Call for US ban on NZ fish ‘outlandish’
Seafood New Zealand says a marine activist group’s ‘‘outlandish’’ call for the United States to ban New Zealand seafood imports is based on inaccurate allegations.
Sea Shepherd called on US President Donald Trump to immediately ban seafood from all New Zealand fisheries that were endangering Ma¯ui’s dolphins, over concerns the species was being driven to extinction by becoming bycatch.
Sea Shepherd New Zealand managing director Michael Lawry said the group wanted the Trump Administration to use the Marine Mammal Protection Act, under the US law that aims to reduce bycatch of marine mammals in national and international waters.
Seafood NZ chief executive Tim Pankhurst said conservation measures for the prevention of Ma¯ui’s dolphin captures were working, with no sightings or captures in more than 2230 observer days since 2012.
‘‘The effectiveness of these measures has been verified by independent government observers on board fishing vessels in the Ma¯ ui dolphins’ known habitat range,’’ Pankhurst said.
There were prohibitions on the use of set nets and trawls up to seven nautical miles throughout almost all of the species’ known habitat range, he said.
‘‘These outlandish claims by activists put at risk our nearly $2 billion export industry and the thousands of jobs it provides,’’ Pankhurst said.
Ma¯ ui’s dolphins are native to New Zealand and call the west coast of the North Island home. The species’ population is critical, with the remaining 55 teetering on the brink of extinction.
Primary Industries Minister Stuart Nash has been approached for comment.
Lawry said Sea Shepherd was calling for all set nets and trawls to be removed from the dolphins’ habitat. He said snapper, which live in the same area as Ma¯ ui’s dolphins, was the most popular fish imported from New Zealand into the US market.
According to the Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand contributes to 0.3 per cent of the world’s fisheries market but exports 1 per cent. Seafood exports are worth more than $1.5b a year on average.
Marine scientist Veronica Rotman said Ma¯ ui’s dolphins were in critical danger and extreme protection measures were required to stop their population decline.
She said the Marine Mammal Protection Act was a powerful law, but it was hard to say if Trump would push for it.
‘‘It seems like he has other priorities on his agenda. It’s an urgent situation that needs to be brought to attention.’’