Senate votes to halt seismic gas exploration

THE Senate has backed a Tasmanian-led call for seismic testing off King Island to be halted until a company hoping to find gas reserves off the Bass Strait island can prove the work will not harm rock lobster stocks.

In January, the Mayor of King Island Julie Arnold, Greens Senator Peter WhishWilson and Liberal Braddon MP Gavin Pearce and the Scallop Fishermen’s Association of Tasmania have already put out a challenge to ConocoPhillips Australia. On Tuesday the

Senate backed that call. The company wants to look for natural gas reserves in Otway Basin about 25km off King Island’s west coast.

Testing was due to start this month but is reliant on approval by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.

The Senate motion – that if the company behind the permit cannot prove there will be no impact on local fishing livelihoods then the seismic testing should not go ahead – was put up by Tasmanian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.

“The vote by the Senate is an important precedent and hopefully a sign of things to come in protecting our oceans and communities,” Senator Whish-Wilson said.

The Liberal Senators voted against the motion but let it go to voices, not wanting to call a division.

“It’s absurd that the government has sat by for so long while big oil and gas companies run rampant in our oceans.

“These big corporations – many who buy their power with hefty political donations – have been seismic testing for oil and gas for the last 50 years and have had the government eating out the palms of their hands saying that there has been no evidence that seismic testing negatively impacts on marine life.

“But the reason there’s been no evidence is because until very recently there’s been next to no research.

“Unsurprisingly, emerging scientific research shows seismic testing – which involves blasting the sea floor with high-powered airguns – can injure and kill crustaceans, shellfish, and plankton.

The head of the Scallop Fishermen’s Association of Tasmania told the soon-finalised inquiry into the impacts of seismic testing on fisheries and the marine environment that fishers would take any action necessary to stop the testing — which could include a blockade. Previous seismic operations near Flinders Island had correlated with a decimation of scallop stock. The inquiry report was first due to be finalised in March but that is expected to be extended.