Vow to watch factory ship

TASMANIAN recreational fishers say they will keep a watchful eye on the movements of the Geelong Star following the scrapping of a super trawler advisory group.

Over the weekend the factory freezer trawler was sighted plying the waters off the game fishing haven of St Helens, angering members of the recreational fishing community.

Former union boss Kevin Harkins, who is setting up a new Tasmanian political party opposing large factory freezer trawlers, said recreational fishers were concerned about the scrapping of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority’s super trawler advisory group.

The group’s set term wound up on June 30.

“That was the only way we could have direct input into AFMA, we think they got rid of that committee so that there would be no more criticism ... it leaves the trawler off the hook to go and do whatever it likes,” Mr Harkins said.

“In the space of a few weeks we’ve seen the chairman of the advisory committee resign, last week we’ve seen the advisory committee sacked and now we have the super trawler working off St Helens, which we all know is an important fishing centre for recreational fishers in Tasmania.”

The Geelong Star has attracted significant controversy after killing nine dolphins during its fishing activities.

Mr Harkins is pressing ahead with plans to register a new political party called the Fishing Party to oppose super trawlers and represent the interests of recreational fishers.

He said the party currently had almost 500 members and was working to recruit more.

“It’s important for us that we engage with the Tasmanian community, we don’t want to be a press-button party ... it will be all about recreational fishing and the super trawler and after we’ve won that battle we will see where we go from there,” he said.

The Fishing Party plans to run Senate candidates in the coming federal election and Mr Harkins said he had heard from Tasmanians interested in running for the Fishing Party at the state election in 2018.