Australia’s Environment Minister Tony Burke is seeking advice on whether he has the power to stop a super trawler from fishing around Tasmania.
The 142-metre 10,000-tonne FV Margiris is reportedly due in Devonport this month to trawl for 18,000 tonnes of redbait and jack mackerel.
Its expected arrival has sparked a major row, with accusations that it will pillage Tasmanian fish stocks.
Last week, Fisheries Minister Joe Ludwig said Seafish Australia had started the process for FV Margiris to be flagged as Australian to allow it to fish in Australian waters.
But the Australian Fisheries Management Authority hadn’t yet received an application for it to actually fish.
Mr Burke said on Monday he was waiting on advice from his department about whether he could or should intervene in the matter.
He said while the fisheries minister’s job was to look at management of stock levels, his role was looking out for particular species of fish.
“The principal thing that I’m looking at is whether at the same time that they’re targeting the particular bait fish that they’re going out for, what other marine species get taken as by-catch and get swept up in the nets at the same time,” he told ABC television.
“There were questions that I still had after I’d met the person who owns the fish quota and I’m waiting for that information before I can make a decision.”
The ABC reported Senator Ludwig said he was yet to make a ruling one way or the other on the super trawler.
The Australian