Super trawlers back in November? Could be.
Over the last 2 months the Marine Team has re vamped its work on the Stop the Trawler issue. Over 13,000 have added their name to the petition to see a PERMANENT BAN on factory freezer trawlers in Australian waters.
The work of the campaign in the coming months is crucial as the temporary ban will end in November of this month.
To learn more, and to add your name to the petition please visit the official page of the Stop the Trawler Alliance.
stopthetrawler.net ----->
Stop the Trawler Alliance
In mid-2012, a Tasmanian company Seafish, proposed to bring the world's second largest fishing trawler, FV Margiris, to Australian waters to trawl for small pelagic fish such as Mackerel and Redbait. The public response was overwhelming. From Tasmania to Western Australia, conservation groups, fishing groups and the broad community opposed the threat that super trawlers posed to our unique marine life, our recreational fishing, and our fishing industry.
Environment Tasmania took a lead role in coordinating an historic alliance between recreational fishing groups and environment groups. They joined together across Australia to stop the trawler.
Over 90,000 people signed the petition against a super trawler
And the alliance now consists of 24 businesses and organisations ranging from Tasmanian fishing charters to the Humane Society International.
This summer the marine program hosted events in Bicheno, St Helens, Launceston, Devonport, Eaglehawk Neck and Kettering, Tasmania. The sessions gave Tasmanians a platform to tell their story about changes occurring in the local marine environment and an opportunity to take action and make a difference to the way our seas are managed.
A national photo competition was coordinated and a film clip produced for the protest song 'Father to Son', expressing concern about the impacts of a super trawler on our children and the coming generations.
Visit the official site of the Stop the Trawler Alliance
Marine Discovery Weekends
"The best way to get to know nature is to get into it - feel it, smell it and hear it." Bec - Marine Coordinator
Environment Tasmania's Marine Discovery program is about helping people do just that with our incredible oceans. The program is a series of events that help people go beneath the waves and discover our unique and spectacular marine environment on Tasmania's sapphire east coast. In 2014 we coordinated events on Maria Island, in Bicheno and in St Helens. In 2015, we have events in Bridport, Port Sorrell and Devonport, among others.
Find out more by visiting our marine discovery event site here.
The Marine Discovery Series has been made possible with generous support from: