{{short description|Australian fisheries company}} {{Use Australian English|date=November 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Infobox company | name = Seafish Tasmania | logo = File:SeafishTasmania logo.jpg | type = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = | founder = | defunct = | location_city = [[Triabunna]], [[Tasmania]] | location_country = [[Australia]] | locations = | area_served = | key_people = Dirk Parlevliet<BR>Jan van der Plas<BR>Dirk van der Plas<BR>Gerald Geen | industry = Fisheries | products = | production = | revenue = | owner = Parlevliet and Van der Plas | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = http://www.seafishpelagic.com.au | footnotes = }}

'''Seafish Tasmania''' is an Australian privately owned fisheries company based in [[Triabunna, Tasmania]].

It is not to be confused with the newsletter of the same name.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Tasmanian Amateur Sea Fishermens' Association | title=Seafish Tasmania | publication-date=1982 | publisher=Tasmanian Amateur Sea Fishermans' Association | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/12298349 | accessdate=19 November 2017 }}</ref>

==Super trawlers==

In 2010 the company ceased its operation of small fishing vessels claiming the venture was not profitable, attempting in 2012 to fish Australian waters using [[super trawler]]s, large [[factory ship]]s owned by Dutch company [[Parlevliet & van der Plas]] with the ability to freeze catches onboard, requiring less returns to shore.<ref>{{cite web |title=Social media behind the super-trawler 'sinking' |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/social-media-behind-the-super-trawler-sinking/news-story/523674fb6cfd1346a1fc577d69cebbdd |date=20 October 2012 |publisher=The Australian |accessdate=19 November 2017 }}</ref>

It has had rights to fishing in federal legislative constraints in 2010,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article240378070 |title=FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ACT 1991 SMALL PELAGIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN 2005 NOTICE OF PERSONS TO WHOM STATUTORY FISHING RIGHTS ARE TO BE GRANTED |newspaper=[[Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Special]] |issue=S79 |location=Australia |date=24 May 2010 |accessdate=19 November 2017 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> however the company attempts to introduce super trawlers have been problematic.

In 2012 Federal politicians saw the expansion of the company in a positive light.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Crean, Simon | title=New jobs and investment in Tasmania | publication-date=30 March 2012 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/193097931 | accessdate=19 November 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Combet, Greg | title=New jobs and investment in Tasmania | publication-date=30 March 2012 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/193097930 | accessdate=19 November 2017 }}</ref>

In 2012, Seafish Tasmania was provided with a $420,000 government grant to produce locally made [[fish oil]] for human consumption.<ref>{{cite web |title=$420k grant for Seafish to create Aussie fish oil first |url=http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/154628/420k-grant-for-seafish-to-create-aussie-fish-oil-first/ |date=26 June 2012 |publisher=The Advocate |accessdate=19 November 2017}}</ref>

The super trawler [[FV Margiris]], at the time the second largest fishing vessel in the world, was brought into Australian waters in 2012 and renamed ''Abel Tasman''.

On 11 September 2012, the [[Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources]] [[Tony Burke]] tabled a bill in parliament to ban super trawlers from operating in Australian waters for a two year period, claiming further research was needed on their impact to the environment. Senator [[Eric Abetz]] said he believed Seafish Tasmania would be able to claim damages due to the decision to ban their trawler from operating.<ref>{{cite web |title=Super trawler operator may seek compo | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-12/super-trawler-operator-may-seek-compo/4256276 |date=12 September 2012 |publisher=ABC | accessdate=20 November 2017}}</ref>

In 2015, the much smaller [[Naeraberg|Dirk Diederik KW 172]] was brought to Australia and renamed as ''FV Geelong Star'', both meeting with controversy before departing Australia.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.naroomanewsonline.com.au/story/4313475/conflicting-reports-over-departure-of-vessel-formerly-known-as-geelong-star/ | title=Conflicting reports over departure of vessel formerly known as Geelong Star | date=23 November 2016 }}</ref>

The issues arising from the Margiris event saw a legislative catchup occur, and the company welcoming improved regulations.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Australian Broadcasting Corporation. News | title=Seafish Tasmania welcomes legislation's debate | publication-date=12 September 2012 | publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/188233047 | accessdate=19 November 2017 }}</ref>

The company attempted to challenge bans on super trawlers in the [[Federal Court of Australia]],<ref name="abc">{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-21/federal-court-upholds-the-ban-on-supertrawlers-in-australian-wa/5276218|title=Seafish Australia fail in Federal Court bid to overturn super trawler ban|newspaper=ABC News|date=21 February 2014 |accessdate=19 November 2017}}</ref> resulting in their application being dismissed with costs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Federal Court of Australia dismisses Seafish Tasmania Supertrawler challenge |url=http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/weblog/article/federal-court-od-australia-dismisses-seafish-tasmania-supertrawler-challeng/ |date=22 February 2014 |publisher=Tasmanian Times |accessdate=20 November 2017 }}</ref>

==Controversy== [[File:KW-172 Dirk Diederik Katwijk IMO 8918318.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Dirk Diederik KW 172]], renamed ''FV Geelong Star'' during its time in Australia.]] On 10 March 2016, the company was fined $40,000 after pleading guilty in the Hobart Magistrates Court for the unlawful disposal of more than 1,200 truckloads of fish processing waste from its fish processing plant at Triabunna, occurring during 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seafish Tasmania fined $40,000 for causing environmental harm |url=http://epa.tas.gov.au/Pages/News.aspx?newsstory=3569 |date=10 March 2016 |publisher=EPA |accessdate=19 November 2017 }}</ref> The fine was not paid and the company was listed on the debtors list of the Department of Justice website. The [[Tasmanian Environmental Protection Authority|Environmental Protection Authority]] estimated costs of their investigation to exceed $100,000 and the land owner had paid $21,000 to cleanup the site.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fish firm fails to pay fine |url=http://www.themercury.com.au/news/scales-of-justice/fish-firm-fails-to-pay-fine/news-story/1149a8b49ca5e1b92b6bf99bee55d118 |date=17 June 2016 |publisher=Mercury |accessdate=19 November 2017 }}</ref>

The company recorded seven convictions relating to environmental issues between 2011 and 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seafish Tasmania cops record fine for dumping fish waste on East Coast |url=http://www.themercury.com.au/news/scales-of-justice/seafish-tasmania-cops-record-fine-for-dumping-fish-waste-on-east-coast/news-story/2d059bcc142fd1805bdaa35744a376d6 |date=11 March 2016 |publisher=Mercury |accessdate=20 November 2017 }}</ref>

During June 2016, Seafish Tasmania objected to the release of video footage of a dolphin being captured in the nets of the Geelong Star super trawler, claiming the footage would cause damage to their business reputation and incite environmental activists to protest at the company's operations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fight to prevent videos showing dolphins caught in Geelong Star's nets from being released |url=http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/fight-to-prevent-videos-showing-dolphins-caught-in-geelong-stars-nets-from-being-released/news-story/8b0ac3ebe8499cf27ba0bef019ce6379 |date=2 June 2016 |publisher=Mercury |accessdate=19 November 2017}}</ref>

On 25 December 2016, a former managing director of Seafish Tasmania, Joseph Pirrello, was arrested on allegations of importing [[cocaine]] worth an estimated $360&nbsp;million into Australia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tasmanian fishing identity behind Abel Tasman super trawler held after record cocaine bust |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-30/tasmanian-fishing-identities-held-after-record-cocaine-bust/8154188 |date=30 December 2016 |publisher=ABC |accessdate=19 November 2017}}</ref>

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120819020343/http://seafishpelagic.com.au/ Official website]

[[Category:Australian companies established in 2000]] [[Category:Fishing companies]] [[Category:Companies based in Tasmania]] [[Category:Triabunna, Tasmania]] [[Category:Seafood companies of Australia]]