Tag Archives: Australia
One Trawler’s Coral Damage Forces Fishery Closure at Lord Howe Rise
A commercial fishing vessel in New Zealand is finding itself yet again on the spot after allegedly destroying deep sea corals in international waters. The trawler F/V Tasman Viking is accused of scooping up corals in Lord Howe Rise, a region known for diverse marine life. The accidental removal, which occurred last month, has forced authorities in New Zealand to suspend fishing in the Lord Howe area of the Tasman Sea between New Zealand and Australia until 2026. This is the second time in as many months that the 320-ton Tasman Viking is finding itself in trouble over destruction of corals in the Lord Howe area. In June last year, the trawler was confiscated after the crew failed to report bycatch of about 20 kilograms of rare bamboo corals in an incident that occurred in October 2020. The vessel was released after the operator paid a fine of NZ$52,000. more, >>CLICK TO READ><< 10:22
Australian rock lobster will soon be exported to China again — here’s what it means for the industry and consumers
China’s ban on Australian rock lobsters is expected to be lifted by the end of the year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced. Rock lobster fishers say China is “by far” their biggest market and the impact on coastal WA communities will be significant. However, it could mean Australians will end up paying more for the prized delicacy once exports resume. Australian rock lobster fishers soon will be able to export their prized catches to China again, after four years out in the cold. The welcome development was announced yesterday following a meeting between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Vietnam. Exports are expected to resume by the end of the year, in time for Chinese New Year in 2025. Here’s what it means for Australia. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:15
Low export prices prompt seafood industry to push more tiger prawns into Aussie markets
Australians are being urged to eat more wild-caught tiger prawns, as fishers move away from sending their produce overseas. It’s been a slow start to the season in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Queensland; catches are down but fishers are also facing challenging international markets amid tough economic conditions. Austral Fisheries is one of the largest commercial fishing companies in Australia. Northern prawn division operations manager Bryan Van Wyck said due to an oversupply on the international market, they could not get the prices they were accustomed to. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:46
Gulf of Carpentaria fishing couple celebrates ’90 years’ doing a job they still love
Bruce Davey has been fishing commercially in the Gulf of Carpentaria for 50 years and can’t believe how lucky he is. “I came up in 1974 on a little timber prawn trawler that I sailed from Mooloolaba,” he said. “This year, I’m celebrating my 50th consecutive year at sea working hard for my country — and my wonderful wife Juanita is celebrating her 40th year, so that’s 90 years of fishing between the two of us.” 
Their boat is called the MV Wildcard and these days there are three generations of Davey’s living onboard, including grandchildren Ellica, aged four, and Finn, aged 2. “This is Ellica’s fourth mackerel season and she’s a great help around the boat,” Mr Davey said. Photos, audio, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:55
Mud crabbers of King Ash Bay endure harsh lifestyle, extreme weather to catch sought-after seafood
Crocodiles and sharks are just everyday work hazards for Josh Taylor and the other fishermen who battle some of the harshest conditions in Australia to catch one of the nation’s most prized seafoods — mud crabs. Many live in makeshift wooden huts, with no creature comforts, amongst mosquito-infested mangrove swamps in the estuaries around the Gulf of Carpentaria. It may be no surprise then that Mr Taylor is one of just 49 fishers who hold mud crabbing licences in the Northern Territory, and one of just six who drop their pots in the remote King Ash Bay. Despite the hazards, Mr Taylor, who became a commercial mud crabber four years ago, says he enjoys heading out in his boat, catching fish to eat for dinner, and returning to the simple shack he shares with two other fishermen at King Ash Bay. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:11
Illegal fishing vessels intercepted west of Torres Strait
ABF’s Maritime Border Command, in partnership with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, detected and apprehended the Indonesian vessels, which were found to be allegedly fishing illegally in the vicinity of Deliverance Island, also known as the Warul Kawa Indigenous Protected Area. The illegal fishing crews, which included 14 men and one juvenile were conveyed to Darwin and placed in fisheries detention while the incident was investigated, and prosecution considered. Before being transported to Darwin, the fishers were loaded into a vehicle at Seisia wharf in the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) on 21 June. MBC Commander Rear Admiral Brett Sonter said the interception should serve as a warning for other illegal fishers attempting to enter Cape York and Torres Strait waters. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:56
Littleproud predicts rough seas ahead for Illawarra wind zone under Coalition government
A future Coalition government would not allow a wind energy zone to be developed off the Illawarra coast, Nationals Leader David Littleproud said in Wollongong on Monday (17 June). To the cheers of a group of anti-wind zone protesters at Belmore Basin, Mr Littleproud said the Coalition would stop wind farms from going ahead. “There will be no wind zone, there is a better way to do this. Make no mistake, we’re going to live up to our international commitments, but we’re not going to tear away your economy, your environment and tear up the social cohesion of this great community,” he said. Mr Littleproud and NSW Nationals Senator Ross Cadell visited the region following the weekend declaration by Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen of a 1022 square km wind zone area, 20 km off the coast. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:53
The anti-windfarm ‘odd couple’ joining forces to fight the renewable energy projects Australia’s already failing to build
Deep in coal country, a lifelong environmentalist and one-time Greens candidate is feeling the applause. It’s Thursday night at a Gladstone pub and Steven Nowakowski has won over sceptical locals. His message is a simple one; he believes a wave of new windfarm developments threatens to smash hilltops and turn koala habitat into “industrial zones”. The green movement, he says, are in “la-la land” over windfarms, a comment that draws nods and knowing smiles from the audience. But its only when one local suggests building a new coal-fired power station does the crowd erupt in spontaneous applause. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:59
AMSA Publishes Safety Lessons Learned from Battery Fire Incident on Domestic Vessel
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has published an outline of safety lessons learned from an incident wherein a domestic commercial vessel suffered an onboard fire caused by a thermal runaway event involving a lithium-ion battery system. An explosion occurred on a charter fishing vessel whilst berthed. The investigation identified that the ignition source was a lithium-ion battery that was not holding charge connected to a battery charger in a way that bypassed the battery management safety system. The vessel was beyond repair following the explosion. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:29
Positive signals for Stornoway fishing fleet
With the Stornoway fleet expanding and good earnings available, the industry is again seen as an attractive option while vessel owners need to recruit locally as the supply of migrant labour dries up. The three-week courses will offer a grounding in the industry leading to potential careers. The training includes four mandatory one-day courses which are legally required to enable working on a fishing vessel. These are about sea survival, health and safety, first aid and firefighting. “There are now 12 trawlers working out of Stornoway and landing to Goat Island. That includes four which are completely new to the fleet within the past couple of years”. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:11
First Nations advocates resolve to put traditional fishing rights under international spotlight
First Nations delegates from Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Alaska, and Australia have met on the lands of Walbunga Yuin people on the NSW far south coast for the International Indigenous Fishing Symposium. Indigenous fishing rights activists in NSW are working with First Nations groups around the world to put a global spotlight on the battle to protect traditional fishing rights and cultural practices. The groups plan to work together to lobby the United Nations. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:56
Port Fairy residents reminiscence origins of 1950s pioneering fishing boat, Tacoma
When the grand old wooden fishing boat Tacoma returned home to Port Fairy, its skipper Ross Haldane was transported back 72 years. The 76-year-old grandfather was one of the seven children onboard when the boat left in the early 1950s destined for South Australia to bolster the state’s growing 
fishing industry. “I remember the boat going into its first big waves — we quickly ran down into the galley and watched the waves from there,” Ross said. Ross and one of the original crew members, 90-year-old Jack Bellamy, made the return trip this year aboard the Tacoma from Port Lincoln to Port Fairy, where it arrived on March 25. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:30
Fishermen wary of seismic plans for Bass Strait waters
Andrew Smith wants to keep crayfishing long enough to put his children through school. But plans for further seismic testing off his Bass Strait home of King Island have him worried. Energy data company TGS wants to survey for gas across some 4.5 million hectares in the Otway Basin, which are Commonwealth waters between Tasmania and Victoria. Seismic testing has been shown to negatively impact whales as well as other marine life. Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council chief executive Julian Harrington said the testing area was adjacent to rock lobster and giant crab fisheries. He said the waters were a “larvae corridor” for rock lobsters, which have a 15 to 18 month larvae cycle. more, >>click to read<< 07:24
Darwin fisherman Daniel Schoolmeester charged after allegedly holding workers captive on his boat
A Darwin man who allegedly lured workers to his boat, forced them into labour and held them captive against their will with minimal food or water, has appeared before court. Daniel Schoolmeester, 47, appeared in the Darwin Local Court on Friday afternoon, charged with deceptive recruitment, causing a person to remain in servitude and forcing labour. It’s alleged he posted deceptive job advertisements on Gumtree and his social media account calling for deckhands and coxswains to work on his fishing boat. Workers allege once on board, Mr Schoolmeester made them work extensive hours without pay, denied them food, water and sleep, and subjected them to cruel and degrading treatment. Video, >>click to read<< 11:36
‘Saved a big catastrophe’: Coast Guard and lifesavers come to aid of fishing trawler
Holiday beachgoers were surprised to see a 20m fishing trawler stuck in the shallows at Mooloolaba Beach on Saturday. Coast Guard and lifesavers got to the boat just in time and pulled it back out to sea. Coast Guard Mooloolaba crew skipper Bill Asher said they were first notified about the vessel by the crew of a nearby charter boat. “They said the trawler was drifting towards to the beach,” he said. “We tried to call the vessel but we couldn’t raise them and we saw on our cameras that they were only 150m off the beach.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:16
Australia: Anti-offshore wind farm fishing group is chaired by a former Liberal MP
A fishing industry group that has become one of the most vocal critics of offshore wind farm plans is chaired by a former Liberal politician who claims that the turbines threaten Australia’s national security by providing places for foreign submarines to hide. Offshore wind farms proposed for near the Illawarra region andOffshore wind farms Port Stephens have become a hot-button issue with the emergence of anti-wind farm organising. One of the major existing groups that have come out in opposition to the plans is the Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA), Fishing groups have opposed the offshore wind farm plans out of fear that the projects would hurt both commercial and recreational fishers. But AFTA was not one of the groups that made submissions during the consultation process between February and April this year. more, >>click to read<< 08:29
Resurgence of illegal Indonesian fishers ‘unacceptable’ as companies say stocks are suffering
Fishers say highly organised illegal poaching of Australia’s fish and marine life is having a significant impact on fish stocks in the country’s remote northern waters. Northern Wildcatch Seafood operator Grant Barker, whose fleet of five boats fish remote waters off the West Australian and Northern Territory coast, said it was common to see Indonesian fishing boats operating within Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). He was concerned about the impact of illegal fishing on Australia’s fish stocks. “Depending on the time of the year and where our boats are fishing, we might have interactions with them 15 or 20 times a year,” he said. Mr Barker said illegal fishing was highly organised and designed to take as much catch as possible. Photos, video, >>click to read<< 11:59
Australia: Coastal wind farms – This Sunday, the people say ‘no’ again
When the first coastal wind farms were announced by Energy Minister Chris Bowen, I thought I was dreaming. Australia has some of the best beaches in the world. People come to this country to see its unspoilt natural beauty. Despite a 42 per cent decline following the lockdowns, tourism remains Australia’s 14th-largest export industry. Along with education, it is one of the most sustainable industries that contributes to our standard of living. Nobody wants to come to Australia to see rotting wind turbines at our beaches. They can visit their own failed renewable energy white elephants at home. To make matters worse, our energy minister is pitching his vibe to elite activists while refusing to listen to ordinary Australians. Today they will gather in the surf near Port Stephens. The protest is called Paddle Out. >>click to read<< 10:21
Gillespie calls for Labor to abandon Offshore Wind Farm
Federal Nationals Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie has addressed Parliament, speaking out against the Offshore Wind farm proposed off the coast of his electorate. In July the federal government declared a wind farm zone covering more than 1800 square kilometres from Swansea in the south to Port Stephens in the north Dr Gillespie recently attended and addressed an anti-wind farm rally in Port Stephens attended by nearly 2,000 people. “These trillion dollar-plus energy plans by Labor, Greens and Teal Independents is something we simply cannot afford,” Dr Gillespie told Parliament “I can assure all of the people who have expressed their concerns about this project that I am absolutely opposed to this development which will have a significant negative impact on our region and the people of Australia. Feasibility studies and the eventual project will detrimentally impact whale and dolphin acoustics, migration and pod behaviour, and marine bird life will suffer like it does from land-based wind farms. Dr Gillespie said there would be enormous financial cost on the $1bn local commercial fishing industry, commercial freighters, blue water and the tourism economy. >>click to read<< 20:52
Lobster season underway, but South Australian fishers still missing out on Chinese trade
Lobster fishers in South Australia’s southern zone are heading out today to set their pots for the start of the season. After a two-year trial, the season’s September 1 start date has become permanent in the hope it will help get lobsters onto the plates of those celebrating the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. Robe lobster fisher Paul Regnier supports the change. “It has been a real bonus for us,” he said. But China is still not allowing Mr Regnier’s catch into the country — officially, at least. China’s 2020 ban on Australian lobsters sent prices crashing and exporters were forced to find new markets for the crustaceans. >>click to read<< 10:34
Forty years since Narooma lobster case that could have transformed Indigenous fishing rights in NSW
Norm Patten’s eyes light up when he talks about lobster season. “When you see that yellow wattle come out mate, you know the lobsters are travelling up the coast,” Mr Patten said. The eastern rock lobster can be found along the continental shelf off Australia’s south-eastern coast. Mr Patten’s mum was a Monaro-Gunai woman and he grew up in Victoria’s East Gippsland region and in Narooma on the NSW far south coast. He and his siblings were taught by their stepfather how to spot lobsters’ horns poking out of the seaweed at low tide. By the time Mr Patten was an adult, a commercial rock lobster industry was established on the far south coast and strict catch limits were introduced for recreational fishers. >>click to read<< 07:54
South Australia rejects proposed Southern Ocean offshore wind energy zone over lobster industry concern
One state is bucking a push for more wind farms in Australia due to fears the gigantic renewable energy generators could damage vulnerable ocean wildlife and put hundreds of fishermen out of work. South Australia has officially notified the federal government it does not support a proposed Southern Ocean offshore wind farm zone stretching from Warrnambool in Victoria to Port MacDonnell in the state’s southeast Limestone Coast region. Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said the construction of massive turbines could damage the state’s $187.5m rock lobster industry, which generates more than 1000 full time jobs in the area. >>click to read<< 11:17
Limestone Coast community fears it has a lot to lose if offshore wind zone goes ahead in Southern Ocean
Australia’s Southern Ocean has some of the best wind resources in the world and is set to play a prominent part in the nation’s energy future. But in a small town on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, opposition to the development of offshore wind farms is fierce. Chris Carrison is an abalone diver and chair of Southern Coast Ocean Care, a group of Port Macdonnell residents against offshore wind. “Particularly from the cray fishermen and the future of their industry, but just the general public that they’re going to look out of their front yard and see a wind tower in the future.” Mr Carrison said locals were concerned the development could have a devastating effect on the local lobster fishing industry and the environment. >click to read< 08:02
This Fisherman’s Catch of the Day? A Kangaroo Stranded in the Ocean.
What’s the last thing you’d expect to reel in while out on a fishing boat? A kangaroo! But that’s precisely what one fisherman encountered while out on his vessel. Kangala Wildlife Rescue received a call from said fisherman, who was heading back to shore to deliver the exhausted animal into their care. The trouble was, the kangaroo was beginning to wake up… and you certainly don’t want an angry kangaroo bouncing around your boat! Rescuers had to act quickly to sedate the roo, and then transport it back to their wildlife center to evaluate its health. Photos, >click to read< 09:44
Mullet fishers keep proud tradition alive for next generation along south-east Queensland beaches
For more than a century, commercial fishermen have been gathering on some of Queensland’s most popular beaches every winter, poised for action as a cool breeze blows. Their four-wheel drives, stacked with metal cages and boats piled with fishing nets, take up room usually reserved for sunbathing holidaymakers. It’s mullet fishing season along Queensland’s southern coast as the fish migrate north to spawn during the colder months of the year. The practice of fishing for mullet with nets off the beach, and the highly prized licences, are passed down through the generations. “I do it because that’s virtually all I know and I’ve done this since I was a little kid,” commercial fisherman Michael Thompson says. Video, photos, >click to read< 10:56
Trawlers concerned about impacts of ocean wind farms as marine park management plan drafted
A group representing fishermen in south-east Australia says it will be forced to stop cooperating with offshore wind projects in Bass Strait if shark fishing is further restricted in marine parks. The South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association, which represents fishermen and sellers in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales, said it was concerned about a ban on the practice. It comes as a new South-east Marine Parks Network Management Plan is drafted. “Our concern is shark fishing with hooks and gill nets and that that will be stopped in some of these marine parks,” trawl fishing association chief executive Simon Boag said. He said fishers could lose 4,000 square kilometres of shark fishing grounds in Gippsland because of wind farms. >click to read< 18:35
Commercial fishers fear gillnet ban on Great Barrier Reef will destroy business, communities
“I’ve got an 18 month-old daughter and I don’t know how I’ll provide for her at the end of the year,” Mr Waldon said. The third-generation commercial fisherman runs a large gillnetting operation near Marlborough off the central Queensland coast and spends long hours at sea catching fish, such as barramundi and threadfin, to provide for his young family. But with a recently announced ban on gillnet fishing, he feared he would not be able to earn a living anymore. “We’ve got all our life savings tied up in fishing licences, quotas, boats and it’s all rendered completely useless … it’s scary,” Mr Waldon said. Video, >click to read< 09:52
Retired tuna boat skipper Terry Aldenhoven reflects on six decades of fishing and why he loves the sea
Port Lincoln’s old salt Terry Aldenhoven will spend his first summer on land after more than six decades heading out to sea for the fishing season. He loved his fishing job so much that he’s only just retired at 78 and could still climb the mast of the tuna boat he skippered. Mr Aldenhoven has clocked up 50 years fishing in the tuna industry and 63 years on the sea in total, but says you’ll still find him out on the water catching fish, although in a much smaller boat. He’s seen more days on the water than any other tuna skipper in Port Lincoln and was witness to the highs and lows of the industry. Photos, video, >click to read< 11:23
A seismic blasting whistleblower speaks
Hayley had been working on seismic blasting vessels for almost three years when she realised just how destructive the practice was. Her final assessment was simple: “I can’t believe that this is legal.” Hayley, who asked for her real name to not be used, was employed as a marine fauna observer. Her job was to look for marine mammals such as the southern right whale, which could be harmed by the blasts used to search the ocean floor for oil and gas. Blasting would be paused only when specific whales were sighted. The negative impacts of the blasting are hard to see because they happen below the surface. >click to read< 10:16
Port Stephens Maritime Community Rallies Around Milanja Family
The maritime and greater community Port Stephens have rallied around the Milanja family as their much-loved fishing trawler and livelihood, the Kendon B, had to be recovered from D’Albora Marina last Tuesday. The vessel sank on its mooring on Friday 19 May which came as a double blow to the Milanja’s as Miro, owner and operator of the Kendon B, has recently been discharged from hospital battling serious health issues. Mark Milanja, eldest son of Miro, has been on hand with his brothers Mitch and Matt assisting local authorities and salvage teams around the clock since the trawler first sank. >click to read< 07:52
