‘Scorched-earth approach to fishing’: Conservationists says Govt lobbying for fisheries – Stuff.co.nz

MICHAEL T BURT

The Amaltal Apollo trawler slipway at Port Nelson.

A New Zealand vessel, alleged to have illegally fished in a protected part of the Tasman Sea, has been removed from an international blacklist.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) moved to prosecute the Talley's-owned Amaltal Apollo over the alleged breach in May 2018. But environment groups are questioning what role government officials played in having the vessel removed from the draft Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) list reserved for disreputable fishing vessels.

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, an umbrella group of NGOs, says officials carried out "heavy lobbying" on behalf of the Nelson-based company at a closed-door meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), the inter-government body in charge of regulating high seas fishing.

And they say that's inappropriate given the pending prosecution, due to be heard in court in March.

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"It's sad to say, but the New Zealand Government has been captured by the deep-water fishing industry. It is acting as their advocate rather than as a government," Greenpeace ocean campaigner Jessica Desmond said.

She said she was "appalled".

LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF

Oceans campaigner at Greenpeace Jessica Desmond says the Government has been acting as an advocate.

Last year conservationists also accused MPI for pushing for a delay on a decision on the list.

MPI's director of international policy Phil Houlding said the decision was made by consensus by the 15 member countries of SPRFMO.

"New Zealand supported this decision and is happy with SPRFMO's recognition of the effective action New Zealand has taken, and continues to take, in monitoring New Zealand flagged fishing vessels operating on the high seas and taking appropriate actions to deal with alleged breaches."

Houlding said MPI couldn't find any record of correspondence from Talley's lobbying on the blacklist.

Ina statement,Houldinglater added thatTalleys was present at the meeting as part of the High Seas Fisheries Group which represents industry participants in the fishery.

"It had observer status only, as is routine at SPRFMO meetings. It was not part of New Zealands delegation."

Amaltal - the deepwater division of Talley's Group - faces 14 charges over the incident. It was the first case of its kind involving a New Zealand vessel being considered for the international blacklist.

Tony Hazlett from Amaltal said in a statement that the AmaltalApollo hadbeen found to be alegal vessel.

"The spirit and intention of the management measures of the SPRFMOConvention is to identify and publicise and penalise truly illegal unregulated and illegal vessels. The Amaltal Apollo is not one of those vessels and this is reflected in the unanimous decision of the 15 SPRFMO countries and the Commission's decision.

"We are part of New Zealand's broader fishing fleet and we are a country in good standing with SPRFMO and have been a long vigorous proponent for rules and regulations in international waters."

In a statement issued last year the company said it was a technical error, made based on out-of-date information given by an MPI observer on board the vessel.

SPRFMO manages fisheries in the South Pacific and is meeting in Vanuatu.

Marine conservationists are also worried that the Government has gone into bat for deep sea fishers over a controversial rule designed to protect the ocean floor from deep sea bottom trawling.

Vessels must move to a new fishing area if they uplift a certain weight of vulnerable species - such as coral - in their trawl nets.

The weight was set at 250kg for stony coral. The European Union, supported by the US and Australia, proposed this be reduced drastically to 25kg. A limit of 80kg was eventually settled on.

Desmond said this was a "weak compromise" and said the EU plan was "vehemently opposed by New Zealand fishing industry lobbyists the High Seas Fishery Group, led by Talley's, and the New Zealand government".

"Other countries are trying to move on from this scorched-earth approach to fishing, but the New Zealand government seems determined to let our industrial fleets continue their rampage," she added.

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'Scorched-earth approach to fishing': Conservationists says Govt lobbying for fisheries - Stuff.co.nz