The proposition of a new sardine fishery in Bass Strait has the Greens highly concerned the supertrawler fight of a decade ago will start up again and the cheerleader back then is at it again, Eric Abetz.
A report released today into the viability of the fishery recommends a precautionary approach with small catch sizes for the first five years to assess ecological impacts – bird and foraging fish species are dependent on a healthy sardine population. The report also warns to be wary of dolphin interactions. Substantial bycatch of marine mammals is a very real possibility.
For the fishery to be economically viable it must be large in scale involving big nets and high tonnages. We have no doubt that means grinding it into fishmeal for the toxic Tasmanian salmon industry.
A similar fishery in South Australia withdrew its license following a negative report – a tactic often employed to avoid having Marine Stewardship Council certification cancelled. So, these fisheries are only “sustainable” until they are not. A 2021 study highlights the knock-on effects overfishing of sardines has on the broader ecosystem.
Tasmanians demand better for our precious marine environment.
The government must guarantee that this fishery will not ever be used for the production of fishmeal for industrial fish farming.
Globally, populations of wild fishes have been devastated by supertrawlers scouring the seas to produce fishmeal for aquaculture. This has caused ecological breakdown and literally steals the food off the table of communities in places like West Africa and South America.
Tasmania’s marine environment is already being pushed to the brink by the effects of global heating, industrial fish farming and overfishing, we must safeguard wild fisheries for the sake of our wildlife.
