Source: Greenpeace
Greenpeace is slamming the decision by the coalition government today to vote through the Fisheries Amendment Bill, in the wake of mass public outcry against the legislation.
The controversial Fisheries Amendment Bill, which blocks public access to cameras on boats footage and incentivises the most destructive form of fishing, bottom trawling, passed its first reading in parliament today. It will go to Select Committee later this year.
Greenpeace Aotearoa oceans lead Ellie Hooper says the coalition has ignored the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who said the bill should be rejected.
“This bill is a dumpster fire that should have been voted down today. While opposition parties voted against the Bill, the coalition of National, Act and NZ First have voted it through – ignoring the New Zealanders they’ve all claimed to have listened to this past week. Clearly, the statements these politicians made on the Bill were just hot air.”
Greenpeace says New Zealanders have made their feelings about the bill, and the destructive fishing practices it will further enable, abundantly clear.
“We need political parties to step up and do what New Zealanders are overwhelmingly calling for – commitments to restrictions on destructive bottom trawling to protect the ocean and ensure abundance for the future,” says Hooper.
“People are wise to the fact that anything less is not going to address the real problems we have with commercial fishing in this country.
“Fisheries and ocean health are key election issues. Politicians must take note and commit to banning bottom trawling from where it does the most harm – starting with seamounts and features, and in the embattled Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.”Every year New Zealand trawlers rip up tonnes of coral, wiping out essential ocean habitats and also kill dolphins, fur seals and seabirds in trawl nets as ‘bycatch’ collateral.
“The cost of this destructive fishing method is too high – and voters know it,” says Hooper.
The Fisheries Amendment Bill reading follows public outrage that forced Minister Shane Jones to do a u-turn on part of the bill that would have allowed commercial fishers to land and sell undersized fish.
But environmentalists and recreational fishers alike assert too many problematic aspects of the bill remain. These include provisions which would block public access to cameras on boats footage, introducing a fine of up to $50,000 for anyone leaking the footage.
Groups also objected to catch limits moving to five year reviews instead of annually, more limited public consultation, and restrictions on the ability for legal challenges to be launched on fisheries decisions.
Hooper says that while New Zealanders will continue to oppose the bill through to the Select Committee stage – political parties need to recognise and act on the calls for real change with urgency.
“New Zealanders from across the political spectrum, and from many different walks of life care deeply about the ocean and want to cast their vote for politicians who will actually make meaningful changes to protect it.
“Over 100,000 people have signed petitions calling for end to bottom trawling on seamounts. Polling data shows that 84% of people living around the Hauraki Gulf, also want trawling banned in the Marine Park.
