The Australian Greens say tankers in the Great Barrier Reef pose an unacceptable risk, as storms of greater intensity batter the North Queensland coast.

"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has come out and said we're no longer predicting the consequences of climate change, we're actually observing them," said Greens Leader Christine Milne.

"Our hearts go out to the people of North Queensland as Cyclone Ita approaches.

The Australian Greens have told thousands of protesters at Cottesloe Beach in Perth that the WA shark cull must end immediately, as drum lines along the Perth coast target threatened species and vulnerable marine life.

"This is appalling, cruel and illogical marine policy. The drum lines kill indiscriminately and we have seen sharks being brutally slaughtered off our beaches," Australian Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne said today.

The Australian Greens condemn the actions of Japanese whaling ships ramming the Sea Shepherd vessel the Bob Barker.

"These violent and dangerous actions that risk lives at sea are outrageous and totally unacceptable" Leader of the Greens Senator Christine Milne said.

"I call on the Government to act swiftly to condemn this violence, and send a naval vessel down to monitor the situation."

The Federal Government must tell the Japanese whaling fleet to immediately leave our waters, the Australian Greens said this morning.

"Australians will be outraged at news that a whale has been taken in Australian waters," said Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens marine spokesperson.

"Minister Burke must order these ships out of our waters and send a vessel to ensure this happens and monitor the rest of the whaling season.

The Australian Greens today expressed disappointment at the failure of the CCAMLR talks to establish the largest marine reserve on the planet and urged the Australian Government  to continue their efforts in the talks in Germany next year.

"Just this week in a briefing to Parliamentarians CSIRO acknowledged the limited understanding of the biodiversity of marine ecosystems and that is on top of the threats proposed by climate change and more acidic oceans on the food chain" said Australian Greens leader Senator Christine Milne.

The super trawler F.V. Margiris has been stalled by the amendment to the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 passing the House of Representatives today, but Rob Oakeshott's amendments are bad for fisheries and bad for communities, the Australian Greens said today.

"People across the community will be relieved that the super trawler has been stalled, but I cannot fathom why Rob Oakeshott wants to start its engines again as soon as possible," Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said.

 "The Coalition has been trying to destabilise this whole campaign, creating furphies and spreading disinformation and now we have the Independents flip-flopping all over the place." Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Christine Milne said

"The Greens will not be flip-flopping. The community wants an outcome. If this mess can't be resolved in the Lower House then we will pass it through the Senate and send it straight back to the House."

Transcript

 Subjects: super trawler, mining royalties

CHRISTINE MILNE:  Well I just want to congratulate campaigners, communities, recreational fishers, environmentalists, my colleagues in the Green party around the country, who have been organising meetings, petitions, working online, in community halls to bring to the Government's attention the level of community anger about the decision to allow the super trawler into Australia's waters and the decision to double the fishing quota to enable the super trawler to operate here.

The Australian Greens have reiterated calls for a ban on super trawlers in Australian waters.

“We welcome the Government’s decision to finally act on the concerns I have been raising for some time around this issue,” Australian Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said today.

“However, successive Governments have been working for seven years to bring this vessel here.

“What we see here is the Fisheries Minister congratulating himself for cleaning up a mess his own department created.

The 2012 Marine Climate Change in Australia Report Card released by the CSIRO today provides yet more evidence that global warming is having serious adverse impacts on our marine ecosystems and shows why putting a price on pollution is vital for a healthy, smart, fair future for all Australians.