Indigenous Tasmanians opposed to super-trawler

3 Sep 2012, 2:59 pm   -   Source: Luke Waters, SBS
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Much of the debate over the super-trawler Margiris has centred on the environmental effects, but there are also some cultural issues at play, reports Luke Waters from Launceston, Tasmania.

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Much of the debate over the super-trawler Margiris has centred on the environmental effects, but there are also some cultural issues at play, reports Luke Waters from Launceston, Tasmania.

Chairman of the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania Clyde Mansell says the Aboriginal community of Tasmania is concerned about the impact of the super-trawler on the local cultural activity, specifically mutton birding.

Mutton-birding is a centuries old tradition for Aboriginal communities in Tasmania.
Mutton birds, or shearwaters, migrate back to rookeries along Tasmania’s coast every year and have for centuries provided a food source for communities there.

“The Aboriginal community has a long-term cultural relationship with mutton-birding throughout the state and we’re determined to try and sustain the continuance of that,” says

“We believe that the trawler will interfere with the food chain. Mutton birds rely heavily on krill and we believe the impact of a boat of this size, and using the nets they are going to use, will impact on the supply of that food source,” says Mr Mansell.

There has been widespread opposition from environmentalists, scientists, politicians and other fishermen to Seafish Tasmania’s plan to operate the super-trawler Margiris in Australian waters.

 

Luke Waters

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Your Comments

stop the super trawler

ms ziggy koenigseder - from coffs harbour, 9 months ago

This morning, tony burke has admitted that he does not have the power under our laws to stop the super trawler from fishing in our waters. Surely if our laws are that lax,we need to change them immmediately. We need to stop this super trawler factory ship from decimating our fish stocks, and endangering all our other marine species. Otherwise this will set a precedent for all other foreign vessels to come to Australia, and we have no power to stop them. Let's campaign to stop this NOW!

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