmental plan for the activity was recently accepted by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.

“The survey acquisition area is approximately 2450 sq km and is the area over which the seismic will be acquired,” it said.

Islanders fear their fishery, rock lobsters, marine environment and the King Island brand will be harmed by the exploration action and 200 of the 1700 people who live there took part in the protest action.

The King Island protest paddle out at Currie.

Ally King, from Surfrider Tasmania, said spearfishers, divers, surfers and swimmers could also be at risk if they are in the water during the seismic testing period.

The seismic blasting – to be carried out over about 50 days – involves repeated sonic booms, emitted from six “noodles” dragged behind its ship.

“At 212dB, the deafening sound is almost certain to devastate the island’s prized $22m rock lobster fishery, as well as the wider marine environment,” Ms King said.

“This is in line with findings provided by the Tasmanian government, which found the impacts on invertebrates would be ‘permanent’.

“The fishing industry is already being hammered by the impact of Covid-19 downturn,

China import bans and now seismic blasting.”

Tom Allen, from the Wilderness Society, which organised a public meeting in the lead-up to the paddle out, said King Islanders had made their opposition clear and ConocoPhilips had no social licence to operate.

Protesters on surfboards stop ship bound for seismic testing

A SHIP bound for King Island to carry out seismic testing as part of gas exploration has been stopped by protesters in Geelong.

Community groups Grassroots Action Network Tasmania and Otway Climate Emergency Action Network attached themselves to the vessel and also surrounded the vessel on surfboards.

It is the third day the community groups have protested US oil giant ConocoPhillips’ planned start to its now approved seismic testing in the Otway basin, 27km off King Island.

Protesters said ConocoPhillips had been granted approval by government regulator NOPSEMA

despite growing fears over the potential degradation of the local ocean ecosystems voiced by beachgoers, surfers, fishers and community members.

Protesters on board a seismic testing vessel which was headed for King Island

Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson - who pushed for an inquiry to be held into the impacts of seismic testing on marine life - said the disruption caused to the multinational oil and gas company was nothing compared to the disruption our young people would face if fossil fuels continued to be unearthed.

“The King Island community is facing the prospect of having its entire fishing legacy decimated for the sake of a few short-term profit-driven interests fixated on fossil fuels that our planet simply does not need,” Senator Whish-Wilson said.

“I know from talking with locals while visiting King Island earlier in the year that past experiences from seismic testing in the region all point to serious impacts on local crayfish and fish populations.”

The Senate Inquiry Report handed down this year delivered 19 recommendations including that petroleum companies seek alternative technologies to intensive sonic air blasts.

Crayfish from King Island generate about $20m in sales and Tasmanian Scallop Fishermen’s Association president John Hammond has claimed seismic tests carried out by the Victorian Government caused the death of 24,000 tonnes of scallops worth $70m.

The inquiry report also recommended the fossil fuel industry be made to pay for more studies to see what the impacts of the testing area.