So the Kingdom of the Netherlands objects to how the Commonwealth of Australia protects its sovereignty ...

..as well as its environmental, social, cultural and economic interests within its own marine territorial waters and economic zones? Tough.

The media reports that the Dutch Government has raised concerns about Australia’s proposed new legislation strengthening the precautionary principle in relation to fishing activities of super trawlers, in light of the planned fish take of Parleviet & Van der Plas B.V. and its freezer trawler RV Able Tasman.

I also read that the Canberra-based Dutch Deputy Head of Mission, Nico Schermers, has expressed these concerns at a recent meeting of senior diplomats at the delegation of the European Union to Australia.

It would be interesting to know just how he couched his complaints at this meeting, when sudden changes in the structure and function of marine ecosystems and fish stock collapse due to overfishing are a feature of certain marine areas where Parleviet & Van der Plas (among others) has traditionally fished since the 1960s and, the European Union is well aware of this problem as seen by the first link below.

European Parliament, Directorate-General for Internal Policies, POLICY DEPARTMENT B, STRUCTURAL AND COHESION POLICIES: Fisheries, November 2011:

Overfishing has been shown to seriously affect the ecosystems of the world oceans. In addition to direct fishing effects on target stocks, ecosystem effects are increasingly reported as a result of unsustainable exploitation levels. There is now compelling evidence that fishing-induced changes at the top of the food web can have profound indirect effects on all trophic levels and hence change the structure and functioning of the whole food web. Such trophic cascades involve a top-down (i.e. consumer) control view on ecosystem functioning, which opposes the traditional bottom-up (resource) control view that existed

for marine ecosystems……

prominent examples of ecosystem regime shifts in the North Pacific and

the Eastern Scotian Shelf off the East coast of Canada, as well as the North Sea, the Baltic and the Black Sea...

The world is also aware of the dangers of regional overfishing.

The Spatial Expansion and Ecological Footprint of Fisheries (1950 to Present), December 2010 :

In the late 1980s, global catches ceased to increase and peaked at 90 million t when account is taken of systematic over reporting of catches by China [9]. The slow decrease of about half million t per year which then ensued has not been reversed since [7], and is not likely to ever be [10].

This decrease occurred, essentially, because the rate at which new fish stocks (for example of deep sea fish; [11]) were accessed, from the late 1980s on, failed to compensate for the rate at which ‘traditional’ stocks were depleted. Moreover, the number of new stocks has been decreasing linearly over time [12].

European Parliament, Committee on Fisheries Meeting 6 September 2012  - video in which Northern Hemisphere fisheries management and overfishing is discussed.

UPDATE:

September 15 2012

OMBUDSMAN BUSTS AFMA - WILKIE COMPLAINT UPHELD

The Independent Member for Denison, Andrew Wilkie, has been advised by the Commonwealth Ombudsman that AFMA did in fact fail to comply with the Fisheries Administration Act when it set the quota relevant to the super trawler.

Over the last two months Mr Wilkie has lodged a number of complaints with the Ombudsman regarding AFMA’s conduct when setting the quota. She agreed to investigate and this became central to Environment Minister Tony Burke’s condemnation of AFMA and Independent Rob Oakeshott’s decision to support banning the vessel.

“This is a dramatic development and a thumping win for proper process and the rule of law,” Mr Wilkie said.

“No less than the Commonwealth Ombudsman has agreed AFMA has acted unlawfully, and this should rule a line under the whole sorry super trawler saga and compel the Senate to kill the project forever next Monday.

‘‘Moreover the Ombudsman has informed me she is investigating ‘other matters’ which adds to the case that AFMA is in serious need of reform, that the Government’s decision to stop the boat is entirely warranted and that the House of Representative’s passing of legislation was the right thing to do. It’s up to the Senate now to finish the job.

“Super trawlers stink, but even worse is government agencies thinking they’re above the law. Hopefully this will lead to changes which might give us much more confidence in future that our environment as well as recreational and sensible commercial fishing is protected.’‘

No NSW National Parks jobs to go from Clarence Valley until next year's state budget?

Although the O’Farrell Government in Sydney is committed to cutting the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage job numbers by 350 statewide, Clarence Valley residents have managed to forestall any immediate National Parks and Wildlife Service losses according to The Daily Examiner on September 13, 2012:

THERE has been a victory for our region's national parks after plans to shift the responsibility of Iluka and Woombah peninsula to the Richmond Valley were axed.
Karen Toms, the manager of Woody Head Camping Area and chair of the Iluka Consultative Committee, said the move may have saved six jobs and it was "fantastic news".
She said National Parks and Wild-life Services had planned to amalgamate Clarence North and South and shift Iluka and Woombah out of the Clarence North, which could have meant job losses for the region.
"They changed their mind and are leaving it as it is, which is great news, but I'm not sure whether there will be more budget cuts later," Ms Toms said. A spokesman from NPWS said boundaries of management areas had been changed in the Lower Clarence, specifically on the southern side of the river, but that the Iluka peninsula will "generally" continue under the current reporting arrangements.

With most of the Clarence Valley coastline covered by national parks, keeping these areas adequately managed and manned is vital.

Map from Clarence Tourism

My big fat apology

I've been flogged round the field and sent to the dog house by North Coast Voices admin who told me that I had made a blooper that I should apologise for - and I agree. So a sincere apology to The Daily Examiner for attributing a line on one of its contributor pages to a working journo.
I haz shames!

Greedy Telstra and Thodey receive another bagging for Northern Rivers job losses

Telstra in Commonwealth Hansard transcript on 10 September 2011:

Ms SAFFIN (Page) (22:13): I am still struggling to understand how Telstra can continue with its plan to close its Lismore call centre, which is based in Goonellabah, axing 116 jobs. I recently spoke in this place about Telstra's lack of corporate social responsibility and its lack of corporate conscience. Yes, it offers community awards and does sponsorships but, really, jobs must come first, not the other stuff. Corporate social responsibility is affected if you do not care about your own workers first.

A few things have transpired since I last spoke in this place. One of those is a community campaign that has seen over 5,000 people—I think it is now up to about 5½ thousand—sign a petition that reads:

We the undersigned citizens of the Northern Rivers call upon Telstra Business CEO Mr David Thodey to intervene immediately to halt any plan to axe up to 116 jobs of employees at Telstra Call Centre in Goonellabah.

We further object to Telstra abandoning its workforce in country Australia and moving jobs offshore, while recording massive profits ($3.4 billion) and awarding generous salary increases for executives.

With the community campaign for the petition a whole lot of people have been involved, particularly my husband, Jim, who has been out coordinating and doing the work on the ground, and I thank him for that.

But guess what? Two other things have happened that really, really rile me to do with Telstra. One is that in the midst of axing jobs not only in Lismore but also in Townsville and other places mooted around Australia—and who knows where else?—Telstra bosses gave themselves a pay rise. One local online comment in the Northern Star newspaper likened it to 'a reward for inefficiency and incompetence'. I had this to say about it:

… Telstra demonstrated this week that it does look after some on the payroll.

"Today local union members and community members organised a sausage sizzle outside the Telstra Call Centre in Goonellabah to protest against the closure.

"Telstra is proposing to close the centre next month with the loss of 116 jobs, and so far about 5000 people have signed petitions calling for Telstra to keep the centre open and save local jobs.

"I have complained to CEO David Thodey about the cruelty of the cuts, and asked him to treat staff well.

"I did not realise when he promised we would look after Telstra people that he meant to start at the top.

"In what is impeccable timing, Telstra's lodged its annual report with the Australian Securities Commission this week, and it includes the news that Mr Thodey is to receive an extra $247,000 in his fixed salary starting 1 October.

"The report shows that Mr Thodey's salary package, including shares and incentive payments, went from $5.1 million in 2011 to $7.69 million in 2012 and now it is to go up by about a quarter of a million.

"In fact, Telstra has found more than $7 million to increase the pay of its type nine executives in the past 12 months.

"And yet they say they have to make this difficult decision of cutting 116 jobs here in Lismore.

"The sad point is, it appears that the executives' incentive payments and share packages rise the more jobs they cut.

"No wonder so many people are outraged at this corporate heartlessness.

Today we also found out—I read it online in various places and also in the Sydney Morning Herald—that Telstra is getting another windfall, pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars in future years due to the competition watchdog effectively cutting the price paid for each minute a phone call spends on another mobile network, from 9c to 6c. This 3c reduction gives Telstra $18 million. Did they pass it on to us customers? No. Maybe they used it to top up the CEO's and executive's salary rises.

Also, Telstra has increased mobile calls on basic phone plans from 35c to 36c. I also remember reading that they are increasing landline costs. There are two things I want to say. One thing about Telstra is that it is almost like it needs an independently funded ombudsman—a Telstra watch—maybe run through CHOICE or something like that so that it is transparent and we get good access. There are a lot of things happening there that we just do not know about. I have said to locals that it is hard when you are contracted with them. Start demanding that we get serviced by locals and that they have local jobs. It will not happen overnight— (Time expired)

A few idle observations at the end of the week

“The cruel internet world of Facebook” was how one Daily Examiner journo described this social networking site last Tuesday.
Such a sweeping generalization for a site on which the newspaper has proudly plonked itself. See My big fat apology

Has anyone ever seen those intrepid Valley recreational fishers Graham Mackie and Dan Frogan in the same room together?

Which female face was supposed to be in this candidate line up until she allegedly refused to pre-commit to voting for one of the blokes as Clarence Valley’s deputy mayor if she was re-elected for another term?

The Clarence Valley Review on 5th September 2012

Can anyone find any real evidence of "the 189 new full-time jobs" for Grafton that Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis was bragging about down in Macquarie Street on the 5th of September 2012? I know I can't.

Which Clarence Valley Review journalist ran a comment string on social media during the recent council election campaign urging ratepayers, residents and business owners not to take on board the views posted on North Coast Voices?

Mouse Gif from Google Images

National MP for Clarence spinning faster than a new top

The O’Farrell-Stoner Government announced a $1.7 billion cut in education spending on 11 September 2012 and Nationals MP for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, told local media on 12-13 September that a) he wasn’t aware of these cuts before the minister announced them, b) fought against the cuts in the party room and c) he’s working to stop these cuts impacting on regional TAFEs.

Yet in down in Macquarie Street, Sydney, Gulaptis moved as one with the rest of government to stifle debate……

   v Motion before the NSW Legislative Assembly on 11 September 2012:

That this House opposes today's unprecedented funding cuts to New South Wales public schools, Catholic schools, independent schools and TAFE colleges.

Chris Gulaptis votes not to accord this motion priority at approximately 3.34pm and it was not debated.

>                 v Motion before the NSW Legislative Assembly on 12 September 2012:

this House calls on the O'Farrell Government to reverse its unprecedented $1.7 billion in funding cuts to New South Wales public, Catholic and independent schools and TAFE colleges.

Chris Gulaptis votes not to accord this motion priority at approximately 3.36pm and it was not debated.

As successful candidates in 2012 NSW North Coast Local Government Elections become known....

Clarence Valley Council Chorus adapted from Pro Sound Effects

Clarence Valley Council is the first local government area to go to the dogs.
Soon to be dominated by the right-wing political interests of two men, the pro-development commercial interests of a third and the slick sycophancy of yet another. Any councillor of genuine goodwill will have a hard time during the coming term.

Richmond Valley Council is coming a close second in the third-tier race to the bottom as Ernie Bennett is now the mayor-elect. Mr. Bennett has a history of marching in step with the harebrained ideas put forward by wannabe water raiders and far right politicians.