Today, Antarctic Toothfish plunderer, the Antarctic Aurora, docked in Hobart. This vessel, which can set up to 60,000 hooks in the pristine Southern Ocean, should not be welcome in a city that claims to be an Antarctic guardian and custodian.

“With scientists reporting an unprecedented heatwave in Antarctica just yesterday, the last thing the Antarctic ecosystem needs is its wildlife ripped out of the ocean,” said Alistair Allan, Antarctic Campaigner for Bob Brown Foundation.

“This vessel is an industrial killing machine and is anything but sustainable. The threats Antarctica faces over the next few decades will be immense. We need to give this vulnerable and unique ecosystem and its wildlife the best chance we can. A very easy way to start would be to ban vessels like the Antarctic Aurora from plundering Antarctica.”

“Antarctic toothfish are an unnecessary luxury product. In this age of climate crisis, we should not be travelling to the end of the earth to profit off the Antarctic equivalent of shark fins.”