The move to ban the newly rebadged FV Abel Tasman supertrawler (formerly FV Margiris) was a slap in the face to the science-based policies that manages Australia’s fishing industry a commercial fisheries group has claimed.
Brian Jeffriess is the director of the Commonwealth Fisheries Association.
According to its website, the Commonwealth Fisheries Association “is committed to ensuring the commercial fishing industry recognised for its contribution to Australia’s economy, society and environment.”
“The large majority of our members are small fishers and a whole range of indeed recreational fishers,” Mr Jeffriess told 891 Breakfast.
Mr Jeffriess said the Government decision to delay the supertrawler rights to fish within Australian water by two years whilst further research was carried out went against all of the current scientific data that the industry is currently regulated under.
“The issue here is fishing rights and what is the most efficient way to harvest a resource.”
The Abel Tasman remains docked in Port Lincoln in South Australia whilst its owners decide their next move.
“The government is saying all of the time that you need high productivity industries, efficient industries, export oriented industries – this boat ticks all of those boxes, with limited effects on the environment and has been banned.
“If you are sitting there as a small fisher with entitlements, I’m certainly scared and I am sure they are as well.”
Mr Jeffriess said the government had changed its fishing industry regulations from science-based rulings to a public-opinion based decision with yesterday’s decision to move to suspend the operation of the supertrawler.
He was similarly displeased over the recent rounds of negotiations with the planned marine parks.
In December 2011 Mr Jeffriess told the ABC’s 7:30 program the proposals were ‘extremism’ and that conservation organisations were targeting Australia as it was ‘a soft touch’.
In June 2012 Mr Jeffiress told ABC News the revealing of marine parks without finalising compensation to commercial fishers was akin to the “government resuming your house for a new superhighway, but only telling you 12 to 18 months later.”
The 142 metre FV Abel Tasman was expected to be operated out of Devonport, Tasmania, by Seafish Tasmania, with an 18-tonne quota for jack mackerel and red bait fish.
It is still unknown if Seafish Tasmania will seek compensation over the Federal Government’s move to postpone the supertrawler’s operation.
Seafish Tasmania told ABC News they would now be firing 50 employees that were due to work on the vessel.
Federal Member for Sturt, Christopher Pyne, told 891 Breakfast the Federal Opposition would not support the proposal in parliament.
2012 ABC