Greens Table Petition
Strong Community Support For Sustainable Fishing

Kim Booth MP
Greens Primary Industries Spokesperson

Tuesday, 21 August 2012
mps.tas.
greens.org.au

The Tasmanian Greens today tabled the  first in a batch of petitions in State Parliament, containing signatures from 3364 Tasmanians opposed to the super trawler FV Margiris fishing in Australian waters.
 

Greens Primary Industries spokesperson Kim Booth MP thanked everyone who took the time to add their voice, and called on the Labor and Liberal parties to heed the message.

“The clear message from every single person who signed this petition is that this 142 long freezer trawler vacuum cleaner has no place fishing in our waters,” Mr Booth said.    

“In every town I visit around Tasmania, the super trawler is the number one topic of conversation, and Tasmanians are united in their outrage.”

“The state Labor and Liberal parties would be wise to heed the message, and commit to a position opposing the super trawler because there’s no way that Tasmanians are changing their mind on this.”

“Nobody is buying the line from SeaFish Tasmania that this ship will operate sustainably, because the science doesn’t stack up and because everyone has seen what these ships have done to fisheries in other parts of the world.”

TEXT OF PETITION

TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY:

The petition of the undersigned Citizens of Tasmania reminds the House that the giant, 142 METRE LONG, 9499-tonne factory trawler FV Margiris threatens Tasmania’s marine ecosystem and all the recreational and commercial fisheries that rely on it.

 

This Freezer-Trawler brings with it a history of environmental destruction.  It’s been used to fish out other fisheries, and it now risks doing the same in Australia.

 

Its huge nets that measure 200m by 100m plan to catch small pelagic fish like the jack mackerel and redbait, which are vital food sources for the seabirds, marine mammal and game fish and endangered southern bluefin tuna.  Inevitably, with nets this size, there will be bycatch including dolphins and seals.

 

Freezer-Trawlers of this size are unsustainable, taking more than their fair share and being profitable for only one entity: their owner.

 

The company which is bring the FV Margiris to Australia has attempted to reassure the Tasmanian public about the impacts of this huge trawler and to convince us that it will generate employment.  These reassurances are not convincing and we still have major concerns.

 

 Your Petitioners therefore call on the Tasmanian Labor and Liberal parties to stand up for Tasmanians and our environment by lobbying the Federal government to do everything possible to prevent the FV Margiris from fishing in Australian waters, including refusing the FV Margiris an operating licence or permission to operate.

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