Make a submission: Published response
Published name
Bass Basin areas
Please provide any general comments you may have on the potential areas for the 2023 Offshore Greenhouse Gas Storage Acreage Release
Very concerned at the potential for damage to scallop beds on the western and southwestern sides of the proposed GHG23-9 acreage
If you have a supporting document you wish to include, please upload it here
RICHEY FISHING CO. PTY LTD
ACN: 009 553 520 ABN: 34 450 494 146
PO Box 69, Shearwater, Tas 7307
Phone: (03) 6428 7917
[redacted]
26 June 2023
Submission on 2023 Offshore Greenhouse Gas Storage Acreage Release – Bass Basin GHG23-9
Richey Fishing Co Pty Ltd (RFC) has substantial holdings of quota to fish for scallops in the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery (BSCZSF), the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery (TSF) and the Victorian Ocean Scallop Fishery (VOSF). This submission refers to the BSCZSF and the TSF.
RFC was severely impacted by the scallop kill in Eastern Bass Strait off Flinders Island following a seismic survey conducted on behalf of Geoscience Australia looking for carbon storage sites in 2010. The best estimate of scallops killed at that time is around 25,000 tonnes and although there have been many attempts to deflect blame the best science available appears to support the fact that the scallops were killed by repeated passes of seismic survey vessels across the known scallop beds.
The area impacted in 2010 has never properly recovered from the scallop kill.
Western Bass Strait is enjoying the most abundant beds of scallops ever recorded with limited surveys in the Commonwealth managed BSCZSF indicating known beds of around 100,000 tonnes and the adjacent TSF another 35,000 tonnes. The biomass in the Boags Marine Protected Area is unknown but it also could be quite substantial as it is surrounded by known beds in State and Commonwealth waters.
Both fisheries are managed with very conservative Total Allowable Catches and strictly controlled quota management to ensure sustainability under cost recovered arrangements. The Commonwealth beds have been harvested for a number of years and stocks continue to increase so it would appear that the management arrangements are achieving the desired outcomes.
A substantial part of the western and southwestern sides of the proposed GHG23-9 acreage covers these known beds and given the impacts from the 2010 seismic surveys over known beds the impact of seismic could have a catastrophic impact on both the Commonwealth and Tasmanian managed fisheries.
If seismic surveying was to be permitted over these beds we would be expecting to see a substantial bond from the proponents to cover any potential loss of livelihood or impact on the scallop resource.
It is possible that some of the proposed area adjacent to the Yolla gas field and the eastern side of the proposed acreage would have minimal impact on the scallop fishery as scallops have not traditionally settled there and it would appear that the substrate is not suitable for a successful settlement.
However, the impact on larval scallops is yet to be determined so if seismic was to occur in the eastern portion of the proposed acreage release it would be important to ensure that any activity did not occur while larval scallops could be reasonably expected to be in the water column.
I trust these concerns will be taken into consideration when assessing areas to be released for exploration and that potential tenderers will be made aware of the risks to the Commonwealth and Tasmanian scallop fisheries if exploration is conducted over or adjacent to scallop beds.
Stuart Richey
Managing Director
Offshore region