Activists are calling on the Contemporary Zealand authorities to ban bottom trawling on seamounts in the nation’s Unheard of Economic Zone, and beget submitted a document on the hazards of bottom trawling to seamount ecosystems.
The document, compiled by the Deep Dea Conservation Coalition and presented earlier this month to the Contemporary Zealand Parliament, finds that 128 new species had been realized on Contemporary Zealand’s or Aotearoa’s seamounts prior to now three years – all from bycatch from the bottom trawling industry, and involves statistics on the amount of coral being destroyed by the Contemporary Zealand bottom trawling rapid.
In accordance to an announcement from the coalition, the principle conclusions of the document are:
“There are a total bunch of unprotected seamounts teeming with existence in both the Contemporary Zealand EEZ and in the broader international waters of the South Pacific. Reasonably plenty of our seamounts are arresting, and every shall be determined from neighboring seamounts, that method a cramped establish of ocean with a entire lot of seamounts might well most likely beget fully arresting macroinvertebrate communities.
“Prior to now three years in Aotearoa Contemporary Zealand, scientists beget identified 128 species new to science from fishery bycatch at some stage in direction of a marine invertebrate identification project. Reasonably plenty of these species beget been whisper in or spherical seamounts, which shall be hotspots of ocean existence.
“Scientists beget found that coral samples from the fishing areas included black coral passe as a lot as 2600 years outdated, and diversified coral passe between 300 and 500 years outdated. Orange roughy, the principle fish species trawled on seamounts, can itself dwell to over 220 years outdated.
“In the year 2018-2019 on my own, correct over 14 tonnes of corals had been dragged up in bottom trawling nets by Contemporary Zealand trawlers. However easiest a chunk of coral destroyed makes it as a lot as the surface in the win: Scientists beget estimated that 14 tonnes of coral in nets would imply 1,515 to 4,769 tonnes had been destroyed on the seabed.
“The total six Contemporary Zealand bottom trawl vessels at present permitted to trawl in the South Pacific excessive seas belong to companies which beget been convicted prior to now year of illegally fishing in closed areas, with more prosecutions pending.”
The coalition’s Karli Thomas says:
“These reviews ascertain that different our deepwater coral forests beget been increasing for a total bunch and even hundreds of years, nevertheless a single bottom trawl can extinguish them in minutes.
“The Ministry of Major Industries is busy making an are trying to calculate how many seamounts it’s okay to extinguish, to eradicate a watch at and make clear our rapid’s persisted rampage, rather than focussing on ocean protection and our international tasks. It’s time for the Minister to rein them in.”
Take a look at out the stout document at savethehighseas.org.
