The science of the super trawler

(from their Facebook page. My added text in this colour... )

A great Q&A on the Science, if any Australians will be employed, the Sustainability and the Benefits of the Geelong Star. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Q: Who is the operator of the Geelong Star?

A: The Geelong Star is operated by Seafish Tasmania, an Australian company that has been fishing in Australia's southern waters for more than 30 years.

Q: What is the storage capacity of the vessel?

A: The vessel has been independently assessed to have a fish holding capacity of just less than 1100 tonnes.

Q: What is the quota of the vessel?

A: Commonwealth fisheries have conservative catch limits to ensure our fisheries are

available for current and future generations to enjoy. The total catch limit for the entire Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF) in 2014-15 was set at 7.5 per cent of the estimated fish stock size, which leaves 92.5 per cent of the resource in the water to reproduce.

Based on the current estimates of fish stock size, 7.5 per cent equates to a total allowable catch of 34,950 tonnes, which covers all SPF commercial species. This is the maximum

tonnage of fish that can be harvested from the SPF in the 2014-15 season. Seafish Tasmania has nominated a total quota of 16,566 tonnes of Jack Mackerel, Redbait and Blue Mackerel to the Geelong Star for the 2014-15 fishing season, which is only a

portion of the total catch limit for the fishery.

Q: Will Australians be employed by Seafish for this venture?

A: The total number of employees will be 66 and will include 58 Australians and eight international employees. There will also be 5-6 on shore employees.

Q: What are the benefits of this fishing method?

A: The use of factory freezer vessels is a common and longstanding practice in many fisheries around the world and in Australia. This method helps to maintain the quality of

the product and allows it to be used for human consumption.

Q: What does the science say about this fishery?

A: A $1.5 million research program is well underway to estimate the current size of many

Australian small pelagic fish (SPF) stocks. The Australian Government recently released the CSIRO report Review and update of

harvest strategy settings for the Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery, which found that tuna, seals and penguins are not dependant on SPF target species for their diet.

Another recent scientific report found that localised depletion is unlikely as the SPF target

species are highly mobile and local areas replenish quickly (The Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery: General background to the scientific issues).

Q: What are you doing to address localised depletion?

A: AFMA will apply management measures to the Geelong Star including move on

provisions, to ensure the vessel harvests fish throughout the fishery.

A recent scientific report found that "Localised depletion is evaluated as unlikely with the proposed harvesting fractions applied in the SPF because most small pelagic species...are

highly mobile and local areas replenish quickly provided the overall stocks are not depleted." (The Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery: General background to the scientific

issues)

A recent CSIRO report also found that "None of the key high trophic level predators in SE Australia, such as seals, penguins and tunas, has a high dietary dependence on these

species." (Review and update of harvest strategy settings for the Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery)

Q: What are you doing to protect marine mammals and seabirds?

A: There are a range of measures in place to minimise bycatch of protected species across all Commonwealth fisheries, such as Bycatch and Discarding Workplans.

All boats in the Small Pelagic Fishery must have a tailored Vessel Management Plan approved by AFMA which aims to minimise interactions with seabirds and marine mammals. The Vessel Management Plan will not be finalised until AFMA has physically

inspected the boat.

An AFMA approved marine mammal excluder device must also be installed in the nets.

Q: Will the fish caught by the Geelong Star be eaten by Australians?

A: Yes, some of the fish caught by the Geelong Star will be supplied to domestic markets (for example as smoked blue mackerel), with the remain

Copied from Facebook page, Science of the Super Trawler: https://www.facebook.com/ScienceoftheSuperTrawler?fref=ts

Parties in Opposition can say almost anything. Labor in Opposition is behaving negatively, like Oppositions like to do, but the real issue that they need to confront is what would they

do in government? AFMA (Australian Fisheries Management Authority) is a federal government agency. It is a science and management agency. If and when Labor wins government federally, will it be able to continue to effectively say it does not trust the

assessment of one of its agencies?

Another one of the stringent Geelong Stars stringent Management Plan, will be on board AFMA observers.

Coupled with underwater cameras, this will ensure the Excluder device (in the post below) is performing to compliance and all standards are being met.

For the first 12 months, an AFMA observer will be on board at all times. Their role includes collecting independent boat activity and catch data, and monitoring compliance of the boat with its fishing concession and VMP.

All interactions must be reported to AFMA within 24 hrs, and recorded via e-logs or in the Listed Marine and Threatened Species Form.

AFMA are taking every precaution to show the public that this boat can be a safe and sustainable way to fish under the right management plan.

from Facebook page: Science of the Super Trawler

Labor has recently been condemning the government for belittling science and reducing scientific endeavour, but in so many issues, including the issue of the Super Trawler, Labor has abandoned science altogether, sacrificing it at the altar of public opinion and vested

interest.

Science is amoral and apolitical. It presents facts and truths. It is not a font from which

one can take what it wants and leave the rest. If you accept it for its presentation of facts

on eg climate change, then you must also accept the facts it provides on other matters as

well.

Labor has not done this. It has again bowed to the influence of the ENGO’s and Greens,

just like it did with its treatment of the timber industry in Tasmania. In that instance

political expediency triumphed over science, and even over the interests of its own elector

base. Has it learnt nothing?

The massive electoral defeats Labor suffered nationally and in Tasmania were in no small

part due to the way it in government impacted on resource-based industries in regional

areas. Labor needs to demonstrate that it has learnt from past mistakes if it is to win back

its base support, and it has to do this by putting credible policies in place that win back the

support of those who own, manage, or work in these resource-based industries. Anything

less just won’t cut the mustard.

George Harris

8/04/2015