Another Geelong Star dolphin death. Time to end this deadly farce.

Greens spokesperson on Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, is calling for the Geelong Star’s vessel management plan to be withdrawn given AFMA’s notification of yet another dolphin death last week.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Last Friday AFMA placed on their website a notification that they had closed a zone of the small-pelagic fisheries because of a further dolphin death.

“Three times AFMA has signed off on the Geelong Star’s fishing techniques, and three times dolphins have died.

“This is an absolute failure by the regulator and by the Government. Every time the Geelong Starhas gone fishing it is has killed dolphins.

“These three high-profile regulatory failures combined with the resignation of the independent scientist who was head of the Small-Pelagic Fisheries Resource Advisory Group shows that the whole system is in disarray.

“The Government’s so-called ‘ban on super-trawlers’ has failed. It’s time to revisit the legislation to see what can be done permanently. The Greens will be working with Labor and the cross-bench to develop legislation that will provide a permanent solution to this debacle.

“In the meantime, Senator Colbeck cannot guarantee that more dolphins won’t be killed so he needs to immediately send the Geelong Star packing by withdrawing its vessel management plan.

“This is the only way to restore credibility to AFMA and to the Government’s handling of fisheries,” Senator Whish-Wilson concluded.