Super trawlers will be permanently banned from operating in Tasmanian waters when parliament resumes in March.
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The move comes after years of controversy, where an unlikely alliance of environmentalists and recreational fishers rallied against super trawlers fishing in and near state waters.
Trawlers and super trawlers were already banned in Tasmania by regulations, but legislation proposed by the state government would make the ban more permanent. However, there in nothing to prevent 130-metre-long super trawlers from operating more than three nautical miles off Tasmania in Commonwealth waters.
Primary Industries and Water Minister Jeremy Rockliff announced the ban on Saturday, which he said would be introduced to parliament in March.
“At the present time, super trawling and trawling is banned by regulation. We’re strengthening that ban through its own legislation and so, for that to be reversed to allow trawling in our state, it would have to be through an act of parliament, and this is a very big barrier to ever bringing back trawling and super trawling in Tasmanian waters.”
Mr Rockliff said recreational fishers were extremely concerned abut the potential impact super trawlers could have on the small pelagic fishery and depletion of local fish stocks. “As we know, the last five-yearly survey, recreational fishing is worth some $93 million annually. This was a 2012 figure, so that is more now, in fact. One in four Tasmanians enjoy recreational fishing every year, and are spending at least $1000, according to that recent survey.”
Mr Rockliff said he was confident the legislation would get through the upper house, “if the members are listening to their local constituencies”.
However, concerns remained about the laws governing Commonwealth waters around Tasmania. Liberal Lyons MHA Mark Shelton wrote to the relevant federal government ministers calling for a ban on trawling and super trawling in Australian waters as well. "Super trawlers are a threat to Tasmania's fisheries and to our recreational lifestyle, and I am committed to seeing the back of them.”
This new legislation would involve an amendment to the Living Marine Resource Management Act 1995, putting the ban on all trawling in state waters into primary legislation. It would then take an act of parliament to reverse the ban.
