Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in support of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2014. The debate about supertrawlers is an ongoing issue of concern, particularly in my home state of Tasmania, but I do know that many senators have received emails on this issue regardless of which state or territory they represent. There is concern throughout Australia about the operation of supertrawlers in our waters.

Only this week, the Mercury newspaper, based in the southern part of Tasmania, reported on the findings of the report from the Expert Panel on a Declared Commercial Fishing Activity, the Final (Small Pelagic Fishery) Declaration 2012. Now that the government has been given the expert panel's report, it must make a decision and end uncertainty for Tasmanian fishers.