It has become clear to southern bluefin tuna fishers that the cut in Australia's quota last season was a direct result of negotiations over whaling and a free trade agreement with Japan.
Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association chief executive officer Brian Jeffries said the background to the cut now appeared to be a range of deals on whaling and tuna was just a "pawn in the political and diplomatic whaling game".
Mr. Jeffriess said the whaling connection coupled with negotiations on a Japan/Australia free trade agreement was something the Australian industry suspected at the time, but was unable to prove.
"It is now becoming much clearer what happened to so seriously discriminate against Australian industry," he said.
"The bottom line is that Japan and NZ have played Australia off a break - reduced the Australian tuna quota, but with no benefit to whales, and no Australia/Japan free trade agreement.
"There is no point in Australian industry complaining about the past - the issue is to ensure that these deals do not again affect decisions on tuna."
"This cut was a serious mistake - and the continuous yearly increases in fish numbers is proof of that."
The quota cut was based on a model predicting a continued stock decline in both the Great Australian Bight and the high seas, yet the opposite is occurring.
"The cut also hit Australia harder than any other country - in fact New Zealand were given more quota," he said.
