Greenpeace says the coalition government\u2019s removal of one item in NZ First\u2019s \u2018ocean exploitation bill\u2019 is not enough to satisfy public outcry, with the organisation calling for the bill to be rejected in its entirety.<\/p>\n\n
On Wednesday PM Christopher Luxon announced that after listening to concerns about the Fisheries Amendment Bill, sections that scrapped minimum fish size requirements <\/a>for commercial operators will be removed. Greenpeace says no one is fooled by this small concession.<\/p>\n\n Oceans lead Ellie Hooper says:\u00a0 \u201cAll the Prime Minister and coalition partners have done is remove one aspect of this bonfire of a bill<\/a>. But the scales have fallen from everyone\u2019s eyes on this.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n “The bill, even with the size requirements removed, remains a hand out to the commercial fishing industry, who Jones advocates for. It incentivises the worst types of fishing – unselective bottom trawling<\/a> – the impacts of which are being felt increasingly by all. In a statement on social media today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon wrote he wanted to ensure \u201cour kids and grandkids have abundant fisheries for the decades to come\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s clear the ocean is depleted and it\u2019s harder to go out and catch a fish. We\u2019ve got crashed populations, and ocean habitats are struggling. Incentivising trawling, which destroys the ocean and takes too many fish out of the sea, is not going to fly with the New Zealand public.\u201d
The bill contains proposals to limit public consultation on fisheries decisions and blocks public access to the footage from cameras on boats. Anyone who shares or publishes this footage could face a fine of up to $50,000.
Hooper points out that without public access to cameras on boats<\/a> footage, mistrust in the commercial fishing industry will only continue to grow.
\u201cNew Zealanders have a right to know how the fishing industry is impacting ocean health. What should be abundantly clear to the Prime Minister and all the politicians in an election year is that the public cares deeply about what happens out at sea. And there are more of them in the voting population than commercial fishing bosses.
\u201cA transparent industry that boasts their world-leading fisheries management, wouldn\u2019t need these cover ups,\u201d says Hooper. \u201cIt just looks like they\u2019re trying to hide the plain facts of their activities, from hauling up coral to killing fur seals and dolphins as bycatch.\u201d\u00a0
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