Super trawler's operator surrenders registration

Seafish Tasmania, the operator of a super trawler that has been banned from fishing in Australian waters, has surrendered the ship's Australian registration.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed the company relinquished the registration yesterday.

The move comes after Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke imposed bans on Seafish Tasmania using the super trawler to fish its quota or as a floating freezer for catch from other ships.

The 140-metre Abel Tasman, formerly known as FV Margiris, has been docked at Port Lincoln in South Australia since last year, when the Federal Government first banned it from fishing in Australian waters for two years on environmental grounds.

Seafish has confirmed the vessel has been sold and it is expected to leave the country next week.

Seafish Tasmania director Gerry Geen says the Government left it with no choice but to look at other options.

"To even ban the vessel from accepting fish caught by smaller Australian boats and processing them on board - at that point it was abundantly clear that Minister Burke wasn't going to allow this boat to operate under any fashion" he said.

He says the company still wants to fish its quota of jack mackerel and red bait using a large-scale freezer trawler.

"Whether it's the Abel Tasman or smaller vessel, it will be that type of boat," Mr Geen said.

Seafish Tasmania is challenging the Federal Government's trawling ban in court and says it is considering further legal action after the latest ban.