Could a Super Trawler be steaming back?

Thank you to everyone who has sent messages to our federal candidates calling for a permanent Super Trawler ban.

We’ve had an amazing reaction with over 5,700 people taking action so far, but we need more support if the major parties are to ban Super Trawlers for good.

If you haven’t already, please send your message now through this easy web page. All you need is your postcode.

We cannot risk getting a Super Trawler back, but it could happen any day now!

Federal Court judges will soon decide whether the temporary Super Trawler ban will stay in place. If they overturn the two year ban, we could have a Super Trawler steaming back to Australia in days, straight from the overexploited Pacific Mackerel fishery off Chile.

Each one of us was integral to the campaign that protected our fisheries and marine life from Super Trawlers last year, and we can’t allow that enormous effort go to waste. 

If you have emailed your candidate, now multiply your impact by sharing these memes on Facebook. No one wants Super Trawlers in Australia, so let everyone be part of the action by asking friends to send a message as well.

Let’s remind all political parties and candidates that Super Trawlers are not part of Australia’s sustainable fishing future. We want a strong commitment to safeguard our fisheries and marine life so we can all continue to enjoy its benefits into the future. Please ask your federal candidates to represent our views and ban Super Trawlers for good.

Thanks for all you do for our oceans,

Rebecca

PS - Last year we got a two year ban on Super Trawlers by showing politicians we care. Please let them know it wasn’t a passing fad. Email them now and ask 5 friends to do it too.

PPS – You can download the super trawler memes here and share them with your friends online so that they can support a permanent Super Trawler ban too.

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The old parties can’t be trusted with our oceans

Dear Friend,

Yesterday I voiced concerns along with recreational fishers and conservation groups that the temporary ban on supertrawlers may be dropped following the Federal Election.

Recreational fishers, environment groups, and the tens of thousands of Australians who signed petitions and protested against the supertrawler are justifiably concerned about the risks to our fisheries and marine ecosystems.

We know that a vote for Abbott risks bringing back the Supertrawler as the Coalition voted in June against a Senate motion calling for the maintenance of the temporary two-year ban and associated fisheries science funding.

I questioned then and I question now if the Coalition would bring back the Supertrawler and end new funding for independent science in the Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF) if they gain government.

After Labor allowed the supertrawler to make its way to Australia last year we worked closely with fishing and conservation groups to apply the pressure necessary to turn back the trawler.

The Greens will continue to stand up on this important issue and work hard to protect our oceans.

We believe that given the lack of information about the impact that the operation of large mid-water trawl freezer vessels - like the supertrawler FV Margiris - has on our fisheries, the precautionary principle should apply.

The onus of proof for new fishing methods should be reversed and supertrawlers should be banned from our waters until localised depletion and by-catch concerns are scientifically addressed.  The Australian Fisheries Management Authority's own Resource Assessment Group agreed in January 2013 that more research was needed in the SPF.

If you share our concerns please forward this email to your friends and network and consider the protection of our oceans when you go to the ballot box on September 7.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Whish-Wilson