Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced new laws that will ban the Margiris super trawler for up to two years. Burke acknowledged overwhelming public concern in reaching this significant decision. Congratulations to the thousands of passionate Australians, community and environmental groups and fishing groups have stopped the Margiris from destroying Australia‘s oceans

Today is a huge day for people power. Federal Environment Minister has announced a ban on the super trawler for up to two years and further scientific investigations before boats like this are approved. This is what we have been calling for and we congratulate the Australian Government on listening to the community and taking action.

“There has been no doubt there has been a massive public focus on ... Read more >

If you’d read some of the media reports on the Government’s decision on protecting the Antarctic Ross Sea marine reserve, you could be forgiven for thinking we’d got a good result.

Unfortunately the truth is far from good. This cartoon in today’s Herald says it all.

Cartoon courtesy of the NZH and Rod Emmerson

The New Zealand Government has rejected an invaluable opportunity for a joint proposal with the US to protect the Ross Sea.  In unison the US and New Zealand would have had a much greater chance of succeeding with consensus at the international forum of 24 nations + the EU where the matter will be decided in October.

The two countries will instead submit separate proposals thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of substantive protection for the Ross Sea.

We heard Minister M... Read more >

LIVE: Greenpeace activists are now confronting the world’s second largest factory fishing trawler, the FV Margiris, as it arrives in Australia.

The activists are calling on the Australian Government to refuse to grant a fishing license to the FV Margiris and introduce a policy to ban all super trawlers from Australian waters.

Super trawlers use an indiscriminate fishing method which can decimate fish stocks and kill turtles, dolphins, seals and other marine animals. Their super-size allows them to literally vacuum up entire schools of fish. You could fly a Jumbo Jet through the opening of its net with room to spare.

And there’s a New Zealand connection. It has been revealed that two New Zealanders have a controlling interest in the ship.

Peter and Donna Simunovich are major shareholde... Read more >

As the super trawler Margiris steams towards Australia’s shores, a series of concerns have been raised. One is the impact on marine life, like dolphins and seals, that invariably are caught in the vessel’s enormous nets. Although according to the operators, this issue has been solved. So has it?

These photos were taken by researchers on board Dutch super trawlers while conducting peer-reviewed studies.

Pavel Klinckhamers, Oceans Campaigner from Greenpeace Holland tells his side of the story.

This week, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke added his voice to the concerns about the unwanted bycatch that the Margiris may scoop up while taking 18 million kilogrammes of fish out of Australian waters. He has a point. The risk for bycatch is a very real one on these big trawlers.

When I... Read more >