The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF) is calling on the Government to
honour its commitment to Australia’s 5 million recreational fishers and stop the Super
Trawler FV Abel Tasman (Margiris) from fishing.
This follows a proposal from Seafish Tasmania to the Federal Government to modify the
activities of the Super Trawler in an attempt to gain approval to fish in Australian waters.
Any decision on whether the Super Trawler should fish Australian waters should not be made
before the scientific assessments and reviews of Australia’s fisheries management systems
have been completed.
ARFF spokesman Allan Hansard said, “We are concerned that Seafish Tasmania is trying to
use technical loopholes to reclassify the Margiris so that it is not classified as a ‘Super
Trawler’, slipping around the recent amendments to the Environmental Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act to ban it from fishing.
“There is a reason Australia’s recreational fishers strongly opposed the Super Trawler and
that is that the science was not there on the effects of the Super Trawler on localised bait
stocks or their movements.
“Nor do we have the required information on the implications for the marine food chain,
existing recreational and commercial fishing and the communities that rely on them. We
cannot make informed decisions on whether the Super Trawler should fish until we have that
scientific, economic and social foundation.
“We ask the Federal Government to stick to its word and follow through with the process to
improve the science and management of our fisheries before a decision on whether the
Margiris can fish in Australian waters is made.”
The Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF) is the newly formed national peak body representing Australia’s Recreational Fishing
Community and is supported by the Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA), Recfish Australia, Game Fishing Association Australia
(GFAA), Sunfish Queensland, Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the Northern Territory (AFANT), Recfishwest, Recreational Fishing Alliance
of NSW (RFANSW), Underwater Skindivers and Fishermen’s Association (USFA), Australian National Sportfishing Association (ANSA),
Professional Fishing Instructors and Guides Association (PFIGA), Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body Peak Body (VRFish), and
Australian Underwater Federation (AUF).