New Zealand is heartened by a significant advance in international efforts to regulate high seas bottom trawling at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), according to the Ministry of Fisheries.
Although the outcome from this year’s negotiations is not as specific and sweeping as the measures that New Zeland and others like Australia had proposed, it is a major step forward.
Minister of Fisheries Jim Anderton said New Zealand, along with other nations had been working hard for a strong outcome on bottom trawling.
Specifically, New Zealand had advocated for the adoption of:
* Effective measures to control bottom trawling in those areas of the high seas already being managed by a regional fisheries management organisation
* Effective interim measures to be adopted in those areas such as the high seas of the South Pacific where an RFMO is under negotiation
* An immediate interim prohibition on bottom trawling in unregulated high seas areas.
The measures agreed to in New York last week reflect the first two of the New Zealand negotiating objectives. The opposition of a number of fishing states prevented the adoption of an outright prohibition on bottom trawling in unregulated high seas areas. However, the pressure exerted by New Zealand and others led to a compromise under which bottom trawling in unregulated high seas areas must either be subject to effective measures to prevent damage to vulnerable marine ecosystems or it must stop.
Mr Anderton said: “The measures give strong political guidance for taking action to manage the impacts of bottom trawling and to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.”
The outcome of the UN process also includes a package of measures which will deliver benefits to the marine environment, including measures to promote responsible fishing practices, and to address illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters said: “States have worked hard together, and the consensus to be put to the United Nations General Assembly for adoption is a package of measures which reflect the collective view of the international community comprising both fishing and non-fishing States”.
“The United Nations had made it clear that controls on the adverse impacts of bottom trawling were urgently needed, and that countries must accelerate efforts to get them in place,” Mr Peters said.
Minister of Conservation Chris Carter said that while the measures do not go as far as New Zealand had wanted in terms of achieving a prohibition on bottom trawling in unregulated high seas areas, the consensus outcome was still a positive step towards minimising the effects of bottom-trawling in these areas.
All Ministers agreed that New Zealand will continue working with other responsible fishing nations like Australia and Pacific Island states to develop comprehensive proposals to regulate bottom trawling in the South Pacific. These will be put to the next meeting of parties in Chile, next year.
New Zealand sees regional organisations as presenting the best opportunity to manage bottom trawling and deliver real environmental benefits to our most vulnerable ecosystems.
