Recreational fishing groups and conservationists are calling on the federal government to enact a permanent ban on near-surface trawling by any vessel capable of on-board machine processing and freezing.
A meeting of stakeholders from across Australia was held in Hobart on Wednesday and devised a "pledge" that federal politicians will be asked to support.
It will seek a permanent ban of factory freezer trawlers in certain areas of Australian waters, and further ask that such vessels be defined as any ship with the on-board capability to process and freeze its catch.
The Australian government's current ban applies to super trawlers, which it defines as greater than 130 metres.
The latest action comes after 95-metre vessel, Geelong Star, admitted catching and killing protected dolphins and seals in its net, after being granted a licence to operate by the federal government.
"Public opposition to the use of industrial-scale freezer factory trawlers in Australia's small pelagic fishery remains high," Environment Tasmania spokeswoman Rebecca Hubbard said after the meeting.
The group will deliver its pledge to Canberra along with its latest petition of support of 33,500 names.
A spokesman for the Small Pelagic Fishery Industry Association said politicians are unlikely to take the proposed pledge seriously.
"This is a ridiculous stunt: without refrigeration, commercial fishing in any fishery is not viable," he said.
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