Sydney, 2 October 2014: Greenpeace is urgently calling for action by the Australian Government to permanently ban super trawlers before the current two-year ban ends on November 18, 2014.

The call follows debate in the Australian Senate this morning on new legislation tabled by Senator Ludwig that would allow the Fisheries Minister to approve new vessels on a case by case basis. Senator Whish-Wilson proposed an amendment to permanently ban all super trawlers with a holding capacity over 2000 tonnes.

“Since Australia put a two-year ban on super trawlers in 2012, these monsters have continued their destruction of fisheries and fishing jobs around the world. Unless the Australian Government acts quickly to extend the ban on super trawlers permanently, these monster boats will be back on our doorstep,” said Greenpeace oceans campaigner Nathaniel Pelle.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Tony Abbott said “the super trawler was banned and will stay banned”, but the Coalition has failed to back that up with a legislative proposal.

“We need to hold this Government to their word and make sure Australia gets a permanent ban on super trawlers,” Mr. Pelle said. “The Australian Government must stop the threat of foreign super trawlers fishing Australian waters and place a permanent ban on these monster fishing boats.”

Super trawlers are oversized fishing vessels with industrial freezers that can can process hundreds of tonnes of fish per day.  The biggest have freezers that can hold over 2000 tonnes of fish. They can be up to 144 metres long - bigger than any boat to have fished in Australian waters.

“These gigantic vessels are more like floating fish factories than traditional fishing trawlers. Imagine a ship longer than one and a half football fields, with a net large enough to fly an A380 aeroplane through. They can process up to a staggering 250 tonnes of fish a day and operate for weeks on end without returning to port,” said Mr Pelle.

Greenpeace is campaigning against super trawlers worldwide and has seen the devastation left in their wake. Greenpeace has launched an online petition calling on the Abbott Government to permanently ban super trawlers from Australian waters.

“Allowing the current ban on super trawlers to expire is an open invitation to the entire global fleet of oversized, industrial ships,” said Pelle. “Australia should learn the lessons from the devastation super trawlers have wrought on marine life and fishing communities around the world.”

“If the little fish go, so do the big fish. So do the dolphins, seals and seabirds. And so do the fishermen,” said Pelle.