Geelong Star's license to kill dolphins must be revoked

The Greens spokesperson for Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson provides the following comments on the drowning of four more dolphins by the super trawler Geelong Star.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Four more dolphins are dead because the Liberal Government and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) have failed in their duty as regulators.

“The risk to marine mammals was foreseen in the report by the super trawler Expert Panel and yet the Geelong Star was allowed to fish.

“Twice AFMA have given the green light to the Geelong Star and twice dolphins have been killed.

“The Liberals and AFMA have given the Geelong Star a license to kill dolphins and that is exactly what has happened.

“The Vessel Management Plan for the Geelong Star must be withdrawn now. Let’s send this boat packing.

“Otherwise the Liberals need to come clean with the number of dolphin deaths they think is acceptable.

“We now have a crisis of confidence in AFMA’s and Senator Richard Colbeck’s ability to properly regulate fisheries.

“The public now rightly perceive the Liberals and Richard Colbeck as the champions on industrial fishing, not as fisheries managers for all stakeholders,” he concluded.