Latest news with #SeafoodNewZealand
Scoop
09-07-2025
- General
- Scoop
Industry Lobby Group's ‘Fishy' Marine Protection Claims Under Fire
Environmental groups, marine scientists, and iwi representatives have today called out lobby group Seafood New Zealand for its egregious greenwashing of New Zealand's commercial fishing industry. In an open letter published today, the signatories accuse Seafood New Zealand of misleading the public with its repeated and unsubstantiated claims that Aotearoa New Zealand has already achieved the global target of protecting 30% of its ocean territory by 2030. 'Claiming New Zealand has already protected 30% of our ocean is utterly disingenuous and creates a dangerous illusion of progress – when in reality, less than 1% of our ocean is highly protected and our fragile marine species and habitats remain exposed to immense harm,' says Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, Chief Executive of WWF-New Zealand. Seafood New Zealand continues to argue that New Zealand has already protected 30% of its ocean because it counts a type of protection known as 'Benthic Protection Areas' (BPAs). While these areas restrict bottom trawling and dredging on the seabed, they still allow midwater trawling, longlining, and other extractive industrial practices to continue unabated. They fall wildly short of 'highly protected' as defined by internationally recognised standards. Even the Department of Conservation acknowledges BPAs don't protect sufficient biodiversity to meet the standard of a Marine Protected Area. 'These areas were chosen – by industry – because they had little impact on commercial fishing operations, not because they protect biodiversity. Most of these zones were never bottom trawled in the first place - because they're simply too deep for it - and in many of them, harmful industrial fishing practices are still rampant. That's not protection – it's pulling the wool over Kiwis' eyes,' says Dr Kingdon-Bebb. 'Calling BPAs 'protected areas' is a dangerous distortion that risks delaying the urgent action needed to safeguard ocean health. It gives the public and policymakers a false sense of progress while deep-sea corals, seamounts, and vital habitats for our declining native species and key fish stocks remain under immense threat.' Dr Kingdon-Bebb says Seafood New Zealand's continued peddling of misinformation does a disservice to many of New Zealand's commercial fishing companies. Fishing company Sealord, for example, has publicly backed the 30% ocean protection target – and acknowledged the significant effort still needed to reach this goal. 'There are commercial fishing companies genuinely trying to do better, but they're being undermined by an industry lobby group more interested in greenwashing and spin. That needs to change,' says Kingdon-Bebb. Since 1970, the health of some of Aotearoa New Zealand's commercial fish stocks have plummeted. In the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana, scallop and crayfish fisheries have nearly collapsed. Our country's waters are home to half the world's whale and dolphin species, but 22% of marine mammals are now on the brink of extinction. More species of seabird breed in Aotearoa than anywhere else on earth – but a staggering 90% are now threatened or at risk. 'With our marine life on the brink and New Zealand lagging behind the rest of the world in ocean conservation, we urge Seafood New Zealand to stop overstating the nation's marine protection efforts and instead back meaningful, inclusive, science-led conservation that upholds Māori rights and interests. Our fragile marine environment deserves more than paper parks and poorly executed PR spin. It needs real protection,' says Kingdon-Bebb. The full list of signatories to the open letter include: Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, WWF-New Zealand Dr Russel Norman, Greenpeace Aotearoa Nicola Toki, Forest & Bird Professor Conrad Pilditch, Marine Scientist, University of Auckland Professor Simon Thrush, Marine Scientist, University of Auckland Professor Daniel Hikuroa, Earth Systems Scientist, University of Auckland Vince Kerr, Marine Ecologist, Kerr and Associates Nicola Rata-MacDonald, Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust Duncan Currie, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition Natalie Jessup, Endangered Species Foundation Daren Grover, Project Jonah Anna Campbell, Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust Karen Saunders, Native Bird Rescue James Gibson, BLAKE Tom Karstensen, New Zealand Underwater Association Jenny Craig, Dive Pacific
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Entries For The Seafood Sustainability And Innovation Awards 2025 Are Open Now
Fisheries New Zealand is seeking nominations from people and organisations who are putting in the hard mahi to help ensure our seafood sector is sustainable and innovative, says Dan Bolger, Deputy Director-General Fisheries New Zealand. 'The Seafood Sustainability and Innovation Awards recognise the individuals, businesses of all sizes, iwi organisations and not-for-profits who are demonstrating exceptional commitment to ensuring that our oceans are productive and healthy, both now and for future generations,' Mr Bolger says. A panel of independent judges, representing different parts of the seafood sector, will select finalists and winners across five categories: Operational Innovator Award Market Innovator Award Future Leader Award Ocean Guardian Award Tangata Tiaki/Kaitiaki Award The winner of the Supreme Sustainability and Innovation Award will be selected from winners across these categories. In addition, a Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Award will be presented to recognise a long-term contribution to sustainability and innovation in the seafood sector. We are pleased to acknowledge Seafood New Zealand as the sponsor of the Supreme Sustainability Award and Aquaculture New Zealand as the sponsor of the Market Innovator Award. Additional sponsors will be named shortly. To nominate yourself or someone else, complete the online form on the MPI website. Award entries are open from 24 June 2025, and close at 5:00pm, 24 July 2025. Finalists will be announced in August with an awards presentation at Parliament on 11 September 2025.
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Dolphin catch increase could be ‘random'
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES A sixfold increase in dolphin captures since the introduction of onboard cameras could be due to a range of factors, including "random fluctuations", Seafood New Zealand says. Fisheries New Zealand science and information director Simon Lawrence told the Otago Daily Times there had been a sustained change in reporting across the vessels within scope of the onboard cameras rollout and by last month, there had been 6.1 times more reported dolphin interactions since cameras had been on board fishing vessels. Forest & Bird earlier this week said the increase suggested suspected under-reporting was in fact happening. However, now Seafood New Zealand inshore general manager Tiffany Bock said there could be other factors at play. "Yes, more dolphin interactions have been reported. "We agree that it's good to have this information out there. "The change is due to a number of things. "We can't rule out random fluctuations, because we are talking about relatively small numbers (although obviously we want these numbers to get much smaller, fast). "Also it is true that fishers are taking way more care about the reporting process. "This is a good thing." It was important to consider that before cameras, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was "always allowing for a certain amount of under-reporting in their calculations" of protected species interactions, Ms Bock said. "Now we have cameras, we know their calculations were pretty accurate." Furthermore, potential changes MPI was considering would only limit public access to the footage captured by onboard cameras, not the information gleaned from them, she said. When announcing proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act in February, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said he wanted to address industry concerns about "sensitive footage" from cameras on fishing boats. Yesterday, Ms Bock said it was "really important for the public to know" that they would not be losing access to information about accidental captures of protected species under the proposed changes. MPI published quarterly data about bycatch of protected species on its website and that would not stop, she said. "Everyone will still be able to see how many birds, reptiles and marine mammals have been captured by fishing vessels and whether they were released alive and uninjured, alive and injured or dead. "This information is put together from observers on fishing vessels and from what MPI officials see via cameras. "It will continue to be published and is in no way affected by the proposed legislative changes."
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Seafood New Zealand Offers Hope And Answers To The Challenges Of David Attenborough's Ocean Film
Press Release – Seafood New Zealand In Aotearoa, Seafood New Zealand says the film is a deeply moving summary of the impacts of the worst extremes of commercial fishing, but professional fishing in New Zealand has many examples to offer which address Sir Davids concerns. 'Happy Birthday Sir David – Our Gift to You' The group representing New Zealand's commercial fishing sector says what we do in Aotearoa can be an inspiration to the rest of the world. Legendary and beloved broadcaster David Attenborough can be seen in movie theatres across the world today, telling the story of his and others' deep concerns about the impact of overfishing and destructive fishing techniques. The film 'Ocean' also offers hope and prospective solutions, holding up marine protected areas as a method that will allow the oceans to bounce back. In Aotearoa, Seafood New Zealand says the film is a deeply moving summary of the impacts of the worst extremes of commercial fishing, but professional fishing in New Zealand has many examples to offer which address Sir David's concerns. Seafood New Zealand CEO Lisa Futschek says 'we have learned from experience. We had more than 100 years of open access fishing. We saw where that led. 'In 2025, things are very different here. For almost four decades we have had a strictly enforced Quota Management System which puts restrictions on how much fish can be taken and from where. Under this system, fish stocks have bounced back. In fact, science tells us that 97% of our stocks by volume are at sustainable levels. 'We certainly can't claim to be perfect, far from it, but we can directly address some of the concerns that Sir David raises. In fact, we hoped that the story of how commercial fishing is done in New Zealand could be the sort of good news a global treasure like Sir David needs on his 99th birthday.' For example, the film lobbies for a third of our oceans to be in marine protection. It is also most concerned about the impact of bottom trawling. New Zealand is already there, having 30% of its waters protected in Benthic Protection Areas. Bottom contact fishing is banned in these areas, which were created at the request of the commercial fishing community. Lisa says 'the film also shows great concern about the impact of large-scale commercial fishing on local communities and indigenous people. Here in New Zealand, fishing is the lifeblood of rural centres from Whangārei to Bluff. Places like Westport, Nelson and New Plymouth are where jobs are created and communities benefit. We can also proudly say that thanks to Māori fisheries settlements and the Māori Fisheries Act of 2004, we have over 40% of fishing quota in Māori ownership.' 'Ocean' is also concerned about subsidies for commercial fishing. New Zealand was global leader in removing fisheries subsidies back in the '80s as part of a broader economic reform and to promote sustainable fishing practices. Lisa says 'the film talks about the ability of our oceans to bounce back. Our people have seen that here with our own eyes. Management has been the solution. We hope our experiences and the lessons we've learned can be a gift, not just to Sir David, but to the rest of the world. 'Yes, we still have work to do to continue to reduce bycatch and we are constantly making advances with this. New Zealand fishermen have been inventive, coming up with devices such as new weighted hooks, different types of nets including net replacements such as FloMo, a technology which has been years in development and is now trialling a way to alert a fisher if a marine mammal is caught and then open the fishing gear underwater, to allow that mammal to swim free. 'We do things differently here in Aotearoa and we would love Sir David to pay us a visit and see how our people operate. But first we invite New Zealanders to get to know how we fish, the day-to-day realities beyond the headlines or the stories of when things do occasionally go wrong. We think Kiwis will feel proud when they see the full story.' New Zealanders are invited to view local footage of trawling and other fishing practices here. Fast Facts – Key Data about New Zealand Commercial Fishing · New Zealand's commercial wild capture fisheries are worth $1.6 billion in export revenue · Our seafood sector produces $2.2 billion in export revenue in total (including aquaculture) · 16,500 Kiwis are employed either directly or indirectly in seafood · Fisheries management is complex – there are 642 fish stocks under management · New Zealand fish stocks are in good shape. 97.3% of total commercial landings by weight are from stocks that are considered sustainable (see MPI data).
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Seafood New Zealand Offers Hope And Answers To The Challenges Of David Attenborough's Ocean Film
'Happy Birthday Sir David – Our Gift to You' The group representing New Zealand's commercial fishing sector says what we do in Aotearoa can be an inspiration to the rest of the world. Legendary and beloved broadcaster David Attenborough can be seen in movie theatres across the world today, telling the story of his and others' deep concerns about the impact of overfishing and destructive fishing techniques. The film 'Ocean' also offers hope and prospective solutions, holding up marine protected areas as a method that will allow the oceans to bounce back. In Aotearoa, Seafood New Zealand says the film is a deeply moving summary of the impacts of the worst extremes of commercial fishing, but professional fishing in New Zealand has many examples to offer which address Sir David's concerns. Seafood New Zealand CEO Lisa Futschek says 'we have learned from experience. We had more than 100 years of open access fishing. We saw where that led. 'In 2025, things are very different here. For almost four decades we have had a strictly enforced Quota Management System which puts restrictions on how much fish can be taken and from where. Under this system, fish stocks have bounced back. In fact, science tells us that 97% of our stocks by volume are at sustainable levels. 'We certainly can't claim to be perfect, far from it, but we can directly address some of the concerns that Sir David raises. In fact, we hoped that the story of how commercial fishing is done in New Zealand could be the sort of good news a global treasure like Sir David needs on his 99th birthday.' Advertisement - scroll to continue reading For example, the film lobbies for a third of our oceans to be in marine protection. It is also most concerned about the impact of bottom trawling. New Zealand is already there, having 30% of its waters protected in Benthic Protection Areas. Bottom contact fishing is banned in these areas, which were created at the request of the commercial fishing community. Lisa says 'the film also shows great concern about the impact of large-scale commercial fishing on local communities and indigenous people. Here in New Zealand, fishing is the lifeblood of rural centres from Whangārei to Bluff. Places like Westport, Nelson and New Plymouth are where jobs are created and communities benefit. We can also proudly say that thanks to Māori fisheries settlements and the Māori Fisheries Act of 2004, we have over 40% of fishing quota in Māori ownership.' 'Ocean' is also concerned about subsidies for commercial fishing. New Zealand was global leader in removing fisheries subsidies back in the '80s as part of a broader economic reform and to promote sustainable fishing practices. Lisa says 'the film talks about the ability of our oceans to bounce back. Our people have seen that here with our own eyes. Management has been the solution. We hope our experiences and the lessons we've learned can be a gift, not just to Sir David, but to the rest of the world. 'Yes, we still have work to do to continue to reduce bycatch and we are constantly making advances with this. New Zealand fishermen have been inventive, coming up with devices such as new weighted hooks, different types of nets including net replacements such as FloMo, a technology which has been years in development and is now trialling a way to alert a fisher if a marine mammal is caught and then open the fishing gear underwater, to allow that mammal to swim free. 'We do things differently here in Aotearoa and we would love Sir David to pay us a visit and see how our people operate. But first we invite New Zealanders to get to know how we fish, the day-to-day realities beyond the headlines or the stories of when things do occasionally go wrong. We think Kiwis will feel proud when they see the full story.' New Zealanders are invited to view local footage of trawling and other fishing practices here. Fast Facts – Key Data about New Zealand Commercial Fishing · New Zealand's commercial wild capture fisheries are worth $1.6 billion in export revenue · Our seafood sector produces $2.2 billion in export revenue in total (including aquaculture) · 16,500 Kiwis are employed either directly or indirectly in seafood · Fisheries management is complex – there are 642 fish stocks under management (see MPI data).
