Seafish Tasmania is reconsidering its plan to base controversial super-trawler Margiris in Devonport in Tasmania, where opposition is running high.
Over the weekend Tasmanians braced for the arrival of the Dutch super trawler which many fear will destroy fish stocks. SBS reporter Luke Waters reports from Hobart on the rising tide of opposition to the trawler.
Almost 300 people including scientists, politicians and fishermen gathered in the small town of Campbell Town to speak out against the trawler operating there.
And equally passionate, was the response to an announcement that the Margiris will be rebadged the Able Tasman.
That decision has been defended by operators' Seafish Tasmania director Gerry Geen.
From Port Lincoln where the boat is awaiting registration and clearance.
“It's common practice when you reflag a vessel to rename it and it's extremely appropriate that that name recognises the fact that Seafish Tasmania is a Tasmanian business and we are in a joint venture with a Dutch fishing company,” says Gerry Geen, director of Seaafish Tasmania, the boat's operator.
The 140-metre trawler will aim to catch an annual quota of 18,000 tons of red bait and jack mackerel.
Opponents say a significant by-catch of seals and dolphins is unavoidable. But the operator says it's taken preventative measures.
“We placed underwater cameras inside the net to study animal behaviour so based on the recommendations of that research we designed an excluder device which will safely guide any marine mammals out of the net through an escape hatch.,” says Geen.
But environmental scientist Jon Neville is not convinced.
“Australian scientists have never had the chance to test the effectiveness of such a device on such a big boat,” he says.
Aside from the by-catch issue, others are concerned about the food chain.
“Catching large schools of fish will put massive stresses on our small bait fisheries that they've never seen before,” says Nobby Clark of the Tasmanian Game Fishing Association
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie accuses the fisheries management authority of failing to comply with the relevant act.
While the greens have passed a disallowance motion in the Senate in an attempt to prevent the boat from operating.
