With the Geelong Star catching more seals and now also an endangered whale shark, Greens Fisheries spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, is calling for the Fisheries and Environment Ministers to intervene and send the factory-freezer vessel home.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “The Geelong Star is seemingly trying to collect the whole set of endangered or protected species in its giant net: first dolphins, then seals, then albatrosses and now a whale shark.

Greens spokesperson for Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson says that with the Geelong Star leaving another trail of dead protected marine species it is time for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) to send the factory-freezer vessel home now.

This evening the Senate failed to disallow regulations that had lifted a ban on night fishing by the factory-freezer vessel Geelong Star by a single vote. A tied vote, 31 for and 31 against, means the disallowance motion to reinstate the night-fishing ban was unsuccessful. The Geelong Star courted controversy earlier in the year when it caught and killed 9 dolphins.

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spokesperson on Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, is calling for the Geelong Star’s vessel management plan to be withdrawn given AFMA’s notification of yet another dolphin death last week.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

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, Australian Greens spokesperson for Fisheries, has today called on Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Senator Richard Colbeck, to immediately close the Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF) and investigate serious insider allegations of pecuniary conflict within AFMA's key research and scientific committee.

Today the Senate passed a resolution put forward by Australian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson calling on the Federal Government to better protect marine mammals in light of the eight dolphin deaths that resulted from the operations of the super trawler Geelong Star.

Senator Whish-Wilson said “I am pleased that the Senate voted to recognise that the Geelong Star dolphin deaths were unacceptable.

The Greens Senator for Fisheries, Senator Whish-Wilson, is calling on Environment Minister Greg Hunt to say whether he agrees that the latest change to the Geelong Star’s management plan will prevent dolphin deaths.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “AFMA has now written three Vessel Management Plans for the Geelong Star and each time they have said the plan would be sufficient to protect dolphins.

It has been reported today in the Geelong Advertiser that the Liberal MP for Corangamite, Sarah Henderson has written to the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Senator Richard Colbeck calling on him to ban the factory-freezer vessel Geelong Star.

The Greens spokesperson for Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has welcomed this move and said, “I hope this is the beginning of an outbreak of common sense within the Liberal Party about the Geelong Star.