Press release – 18 November, 2012Sydney 19th November, 2012: Greenpeace welcomes the Australian Government’s decision to extend the ban on the super trawler, Abel Tasman, for 2 full years.“The only place for the super trawler is on the scrap heap,” said Greenpeace Program Director Ben Pearson.
“This boat has plundered fish stocks all around the globe. The Government is right to take a precautionary approach, because monster boats like the Abel Tasman have no place in our waters.”
“The Australian Government has committed to curb global overfishing by reducing the number of oversized boats in the ocean. Australia must make it clear that super trawlers have no place here, or anywhere.”
The UN has declared that the global fishing fleet is 2.5 times too large for fish stocks to sustain.
Greenpeace is campaigning for a reduction in the global fishing fleet, starting with oversized and heavily-subsidised vessels like the Abel Tasman.
“There are dozens of oversized vessels like the Abel Tasman looking for places to fish and Australia will be in their sights if anything less than a permanent ban on super trawlers is declared.”
For comment or images, please call:
(In Canberra) Greenpeace Head of Program, Ben Pearson: 0424 575 111
(In Sydney) Elsa Evers, Media Advisor: 0438 204 041