Seafish Tasmania

Seafish Tasmania is an Australian privately owned fisheries company based in Triabunna, Tasmania.

Seafish Tasmania
IndustryFisheries
Headquarters
Triabunna, Tasmania
,
Australia
Key people
Dirk Parlevliet
Jan van der Plas
Dirk van der Plas
Gerald Geen
OwnerParlevliet and Van der Plas
Websitehttp://www.seafishpelagic.com.au

It is not to be confused with the newsletter of the same name.[1]

Super trawlers

In 2010 the company ceased its operation of small fishing vessels claiming the venture was not profitable, attempting in 2012 to fish Australian waters using super trawlers, large factory ships owned by Dutch company Parlevliet & van der Plas with the ability to freeze catches onboard, requiring less returns to shore.[2]

It has had rights to fishing in federal legislative constraints in 2010,[3] however the company attempts to introduce super trawlers have been problematic.

In 2012 Federal politicians saw the expansion of the company in a positive light.[4][5]

In 2012, Seafish Tasmania was provided with a $420,000 government grant to produce locally made fish oil for human consumption.[6]

The super trawler FV Margiris, at the time the second largest fishing vessel in the world, was brought into Australian waters in 2012 and renamed Abel Tasman.

On 11 September 2012, the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Tony Burke tabled a bill in parliament to ban super trawlers from operating in Australian waters for a two year period, claiming further research was needed on their impact to the environment. Senator Eric Abetz said he believed Seafish Tasmania would be able to claim damages due to the decision to ban their trawler from operating.[7]

In 2015, the much smaller Dirk Diederik KW 172 was brought to Australia and renamed as FV Geelong Star, both meeting with controversy before departing Australia.[8]

The issues arising from the Margiris event saw a legislative catchup occur, and the company welcoming improved regulations.[9]

The company attempted to challenge bans on super trawlers in the Federal Court of Australia,[10] resulting in their application being dismissed with costs.[11]

Controversy
The Dirk Diederik KW 172, renamed FV Geelong Star during its time in Australia.

On 10 March 2016, the company was fined $40,000 after pleading guilty in the Hobart Magistrates Court for the unlawful disposal of more than 1,200 truckloads of fish processing waste from its fish processing plant at Triabunna, occurring during 2012.[12] The fine was not paid and the company was listed on the debtors list of the Department of Justice website. The Environmental Protection Authority estimated costs of their investigation to exceed $100,000 and the land owner had paid $21,000 to cleanup the site.[13]

The company recorded seven convictions relating to environmental issues between 2011 and 2013.[14]

During June 2016, Seafish Tasmania objected to the release of video footage of a dolphin being captured in the nets of the Geelong Star super trawler, claiming the footage would cause damage to their business reputation and incite environmental activists to protest at the company's operations.[15]

On 25 December 2016, a former managing director of Seafish Tasmania, Joseph Pirrello, was arrested on allegations of importing cocaine worth an estimated $360 million into Australia.[16]

Notes
  1. Tasmanian Amateur Sea Fishermens' Association (1982), Seafish Tasmania, Tasmanian Amateur Sea Fishermans' Association, retrieved 19 November 2017
  2. "Social media behind the super-trawler 'sinking'". The Australian. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  3. "FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ACT 1991 SMALL PELAGIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN 2005 NOTICE OF PERSONS TO WHOM STATUTORY FISHING RIGHTS ARE TO BE GRANTED". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Special (S79). Australia. 24 May 2010. p. 1. Retrieved 19 November 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. Crean, Simon (30 March 2012), New jobs and investment in Tasmania, retrieved 19 November 2017
  5. Combet, Greg (30 March 2012), New jobs and investment in Tasmania, retrieved 19 November 2017
  6. "$420k grant for Seafish to create Aussie fish oil first". The Advocate. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  7. "Super trawler operator may seek compo". ABC. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  8. http://www.naroomanewsonline.com.au/story/4313475/conflicting-reports-over-departure-of-vessel-formerly-known-as-geelong-star/
  9. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. News (12 September 2012), Seafish Tasmania welcomes legislation's debate, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, retrieved 19 November 2017
  10. "Seafish Australia fail in Federal Court bid to overturn super trawler ban". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  11. "Federal Court of Australia dismisses Seafish Tasmania Supertrawler challenge". Tasmanian Times. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  12. "Seafish Tasmania fined $40,000 for causing environmental harm". EPA. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  13. "Fish firm fails to pay fine". Mercury. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  14. "Seafish Tasmania cops record fine for dumping fish waste on East Coast". Mercury. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  15. "Fight to prevent videos showing dolphins caught in Geelong Star's nets from being released". Mercury. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  16. "Tasmanian fishing identity behind Abel Tasman super trawler held after record cocaine bust". ABC. 30 December 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.