16th Aug 2012, 12:05 PM – Senate Motions — Australian Small Pelagic Fishery - Reverse decision to lift quota

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, which means that it was unsuccessful. The motion was:

That the Senate—

(a) notes, in regard to the introduction of the factory ship FV Margiris to the Australian Small Pelagic Fishery, the range of significant and justifiable concerns, including but not limited to:

(i) the localised depletion of fish stocks,

(ii) mammalian by-catch, including seals and dolphins,

(iii) impacts on other industries, including tourism,

(iv) the assertion that this super trawler is only economically viable because it previously received European Union subsidies and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has lifted the fishery quotas,

(v) public access, transparency and scrutiny of any operational compliance data, and

(vi) the non-compliance of AFMA quota-setting processes with the Fisheries Administration Act 1991 (the Act); and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) reverse the decision to lift the quota for the Small Pelagic Fishery and examine the compliance of the AFMA-led process that led to this decision with the Act,

(ii) demonstrate that it has fully examined and mitigated the impacts of localised depletion that the FV Margiris will have and ensure that a bioregional approach has been taken in setting the harvest strategy under which this ship would operate, and

(iii) demonstrate that 100 per cent observer coverage will be achieved on-board to ensure compliance and minimal by-catch, given that the ship will operate 24 hours a day, and ensure all compliance data will be publically available.