12 December 2019

Sharon Claydon MP – Federal Member for Newcastle

427 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW 2300

Dear Sharon,

We are writing to you on behalf of our members within the Newcastle fishing trawl fleet
regarding the lost containers from the YM Efficiency that have been abandoned. The
Professional Fishermen’s Association (PFA) along with Commercial Fishermen’s Co-
operative Ltd (CFCL) and our members, met a few weeks ago with AMSA
representatives to discuss the industry concerns regarding the containers and AMSA’s
recovery operations. AMSA representatives discussed their legislative obligation to
pursue the clean-up and how the specific recovery operation would occur.

The PFA and CFCL are concerned that the AMSA clean-up operation will create a greater
debris field and is not convinced that the actions of AMSA will improve fishers’ operations or
the future issue of continuing environmental pollution. Until convinced otherwise the PFA
and CFCL members do not support their removal.

The PFA and CFCL are also concerned about the structural integrity of the containers due to
the significant delay taken in their removal and no longer have faith in the success of a
removal operation. The PFA and CFCL and their members have been provided little
information regarding the removal modelling or tender discussions and remain unconvinced
of its ability to create a safe environment for the fishers to work in or around.

It was agreed that PFA and CFCL would send a formal request to AMSA asking for:
 the removal process is halted until fishers are convinced of the success of the clean-
up operations
 a paid industry observer to be allowed on the tender vessel to ensure relevant advice
 the recovery operations include the filling in of the holes left from the removed
containers;
 the project to include a negotiated package on behalf of industry that includes
compensation against future claims. We do not have the resources to begin a court
case for future individual losses.

We invite you to speak with us and our fishers on this issue and urge that this critical
issue be expediated more urgently to meet Government commitments.

Yours sincerely Yours sincerely

Patricia Beatty Robert Gauta

Chief Executive Officer General Manager
PFA CFCL

PFA providing effective representation on NSW commercial wild harvest fishing to all levels of government and other key stakeholders
__________________________________________________________________________________________
PFA T 02 6652 7374 E eo@pfai.com.au
CFCL T 02 4965 4221 E rgauta@commfish.com.au