Controversial super trawler the Geelong Star was confirmed to have left Australian waters on the eve of the Senate inquiry report being handed down on its operation.
Opponents of the vessel described it as a win for Australia, and recreational and commercial fishers welcomed the news.
The Geelong Star had been operating in the small pelagic fishery for 18 months, reportedly selling the fish product to Africa. It previously had concentrated fishing efforts on the far south coast of New South Wales, where community concerns centred on the impact the vessel was having on recreational fisheries, the tourism industry, and the diversity of marine life.
A recent review of the vessel management plan failed to address the community concerns of localised bait fish depletion.
However, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority confirmed on Tuesday the vessel was no longer operating in Australian waters.
"The Geelong Star is not currently subject to any investigation by AFMA for breaches of Commonwealth fishing regulations," a spokesman said.
According to a statement by the Netherlands-based parent company of the vessel Parlevliet and Van der Plas, the Geelong Star was returning to the Netherlands under its old name of KW 172 Dirk Dirk because of a breakdown in a commercial agreement with its Australian partners.
"The reason is that we cannot achieve a financial/commercial agreement with the local partners in Australia," the statement read.
"The management regrets that we cannot continue this fishing operation, partly because of the very healthy local pelagic stocks."
However, in a contradictory statement, the Small Pelagic Fishery Association which represents the vessel in Australia, said the Geelong Star had left Australian waters because of a serious mechanical issue that could not be rectified locally.
The Facebook post said Seafish Tasmania was "reviewing its position but hopes to be back fishing as soon as possible".
The day after AFMA broke the news, a Senate report was handed down, with the committee's first recommendation being that the Australian government ban all factory freezer mid-water trawlers from operating in the Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery.
In the Coalition Senators' dissenting report, it was said that the government was committed to maintaining a balanced and science-based approach to decisions relating to fisheries.
Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly said he was proud of the stand made locally to ensure proper consideration was given to marine life.
"While we're buoyed by this outcome, I'm calling on the Turnbull government to be upfront with the people of the NSW far south coast about whether the Geelong Star will be returning to Australian waters," Dr Kelly said.
Labor senator Anne Urquhart, who tabled the Senate committee report on the vessel, said: "Bon voyage and don't come back."
- with Kimberley Le Lievre
