Did you know that the New Zealand Government has previously issued permits to six bottom trawling vessels - all owned by companies with recent convictions for illegal fishing - and allows them to go out and trawl seamounts in international waters? These vessels are the only ones that are still causing the destruction of South Pacific biodiversity in this way.

 

A recent survey found almost 80% of New Zealanders want seamounts to be protected from bottom trawling. This high seas bottom trawl fishery goes against what most New Zealanders stand for:

 

• The fleet is predominantly trawling on areas of seamounts and features, biodiversity hotspots that are home to  delicate and ancient coral and sponge communities.

• New Zealand’s six authorised bottom trawl vessels are the only fleet still bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas, so we alone could end this destruction.

• All six vessels belong to companies that have shown they don’t follow the rules - all of them have recent convictions for illegal trawling in protected areas.

 

Right now, the Government is considering High Seas Permit applications for the next fishing year, 2022 - 2023. We call on the head of MPI, Ray Smith, not to issue permits to New Zealand bottom trawlers to continue this destruction.