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.