Press release - August 29, 2005
Today Greenpeace congratulated the Minister of Fisheries for taking the issue of bottom trawling and New Zealand's role in governance of international waters seriously, following the release of Labour's Fisheries Policy.
"Labour's Fisheries Policy has the potential to be a
far-reaching, intelligent response to the crisis our oceans are in.
Overall, if implemented, Labour's policies give the opportunity for
ocean life to return to a healthy state", said oceans campaigner
Malcolm Wren.
Labour is indicating it wants to take a vocal lead on the
"unacceptable impacts of bottom trawling" at the UN. The UNGA
meeting at New York in November offers the opportunity to put their
money where their mouth is on this issue.
"This can only be applauded", says Mr Wren, "But negotiations
with Chile and Australia over managing the oceans in between will
take years while every day bottom trawlers are destroying unique,
essential habitats and ecosystems in the deep sea. That's why a UN
moratorium on bottom trawling in international waters needs to be
in place while the talks continue".
Greenpeace compliments policies to tackle illegal, unreported,
and unregulated (IUU) fishing and support marine reserves in the
high seas and the fragile waters of Antarctica as all positive
initiatives.
"Comparatively, the National Party hasn't even grasped that the
most destructive fishing technique in the world - bottom trawling -
is even an issue. There are no suggestions to fix the environmental
impacts of industrial fishing such as bycatch and marine habitat
destruction", concluded Mr Wren.
In addition, National's Fisheries Policy:
- Does not recognise the spiral of collapse that the fishing
industry and ocean life is experiencing is due to destructive
fishing techniques and industrial overfishing
- Does not advocate the precautionary principle and is hostile to
urgently-needed marine reserves
- In contrast to Labour, wants to promote New Zealand's fishing
interests in the Antarctic.