Celebrating sustainable Australian fisheries
15 March 2013. For immediate release. Today is Sustainable Seafood Day Australia 2013. It is a day to celebrate sustainable seafood, fisheries and retailers. It is about explaining to seafood lovers how their choice of Australian seafood makes positive difference in the world’s oceans. The South East Trawl Fishery runs from Barranjoey Point, north of […]
South east fishery granted a 3 year WTO
The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Community (SEWPaC), the Hon. Tony Burke has declared the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery to be an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (“WTO”). This is valid until the 25th of February 2016. There are a series of standard conditions that requiring the Australian Fisheries Management Authority […]
AFMA’s compliance passes test
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has undertaken an independent performance audit of the effectiveness of AFMA’s administration of their domestic fishing compliance program. The report noted that 320 Commonwealth licensed vessels land in 75 ports around Australia. In 2011-12 the compliance program conducted 222 vessel and fish receiver inspections with 32% of vessels inspected […]
Rare goblin shark donated to science
When Trevor Hunt (“Bluey”) the Skipper of the board trawler Lady Miriam hauled the trawl while fishing east of Esso’s Flounder platform in 530m’s of water he couldn’t believe his eyes. Even though he has been at sea for 28 years he had never seen or heard of a shark that looked like this. The […]
Shark drops from sky
A live 1kg leopard shark dropped from the sky in Southern California recently. A course marshal saw something moving around on the tee and went to investigate and found the small shark. The marshal put the shark in his golf cart and drove it back to the clubhouse. The marshal wanted to help the shark, […]
Domestic cats eat double the South East Trawl Fishery annual catch
The journal of agricultural and environmental ethics has published a paper by Sena De Silva and Giovanni Turchini titled Towards Understanding the Impacts of the Pet Food Industry on World Fish and Seafood Supplies. The article explains that Australian cats eat 33,500 tonnes of seafood per annum. This seafood is imported and Australian made. To […]
Lady Cheryl sinks
South East Trawl vessel Lady Cheryl hit Corsair Rock at Port Phillip Heads near Point Nepean at approximately 1:00am on Saturday 24 March 2012. The vessel is 27m long and weighs around 157 tonnes. The six crew were rescued by Port Phillip Sea Pilots. The exact nature and cause of the incident is under investigation. […]
Danish seining on TV
ABC2’s “Travel Oz” show went to sea on the Danish Seine vessel Nungurner. Nungurner is a SETFIA member and is crewed by Father and Son team Wayne and Ryan Cheers. Wayne is also a SETFIA Director. Click here to see a short video of their trip and make your own decision on who the Skipper […]
2nd generation seabird management
South East Trawl vessels managing offal to reduce their attractiveness to seabirds but also use pinkies (buoys) to physically deflect seabirds away from warps (cables used to tow nets). Both are part of what is known as a Seabird Management Plan (SMP). Operating to an approved SMP is now a condition on the fishing permit […]
Trawl crew up-skill for the environment
Funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, SETFIA, in partnership with Fishwell Consulting and the South East Australian Maritime Education Centre has run a nationally accredited training course called Improved Environmental Work Practices. The courses were run in early 2011. A steering committee including a representative from the Australian Marine Conservation Society set the […]