2012-09-13 Tony Burke scientific approach to Abel Tasman Margiris super-trawler debate

Tony Burke scientific approach

I’m a heretic on this. I’m sorry, I know cartoonists are meant to more soft-hearted. It’s true we need Marine Parks, less dredging/trawling for things on the bottom, strict quotas on overall catch and really strong regulation and limitation on long-line fishing and netting methods that get huge amounts of by-catch. Existing trawlers kill creatures we empathise with like seals and dolphins, but politicians have a knee-jerk reaction to the Margiris. It’s not true that a super-trawler is evil just because of its size. If anything it’s a better option than existing methods…..
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