The controversial factory trawler Geelong Star and other mid-water trawlers now have access to more water to fish thanks to Australian Fisheries Management Authority expanding fishing grounds.
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The changed regulations could mean that the Geelong Star will spend less time off Narooma and Bermagui where she seems to have focussed her fishing activity so far.
More than one million square kilometres of additional offshore waters near southern and eastern Australia from May 1 will open to mid-water trawling in the Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF).
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has found that SPF mid-water trawlers pose a low risk to deep water species such as orange roughy and gulper sharks and decided that many of the current closures are not required to protect these species during SPF trawler operations.
The move follows calls from recreational and commercial fishers to review the closures, AFMA says.
A spokesperson for the Small Pelagic Fishing Industry Association said the industry and Geelong Star operators welcomed the move by AFMA and it was “very likely” that the vessel would be spending less time in waters off Narooma and Bermagui given the expanded fishing grounds now open to it.
The Geelong Star in recent weeks and months seems to have been fishing consistently off the Narooma and Bermagui areas.
A resident on the Old Highway south of Narooma contacted the Narooma News last Thursday to say he spotted what he believed to be the Geelong Star low in the water cruising south past Montague Island, however as the vessel’s AIS system has been deactivated there was no way to confirm.
“She went past on the 14/04/2016 at 1300 hours. She departed Port Phillip 19/04/2016 so her position seems about right,” our source says, who also supplied a photo taken through his telescope.
The Geelong Star’s AIS (Automatic Identification System) does appear to be turned on when the vessel enters or leaves port and the Marine Traffic website shows it leaving Geelong on Wednesday. Read more about AIS
Calls to ban the Geelong Star came after the vessel caught numerous dolphins, seals, albatrosses and most recently a whale shark off the Far South Coast. Game fishermen have also been concerned about localised depletion of bait fish. Calls have been made to Federal Member Peter Hendy to ban the vessel, which catches and freezes on board fish such as jack mackerel.
AFMA’s CEO Dr James Findlay said the removal of some closures in the SPF meant that mid-water trawlers, such as the Geelong Star, can now catch their fishing quota in a substantially greater area.
“At the start of the next season, an additional offshore area more than 16 times the size of Tasmania will be available for mid-water trawlers in the SPF,” Dr Findlay said. “AFMA makes decisions based on the best available science and risk assessments. Assessments show that bottom dwelling species in deep water areas are at low risk from SPF mid-water trawlers.
“With the changes, there will be more areas away from the coast for SPF operators to fish in. However, it should be noted fish stocks in all Commonwealth waters are a shared resource for Australians, across multiple industries and sectors, to use sustainably and enjoy.”
The total allowable catch limits for the SPF and operators are not affected by this decision and all catches will continue to be closely monitored. Closures will remain in place to protect deep water species during bottom trawling operations in other fisheries.
The new Closure Direction giving effect to the changes can be found under SPF fishery rules on afma.gov.au