Representatives from countries around the world gathered in Chile to carve out a fisheries agreement for the South Pacific region. Following a resolution made by the UN in 2006, the countries at the meeting responded strongly with measures to stop destruction of deep water corals, seamounts and other sensitive habitats by vessels that  are bottom trawling in international waters.

Some of the amazing deep sea life that is threatened by bottom trawling.


From September 2007 bottom trawling vessels in the South Pacific will not be able to fish in areas that have or are even likely to have vulnerable marine ecosystems, unless they’ve completed an assessment to show they won’t do any damage.

The New Zealand fishing industry is responsible for 90 percent of bottom trawling in the region. New Zealand delegates told the meeting these measures would "severely constrain the ability of their fishing industry to continue bottom trawling on the high seas around New Zealand”  and suggested that it may even have the effect of putting an end to bottom trawling.

We'll be watching to make sure that New Zealand - and all the member countries - put the agreement into action, and implement the measures that will protect the irreplaceable biodiversity of deep sea ecosystems.

Read our press release for more detailed info and visit www.southpacificrfmo.org for outcomes from the meeting in Chile.